DOCOMO's 5G Network Deployment Strategy

DOCOMO’s 5G Network Deployment Strategy

Contents

Chapter 1: 5G delivers high speed and large capacity using new spectrum

Chapter 2: 5G deployment in 4G bands

Chapter 3: To realize low latency

Chapter 4: DOCOMO’s 5G network deployment strategy

Chapter 1: 5G delivers high speed and large capacity using new spectrum

What is 5G?

The 5^thgeneration mobile communication system: Offers 3 key properties

High speed, large capacity

Max. transmission bit rate:

20Gbps

1.7Gbps

4G/eLTE

10ms

Massive device connectivity

No. of simultaneously connectible devices:

Low latency

Transmission latency in radio interface:

1ms
10⁶devices/km²

* The numbers above are the target performance defined in technical standard

and do not represent the performance delivered at the time of 5G launch.

New Spectrum Allocation

New 5G spectrum allocated to Japanese carriers

＜3.7GHz band＞
＜4.5GHz band＞

Bandwidth: 100MHz /slot
Bandwidth: 100MHz /slot

Rakuten Mobile

＜28GHz band＞

Bandwidth: 400MHz/slot

DOCOMO

[GHz]

Why 5G Can Deliver High Speed & Large Capacity?

5G can deliver high speed and large capacity because a wider channel bandwidth is allocated in the new frequency bands.

Channel bandwidth

28G

400MHz bandwidth

4.5G

3.7G

100MHz bandwidth 100MHz bandwidth

3.5GHz 3.4GHz

5G uses frequency bands that can secure

a wider channel bandwidth compared to the

frequency bands assigned for 4G, which enables

faster speeds and larger capacity!

2GHz
1.7GHz
1.5GHz

New frequency bands

4G bands

800MHz 700MHz

(Ref) Relation between Bandwidth and Speed

(Illustrative)

Wider road width allows more cars to travel simultaneously.

New frequency bands for 5G

4G bands

Radio Characteristics of New Frequency Bands

More costs and longer time needed for coverage expansion in higher frequency bands.

Breadth of coverage (illustrative)

Signals difficult to reach

(Strong rectilinear propagation)

28GHz

400MHz bandwidth

New spectrum

4G bands

Sub6

100MHz bandwidth

(3.7/4.5GHz)

40MHz bandwidth

3.4GHz

3.5GHz

40MHz bandwidth 15MHz bandwidth

2GHz
1.7GHz

1.5GHz

800MHz

700MHz

Signals easier to reach

20MHz bandwidth 15MHz bandwidth

10MHz bandwidth

Chapter 2: 5G Deployment in 4G Bands

5G Deployment in 4G Bands : Overview

With the revision of ministerial ordinance, etc., by the MIC, it is now

possible to use 4G spectrum for 5G. The idea can be brought into reality by converting part of the multiple 4G bands into 5G use.

5G（Band converted from 4G use)

Benefits of 5G Deployment in 4G Bands

Leads to proliferation of services that take advantage of 5G’s

low latency and other characteristics over a broad coverage.
⇒DOCOMO also supports the new arrangement.

Full exploitation of

5G’s high speed,

large capacity and

other properties

5G(new band）

Enables offering low latency, etc.,

over a broad coverage

5G(new band）

5G (4G band)

Difference from 5G Deployed in New Bands

Speeds are limited to a level only comparable to 4G as the channel

bandwidth remains unchanged. Impossible to deliver superior speeds

and capacity that can be realized by the new frequency bands.

5G deployed in new bands

（New frequency bands）

5G (Band converted from 4G use)

(Ref) FY2019 Effective Speed Survey Results

DOCOMO’s PREMIUM 4G service offers Japan’s fastest speeds!

(Mbps)

50
0
300

229

【Legend】

Maximum value

136

Upper quartile

123
19
17

Median value Lower quartile Minimum value

DOCOMO

ドコモ

SoftBank

ソフトバンク

SoftBank

ソフトバンク

DOCOMO

ドコモ

Measurements were performed in accordance with the “Effective Speed Measurement Method of Internet Connection Services Provided by Mobile Telecommunications Carriers” set forth by the Ministry of Internal Affairs

and Communications. Data of other carriers were derived from their respective corporate web sites (as of Mar. 31, 2020). The values in the graphs represent the aggregated measurement results for Android and iOS devices.

The expression “Japan’s fastest” is based on the comparison of median values.

◆◆

For details concerning the measurement method, including the dates and locations of measurement, please see the materials published by each carrier.

Necessity of User Protection in 5G Deployment

“5G deployed in 4G band” and “5G deployed in new band”

should be distinguished in area maps and informed to users.

High speed and large capacity
Speed is

comparable to 4G

because I’m in 5G coverage!

⇒Risk of misleading representation

5G using new band (High speed, large capacity)

5G using 4G band (Speed comparable to 4G) 4G

5G using either new band or 4G band

Risks Associated with 5G Deployment in 4G Bands

Potential decline of 4G users’ communication speeds

4G frequency band

4G subscriber

5G subscriber

Reduction of spectrum assigned to 4G users

⇒ Potential drop in speed

Spectrum Congestion Status

Users’ usage status also needs to be taken into

consideration when using 4G spectrum for 5G.

202x

Bandwidth in

frequency band:

3G/4G

150MHz

Use for 5G

Bandwidth in frequency band:

600MHz

Chapter 3: To Realize Low Latency

Article on Low Latency (Excerpt)

General perception that 5G will bring about low latency

1.7Gbps

4G/4eGLTE

Low latency

Massive device connectivity

Transmission latency in radio interface: 1ms

What is Latency?

It is the time required from data request to first data arrival.

Internet

Internet
Point of interface

Content server

Radio

Smartphone

Transmission equipment
Switch

Packet switching

sp mode equipment

base station

Radio signal ⇔ electric signal conversion
Internet connection

Transmission &

reception of signals

Request

Arrival XX m sec ←Latency

Large amount of latency could hinder the use of content that require real-time immediacy

To Realize Low Latency

It is necessary to achieve low latency in the entire network including the fixed-line sections

Latency determined by the physical distance between base station and server

Transmit network

Network

equipment

Internet

Server

In case content server is located in Tokyo,

Accesses made from Okinawa have larger latency,

with a large amount of latency in the fixed-line section

Content server @Tokyo

Can 5G Deployed in 4G Bands

Realize Low Latency?

Just using 4G spectrum for 5G does not realize low latency for the whole network configuration

Transmit

network

Network equipment

Internet

Server

5G deployed in 4G band

Ingenuity to reduce latency in fixed-line section is also needed

Low Latency Enabling Technology: MEC

Realize low latency by placing the server

(i.e. destination of connection) closer

Latency determined by the physical distance between base station and server

Transmit

network

Network equipment

Internet

Server

The shorter the distance,

the lower the latency

*MEC: Abbreviation for Multi-Access Edge Computing

Slicing Enabled by 5GC^*

Slicing technique enables flexible provision of 5G’s low latency

and other properties at individual application/service level

Service that

requires large

capacity

5GC

Large-capacity slice

Internet

(Logical network)

Video content server, etc.

Low-latency slice

(Logical network)
Application that requires

low latency

MEC server, etc.
*5G-Core: 5G Core network equipment

DOCOMO’s 5G Network Deployment Strategy

Recap of Chapters 1-3

• 5G delivers high speed and large capacity through the use of

new spectrum

• “5G deployed in 4G bands” can provide broad coverage,

but speeds will be limited to 4G level

• To realize low latency, ingenuity in overall network

configuration is required

• Unique properties of 5G can be provided flexibly through

slicing supported by 5GC

DOCOMO’s 5G Network Deployment Strategy

① Expand coverage of high speed and large capacity services using new spectrum

② Promote low latency across the entire network ③ Flexible service provision based on demand using 5GC

(Also study deployment of 5G in 4G bands)

High-Speed, Large-Capacity Coverage Expansion

Using New Bands

First, actively deploy “5G using new frequency bands”

that can deliver high speeds and large capacity

Development rate of 5G infrastructure maintenance:

20,000

97.0%

stations

10,000

500

cities

including all

government-

designated cities

stations

150

prefectures

locations across Japan

500

base stations

Mar. 31, 2020

Accelerate Realization of Low Latency

in Entire NW Configuration

Started provision of cloud service offering MEC features that can deliver low latency required for the 5G era

Launched cloud service that delivers low latency

Internet

Dispersedly

DOCOMO

installed across

network

Base station

Services solutions

Transition from NSA to SA

Evolution to SA (Stand Alone) to begin in the future

with the introduction of 5GC

5GC

base station base station base station

5G(SA)
5G (NSA)

*NSA: Non-Stand Alone

Society to be Realized by SA

Society in which services that take advantage of 5G’s unique properties

are provided in a flexible manner

⇒ Study coverage rollout using 5G deployment in 4G bands

Stadium solution
Telemedicine/diagnosis

High speed, large capacity, low latency
High speed, large capacity, low latency

Smart agriculture

Massive device

connectivity

Ultra-dense/

high traffic

Smart manufacturing

Massive device

connectivity

Smart city

High speed, large

capacity, massive device connectivity

5G coverage

DOCOMO's 5G Network Deployment Strategy

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