Overview of 5G Technology, How it

Works, and Current Deployments

Telecommunication
Introduction
 5G is the fifth-generation wireless technology with the
potential to transform communication systems.

 It offers higher speeds, low latency and other benefits

that will open up and power a wide range of existing
and emerging technologies.

 The 5G network delivers faster connections with much

larger capacity and low latency (less than 1 millisecond
compared to 30 milliseconds for 4G and 100
milliseconds for 3G).
Introduction(Cont.)
 Providers promise theoretical speeds up to a maximum of 10Gps, which
is about a hundred times the 100Mbps 4G peak speed.

 Although the actual speeds will vary according to a range of factors and
are unlikely to reach the maximum, the technology will offer a much
better experience and opportunities than existing wireless technologies.

 Today, a good number of technology companies and providers are

developing and deploying these networks either in trial or commercial
setups.

 Among the many possible use cases, mobile broadband deployment is

currently leading and enabling high-speed data transfers for mobile
devices.
How Does 5G Work?
 5G networks, just like older generations, comprise of several
cell sites with sectors that send coded signals.

 Each cell site connects to the main network backbone through

fast wireless connection.

 The 5G network uses OFDM (Orthogonal frequency division

multiplexing) encoding, just like 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution--
a mobile communication standard, but more efficiently to
provide better speeds.

 However, by design, the air interface for 5G has more flexibility

and lower latency than LTE.
How Does 5G Work?(Cont.)
 The main reason why 5G is faster is the larger channels it uses.
 For example, the majority of 4G channels are 20MHz channels, and
these are usually bundled together to provide a maximum of
160MHz at a time.
 On the other hand, 5G has channels which can be as high a 100MHz,
and a potential to combine several of them up to 800 MHz.
 In practice, these 5G base stations use less transmit power than 4G
systems.
 This is due to energy-efficient advanced radio and core architectures
that optimize the EMF levels based on the requirements.
 Also, the 5G network design allows the stations to control their
power and use the least possible to achieve satisfactory
communication.
5G Frequencies
 There are three different frequency bands for the 5G
networks; the low and mid-band spectrum at the sub-
6GHz range, and the high band at the millimeter-wave,
24–100GHz, frequencies.
5G Frequencies
 Each band has a unique infrastructure and application
requirements.

 As it can be seen, some 5G networks utilize the sub-6

GHz spectrum, which the existing LTE networks use.

 On the other hand, the high band 5G uses millimeter

waves which were not being used and promises to
provide more bandwidth and faster speeds.
Low-band 5G
 Low-band 5G uses the frequencies below 1GHz.

 It has narrow and fewer channels since 4G networks use the same
region.

 Generally, the low-band offers low-speed 5G connections and has

typical channels averaging 10MHz width.

 This makes it suitable for long-range, low data rates, and narrowband
applications such as machine-to-machine communications. (mMTC).

 Generally, the frequencies below 1GHz are common in Macro base

stations.
Mid-band 5G
 Mid-band 5G uses the frequencies in the 1–6GHz range
and can reach a distance of about half a mile.

 The majority of the mid-band 5G networks offer 100MHz

channels and carries the largest amount of 5G traffic in
most countries.

 This region is suitable for LTE bands and similar

applications that require bandwidths in the order of
100MHz.

 In practice, the 5G networks will utilize 2.5GHz band 41

and the 3.5GHz bands 42+43 for eMBB applications.
High-band 5G
 High-band 5G lies in the 20- 100 GHz region where
there is lots of unused spectrum.

 However, the network has a shorter range than the

other two.

 The band uses larger channels of up to 800 MHz at a

time; this gives it the ability to offer fast speed
connections and can transfer huge amounts of data.

 Before 5G, the band has been used for backhaul

applications where they connect the base stations to
the internet links.
5G Applications
 5G is a technology that will transform wireless
communications in many ways.

 Unlike prior wireless technologies that focused on

mobile broadband only, 5G has additional applications.

 Fast 5G networks support IoT, machine-to-machine

communications, remote medical care, autonomous
vehicles, augmented reality, and other emerging
technologies that require real-time control and reliable
connectivity.
Cont.
 Other industries that will benefit from 5G include media
content distributors and providers such as Hulu, Netflix,
and others.

 New data transfers will allow users to download huge

files in a few seconds.

 This benefits users by reducing download time and

battery usage of the already energy-constrained mobile
phones and tablets.
Cont.
 Currently, there are three main application
categories;

 1. Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)

 2. Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC)
 3. Ultra-reliable, Low-latency Communications
(URLLC)
Cont.
 Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)
 This category targets mobile users and will enable better broadband access
everywhere, including densely populated areas, moving vehicles, etc.
 Networks in this category offer enhanced connectivity, higher capacity,
and better user mobility.
 Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC)
 Use cases in this category include the Internet of Things; where 5G
technology offers a high capacity and reduced latency, both of which are
ideal for the growth of IoT applications.
 Ultra-reliable, Low-latency Communications (URLLC)
 This includes mission-critical applications that require real-time control of
devices.
 Typical areas are vehicle-to-vehicle communications, industrial robots,
autonomous driving, remote medical care, robotic-assisted surgery,
augmented reality, virtual reality, and more.
Influence of 5G Frequency on Speed and
Coverage
 The 5G frequency band impacts the speed, power of the wave, and
the distance it travels.

 At higher frequencies, the signals will travel faster, but only for
shorter distances.

 Today, there are many unused airwaves in the high band, and this
makes it one of the most attractive.

 However, it is complex and has challenges such as the short distance.

 On the other hand, lower frequencies are slower but will travel long
distances.
Cont.
 In typical applications, providers may use the higher frequencies
in areas such as cities where there are many devices or demand
for huge amounts of data transfers.

 However, the high frequencies mean shorter wavelengths that

cannot travel long distances.

 Objects along the waves’ path can also block them; hence
preventing them from traveling through walls and other
structures.

 Installing many nodes will ensure that the users can access the
network as long as they are within the coverage area.
Cont.
 Generally, for a device to access the mmWave signals, it
must be very close to the 5G nodes.
 These are small cells that do not require large
supporting infrastructure and providers can install them
on lamp posts and other common structures in
metropolitan areas.
 Because of the need to have nodes that are close
together, the 5G millimeter-wave band is unsuitable for
rural areas or locations with few cell towers, support
structures, or buildings.
 As such, the low-band 5G networks, which have a
longer range, will be useful in areas without a direct line
of sight.
Cont.
 To ensure fast and widespread signals, most 5G
deployments will combine the low-, mid- and high-
bands.
 The choice of the band will depend more on the
location, application, and existing structures.
 For example, companies such as T-Mobile have
deployed mmWave in various cities, as well as low band
frequency networks for nationwide coverage.
 This gives them the ability to serve about 5000 cities
and towns, as well as several rural areas falling under
the coverage area.
Influence of 5G Frequency on Speed and
Coverage
 The 5G frequency band impacts the speed, power of the
wave, and the distance it travels.
 At higher frequencies, the signals will travel faster, but
only for shorter distances.
 Today, there are many unused airwaves in the high
band, and this makes it one of the most attractive.
 However, it is complex and has challenges such as the
short distance.
 On the other hand, lower frequencies are slower but will
travel long distances.
 In typical applications, providers may use the higher
frequencies in areas such as cities where there are
many devices or demand for huge amounts of data
transfers.
 However, the high frequencies mean shorter
wavelengths that cannot travel long distances.
 Objects along the waves’ path can also block them;
hence preventing them from traveling through walls and
other structures.
 Installing many nodes will ensure that the users can
access the network as long as they are within the
coverage area.
Countries and Companies Leading in 5G
Deployment
 5G equipment manufacturers and service providers
spread across different countries are at various stages
of developing and deploying 5G technologies.
 Since there are different components that make up 5G
technology, no one company can excel in all of them.
 The following are some of the companies leading in
various fields.
Challenges and Concerns About 5G
 Some of the challenges include high cost, few 5G
products, overheating on some devices, no global
standard, health concerns, and more.
 Other challenges include
 Spectrum allocation and auctions
 Covering the hard to reach areas
 Barriers due to competition
 Security across different bands of the spectrum
 Device support
5G Health Concerns
 Consumers and lobby groups worry that exposure to the
high-frequency RF signals will lead to certain health
problems such as skin cancer.
 Because of the small wavelengths, the skin will absorb
the RF energy and there are fears that this can cause
cancer.
 Experts argue that while there might be a small
increase in the exposure to RF energy, the effect will be
insignificant.
 All the 5G frequency ranges fall within the non-ionizing
bands and well below the dangerous levels as specified
by ICNIRP.
Cont.
 Currently, there is no scientific evidence to prove that
the 5G electromagnetic waves can lead to health issues.

 However, there is a need to study and determine the

short- and long-term effects of the waves, and whether
they are dangerous to human beings, either directly or
indirectly.