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Introduction to 5G

What is 5G?

The term '5G' has become a buzzword in today's world. 5G promises to achieve amazing things, like never-before achieved data speeds, ultra low latency communication, and coverage everywhere. But, what exactly is 5G?

5G is the 5th generation mobile network. This means, simply put, it is the newest standard for mobile communications, introduced after 4G. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the industry organization that is responsible for defining the global specifications for 5G.

However, when the term 5G is used in everyday life, it rarely refers to the 5G standard. Instead, 5G generally is used to refer to 3 aspects of the 5G mobile networks:

  1. Technology:

    Recent technological advances have enabled 5G to achieve its various objectives. Among the most important of the technology which have brought about 5G is massive MIMO and mmWave technology.

  2. Communication protocols:

    Various network communication protocols are used in a 5G mobile network. These protocols refer to the rules of communication between the various components of the 5G mobile network.

  3. Infrastructure:

    The purpose of 5G is to provide wireless network connectivity to mobile devices. This is achieved via various infrastructure components. The components can be divided into two categories:

    1. Radio Access Network: Consists of the mobile devices and the radio access towers (also called abse stations). This part of the network handles the radio (i.e. wireless) communication between devices.

    2. Core Network: Consists of various network functions which are required for the proper functioning of the network.

5G Capabilities

5G use Cases

5G services and capabilities
Source: Qualcomm

The purpose of 5G is to provide next-generation connectivity to mobile devices. Under this broad objective, 5G promises to achieve various design goals in order to provide 3 classes of services:

  1. Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB):

    5G promises to enhance our mobile connectivity, enabling new experiences such as VR and AR. To do this, 5G is required to provide:

    1. Extreme capacity: Upto 10 Tbps/km2.

    2. Extreme data rates: Multi-Gbps peak rates, 100+ Mbps typical rates.

    3. Ultra-low latency: as low as 1 millisecond.

  2. Massive internet of things (mMTC):

    5G enables many low complexity IoT devices to connect with each other, enabling use cases such as smart cities that are equppied with millions of wireless sensor nodes. This requires:

    1. Ultra-high density: 1 million nodes/km2.

    2. Ultra-low complexity: 10s of bps.

    3. Ultra-low energy: 10+ years of battery life.

    4. Deep coverage to reach challenging locations.

  3. Mission-critical communications (URLLC):

    5G can enable remote control of critical infrastructure, vehicles, and medical equipment. These are extremely important applications where delays in or loss of connection could be disastrous. This means that 5G must provide:

    1. Strong security for medical, government, and financial applications.

    2. Ultra-high reliability: less than 10-5 errors per millisecond.

    3. Ultra-low latency: as low as 1 millisecond.

    4. Extreme user mobility: upto 500 kmph