Increase in mobile internet and internet-of-things trend has pushed the concept formation and research on5G wireless communications systems and its standardization. For 5G networks the expected application scenarios expected are quite diverse and so the key performance indicators (KPIs) of 5G systems would be very divers. For each typical scenario, multiple technologies may be used independently or jointly to improve the transmission efficiency, to lower the cost, and to increase the number of connections, etc. This survey is an initiative we have taken to analyze these diverse applications & technologies in Indian contest.
“5G” networks will be able to deliver faster data speeds for mobile devices — up to 50 Gbit/s, according to Ofcom, which is more than 3,000 times quicker than the average 4G download speed in the UK.
5G wireless technology will play a vital role in enabling futuristic technologies and actualizing IoT. Aiming to deploy the first 5G networks by 2020, developers are exploring technologies like massive MIMO, millimeter-wave frequencies and new waveforms to address needs for higher speed (x100 4G), lower latency (1ms), and higher density in terms of users and devices. But will 5G networks come up to these expectations? Is the most important factor to analyze and here we have invited some of the technology experts to share their views with us.
Factors fueling developments of 5G Networks
By 2020 it is thought that 50 billion to 100 billion devices will be connected to the internet. So, connections that run on different frequency bands have to be established to cope with demand of a lot of IoT set-ups. Hence, we need a 5G network that can provide a broader bandwidth combined with higher speed. Cooperative networking requires network elements to coordinate closely together, on a frame-by-frame basis and to transmit/receive data on shared resources. This will dramatically improve coverage and quality, especially in difficult scenarios (cell-edge, etc.), which are currently underserved by modern networks. In a large number of cases, this coordination may involve small-cells. Coexistence will require the 5G cellular network to share spectrum with other radio access technologies in a common geographic area. So in totality the increasing trend and usage of Internet & IoT is the chief factor fueling development in 5G technologies. 5th generation wireless networks will not only support higher bandwidths than the current LTE networks, but 5G will also be designed from the ground-up for more complex use-cases involving cooperative networking, coexistence, and future support for the IoT and IoV . The key to a successful design is the understanding of the shortfalls and limitations of the current generation of technology and adapting as necessary in new developments. According to the GSMA report, industry initiatives have commonly outlined eight requirements for 5G to be truly a next generation evolution. These are;
1-10Gbps connections to end points in the field- 1 millisecond end-to-end round trip delays
- 1000x bandwidth per unit area
- 10-100x number of connected devices
- 99.999 percent available
- 100 percent coverage
- 90 percent reduction in network energy usage
- Up to ten year battery life for low power, machine-type devices
What 5G will have to offer us?
- The most important high resolution for cell phone user and bi- directional large bandwidth shaping.
- The advanced billing interfaces of 5G technology makes it more attractive and effective.
- Broadcasting of data in Gigabit which will support almost 65,000 connections.
- 5G will provide transporter class gateway with unparalleled consistency along-with accurate traffic statistics.
- Remote management of 5G enables user get better and fast solution with remote diagnostics.
- Will providing up to 25 Mbps connectivity speed and can support virtual private network.
- Network offering enhancement and available connectivity feature are more to mention.
5G design considerations
When developing 5G, the mobile industry will face numerous challenges some of the main considerations we have summarized as follows, that need to be considered in the design of a 5G network:
- The system must be able to cope with very large data traffic volumes, in the order of 1,000 times the traffic of today, as well as with a tremendous number of connected devices.
- A new radio access technology (RAT) will need to have a very large increase in spectral efficiency compared to 4G. A significant part of the increased spectral efficiency will be realized through advanced antenna solutions.
- It will likely not be enough to consider traditional mobile spectrum only. Unlicensed and shared spectrum must also be included, as well as spectrum in the mm wave region.
- 5G must offer significantly increased user bit rates and lower latency compared to 4G.
- 5G will need simplified network architecture, even flatter than what we have for 4G today.
- To a large extent, the network has to be virtualized with software running on general purpose IT hardware. This will definitely be the case for the core network, but also the RAN will to some extent be virtualized with a centralized and virtualized baseband node connected to remote radio heads.
- 5G must provide excellent interworking with legacy RATs, 4G being the most important.
- 5G must include SON functionality that reduces operation costs, optimizes the network and improves reliability through self-healing capabilities.
- The total cost of ownership (TCO) should be at a similar level to current networks. A key requirement is to keep the energy consumption low. This is also important from a sustainability perspective.
Who will be using 5G services?
Today many operators are seeing an exponential traffic growth in their mobile networks. This trend to continue means we will face an enormous capacity challenge. Four areas can be broadly signified, which will have a significant impact on demand for capacity as well as other important network features like user bit rate, QoS, delays and battery life.
Communication services
Communication services will continue to evolve, taking advantage of the increasing bandwidth and lower latency of new networks, for example by adding support for the larger files and images required by modern video. However, when compared to some of the other use cases presented here, traditional person-to-person communication will most likely not be the most important driver for the development of 5G.
Video
Services like Netflix, YouTube and Vimeo and new standards like UHD (Ultra High Definition) require more bandwidth and will continue to drive the growth of mobile data traffic. Cisco expects two-thirds of the world’s mobile data traffic to
be video by 2018. Mobile video will increase 14-fold between 2013 and 2018, accounting for 69 percent of total mobile data traffic by the end of the forecast period. It is clear that video will play a major role in driving capacity requirements for 5G, especially for downlink traffic.
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is widely predicted to be a hot topic in coming years. Companies like Google are already experimenting with the technology in applications such as the Google Glass project. Augmented reality can combine some sort of wearable device like eyeglasses with a head-mounted display and integrated computer and camera, allowing applications to capture and make use of objects in the real world. The most basic example is replacing the traditional screen of a computer, phone or tablet with a head-up display. Video-based services will most likely be a popular application of augmented reality, and will therefore generate substantial volumes of both uplink and downlink traffic.
Internet of Things (IoT)/M2M
Devices from every corner of society are being connected – not just consumer electronics devices but also buildings, healthcare monitors and vehicles. These types of service will require more from mobile networks in terms of capacity, coverage, stability, security, power consumption and more. The IoT (Internet of Things) is a fast growing area. Cars and healthcare solutions are just two examples. Devices, machines and applications from every part of society are being connected to the Internet. All those connected things have different sets of requirements for the internet connections that serve them. Some will require high speeds, others stability.
Connected Car
The connected car is now a reality and one of the fastest growing areas of M2M. Until recently cars connected to 2G networks, but now they are increasingly being equipped with 3G and 4G connections to manage more advanced applications. Services include remote monitoring of vehicle status, infotainment services like web radio, video, Internet browsing, and in-car WiFi apps for weather, traffic and navigation. Data traffic patterns will differ between cars, as drivers and passengers use different types of applications, requiring mobile networks to manage fast-changing workloads of data.
Also, applications, like collision warning systems, which are built on exchanges of data traffic between connected cars, will require more in terms of latency.
Healthcare
Healthcare is an emerging M2M area. Requirements could vary from low to high speed connections and from low to high latency. Healthcare solutions also require good network coverage and reliability. 5G should address all these requirements.
Requirements of 5G Systems
A fundamental property of our mobile networks is how much traffic they are able to carry, i.e. their capacity. Currently we are seeing a traffic growth rate of 60% per year. Extrapolating that growth rate to the year 2025 gives an increase of a factor 200. However, by the year 2030 that number will instead be 2,000. The METIS research project expects that capacity to increase by 1,000 by 2025 compared to today. This is a reasonable assumption considering the projected network traffic growth as a result of new and more demanding services, applications and devices. The uplink-downlink ratio could also change in response to future capacity needs. How this ratio develops will impact the development of 5G network technology, since uplink spectral efficiency is usually at the very most half of downlink. Even though some of the new services that will run on a 5G network, like M2M applications, will generate substantial uplink traffic. The most significant downlink traffic type, video, will also grow significantly due to increases in both usage and resolution. As a result this ratio will most likely increase. However, uplink-downlink ratio may vary depending on factors like geography and time of day and year. A desirable feature in a future 5G network is therefore flexible uplink-to-downlink resource allocation that will enable more efficient use of spectrum and enhance the customer experience. If we look at user data rates, including peak rates, average rates and cell edge rates, it is hard to quantify realistic speeds for a network that is projected to be launched a decade from now. In theory though, a mobile network deploying LTE Advanced technology, the next step in 4G/ LTE, with five carriers (100 MHz) and a MIMO scheme with eight antennas can achieve peak data rates of 3 Gbps. So it should be possible to make further substantial improvements in mobile network data speeds by the time 5G is launched. However, terminals with eight antennas are still some time away, even considering a 2025 timeframe. Current research is focused on terminals with few antennas, and base stations with an array of low-power, low-complexity active antennas. Research focused more on developing MIMO technology, utilizing several simultaneously active antennas, could improve both capacity and average data speeds, but would have less impact on peak rates. Initiatives like those mentioned here could help lessen the difference between average and cell edge data rates, an important goal for 5G.
Conclusions
5G will surely bring a path breaking turnout in communication systems, but will require a higher state of infrastructure & intelligence. Its only matter of time we could find out the ground reality of 5G networks and its comparative benefits…
