When we talk about the fifth generation of mobile internet, it should bring a multiplier of increased flow rates, greater coverage and responsiveness. The speed of the wireless connection will be 10 to 100 times greater than what is currently available. However, speed isn’t only one advantage.
The development of the 5G network, above all, began to respond to the demands of technological progress. Thanks to the improved network characteristics, it is becoming increasingly certain that at one point, for example, automotive cars or smart cities. No doubt that this will be a revolutionary step that will change the world.
Research and development to create the next generation of “5G” mobile networks are focused around new radio access technology ( RAT ), antenna improvements ( including beam forming and massive MIMO ), use of higher frequencies, and re-architecting of the network. 5G networks will inevitably be heterogeneous networks: they will involve multiple modes and a unified air interface tailored to the needs of specific applications. Network slicing (matching resources to applications in an intelligent way) will be a major feature of a 5G network, as will the use of a new air interface design to make use of spectrum more efficiently, and to meet the latency, throughput and capacity requirements of some applications.
However, before the 5G network comes, there is still some work to do. There are many areas that will dictate the future development of the 5G network. Some of them are:
- Internet of Things
- Massive machine-type communications (M-MTC)
- Mission-Critical Applications
- Mobile broadband
Taking into consideration all the requirements of technological progress, the question is whether the 5G can respond to the diversity of requirements that are necessary for the functioning of all areas ( see above list ). There is a lot of discussion on this topic, even a table with the minimum requirements for 5G network.
Also, the 5G network is still not fully standardized. Some parts are still in development and research stage. E.g.
Beam-forming and MIMO antennas
Due to the large number of users per cell, it will be necessary to significantly increase the number of antennas. Also, there was a lot of work to develop large-scale MIMO antennas. These have the potential to significantly increase the peak throughput per connection in the radio network, as well as increasing coverage.
Mobile networks transmit data through the air using the frequency of for example 700 megahertz. Low frequencies transmit data less, but have a larger range. In order to achieve the promised speeds announced by 5G, it is necessary to use a high frequency range between 24 and 100 gigahertz – millimeter waves.
The problem is that these frequencies are extremely sensitive so that the smallest obstacle creates problems. Companies are currently working on solutions that would guarantee the use of these frequencies in a reliable way. From their success will depend the application of this technology.
According to Huawei Technologies reports we believe the industry needs to focus between now and 2020 on seeking consensus on approaches to concurrent LTE-Advanced development and 5G radio interface research – in particular demonstrating how assets can be reused ( to address cost issues It must also begin to build compelling 5G business models in some specific application areas, focusing on those areas where LTE evolution does not “cut the mustard”. Finally, it must pull together on the issues of spectrum allocation: WRC ’15 and ’19 are critical milestones that will shape how 5G R&D develops.
