Even without much understanding of the generations of mobile communication standards, anyone will surely answer that 5G is cooler than 4G / LTE. In fact, everything is not so simple. Let's see what is 5G better / worse and what are the most promising use cases, given the current state.
So, what does 5G technology promise us?
- Tenfold increase in speed up to 10 Gb / s,
- Reduction of delays (latency) tenfold up to 1 ms,
- Increasing connection reliability (packet loss error rate) hundreds of times
- Increased density (number) of connected devices (106/km2).
All this is achieved through:
- multichannel (parallelism in frequencies and base stations)
- increase in carrier frequencies from units to tens of GHz (radio channel bandwidth)
5G will improve upon 4G in traditional areas, whether it's instant movie downloads or seamless mobile app connection to the cloud. So, it will be possible to refuse to deliver the Internet to our apartments and offices by cable?
5G will enable everything-to-everything to be universally connected by combining high-bandwidth, power-hungry protocols with narrow-band, power-saving ones. This will open up new directions inaccessible to 4G: machine-to-machine communication on the ground and in the air, Industry 4.0, the Internet of things. that the 5G business will earn $3.5T by 2035 and create 22 million jobs.
Or not?..
(Image source: Reuters)
How it works
For those who know how 5G works, skip this section.
So, how can we achieve such a fast data transfer in 5G, as described above? It's not some kind of magic, is it?
The increase in speed will occur due to the transition to a higher frequency range - previously unused. For example, the frequency of home WiFi is 2,4 or 5 GHz, the frequency of existing mobile networks is within 2,6 GHz. But when we talk about 5G, here we immediately talk about tens of gigahertz. It's simple: we increase the frequency, reduce the wavelength - and the data transfer rate becomes many times higher. And the network as a whole is unloaded.
Here is a visual comic, how it was and how it will be. Was:
Will be:
(Source: IEEE Spectrum, )
The frequency has increased tenfold, so in 5G we are dealing with much shorter millimeter waves. They don't go over obstacles well. And in connection with this, the architecture of the network is changing. If earlier communication was provided to us by large powerful towers that provided communication over long distances, now it will be necessary to place many compact low-power towers everywhere. And keep in mind that in large cities it will take a lot of stations, due to the overlap of the signal by high-rise buildings. So, to confidently equip New York with 5G networks, you need the number of base stations by 500 (!) times.
On Russian operators, the transition to 5G for them will cost about 150 billion rubles - a cost comparable to the previous costs of deploying a 4G network, and this despite the fact that the cost of a 5G station is lower than the existing ones (but they need a lot).
Two network options: fixed and mobile
Technology is used to reduce power consumption and increase range beamforming β dynamic beam shaping for a particular subscriber. How is it done? The base station remembers where and what time the signal came from (it comes not only from your phone, but also as a reflection from obstacles), and using triangulation methods, calculates your approximate location, and then builds the optimal signal path.
Source: Analysys Mason
However, the need to track the position of the receiver results in a slight difference between fixed and mobile use cases, and this is reflected in different use cases (more on that in the Consumer Market section below).
Status Quo
Standards
There is no accepted 5G standard. The technology is too complex and there are too many players with conflicting interests.
The 5G NR standard (NewRadio) from the 3GPP organization (3rd Generation Partnership Project), which developed the previous standards, 3G and 4G. 5G uses two radio frequency bands (Frequency Range, or simply for short FR). FR1 offers frequencies below 6GHz. FR2 - above 24GHz, the so-called. millimeter waves. The standard supports fixed and moving receivers and is a further development of the 5GTF standard from the American telecom giant Verizon, which supports only fixed receivers (this type of service is called fixed wireless access networks).
The 5G NR standard provides for three use cases:
- eMBB(enhanced Mobile Broadband) - defines the mobile Internet familiar to us;
- URLLC(Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications) - high requirements for response speed and reliability - for tasks such as autonomous transport or remote surgery;
- mMTC(Machine massive Type Communications) - support for a large number of devices that rarely send data - the case of the Internet of things, that is, counters and monitoring devices.
Or briefly, the same in the picture:
It is important to understand that the industry will first focus on the implementation of eMBB, as a more understandable scenario with existing cash flows.
Introduction
Since 2018, large-scale testing has been carried out, for example, at the Winter Olympics in South Korea. In 2018, all Big Four Russian operators conducted tests. MTS tested new technology - Use cases were tested with video calls, high-definition video transmission, online games.
In South Korea, for the first time in the world, 5G service was offered at the end of 2018. Worldwide commercial rollout is expected next year, 2020. At the initial stage, the FR1 band will be used as an add-on to existing 4G networks. According to the plans of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, in Russia 5G will begin to appear in million-plus cities from 2020. In practice, large-scale deployment will be determined by the possibility of monetization, and this aspect of 5G is not yet clear.
What is the problem with monetization? The fact is that telecom operators do not yet see any compelling reasons for modernization: the existing networks are quite coping with the load. And now they are considering 5G rather in the marketing plane: the 5G icon on the phone screen will definitely be a plus in the eyes of telecom operator subscribers. An anecdotal case with , who posted a 5G icon in the absence of a real network, for which competitors sued him for deception.
If you look closely, you can see that the icon is actually "5GE" - stands for 5G Evolution, and suddenly it's not the 5G we think it is, but just a label invented by marketers for the existing LTE network with some improvements.
Chipsets
Microelectronic companies have already invested many billions of dollars in 5G. Chips for 5G NR cellular modems are offered by Samsung (), Qualcomm (), Huawei (). Modems from Intel, a new player in this market, are expected by the end of 2019. The Samsung modem is based on 10nm FinFET technology, and is compatible with older standards starting with 2G. In the frequency range up to 6 GHz, it provides download speeds up to 2 Gb / s, when using the millimeter wave, the speed increases to 6 Gb / s.
Phones
Almost all Android phone manufacturers have announced plans to implement 5G. Samsung introduced the flagship Galaxy S10 in the 5G version at the Mobile World Congress at the end of February 2019. Already on April 5, it was released in Korea. In the US, the novelty appeared on May 16, and there the connection is made with the network of the telecom operator Verizon. Other carriers are also catching up: AT&T announces plans to release a second smartphone with Samsung in the 2nd half of 2019.
During the year, 5G smartphones from different manufacturers, mostly premium class, will arrive on store shelves. According to some estimates, the new technology will increase the cost of devices by $200-300 and subscription fees by 10%.
Consumer market
Case 1. Home Internet
5G networks of fixed wireless access will become an alternative to wired Internet in our apartments. If earlier the Internet came to our apartment via cable, then in the future it will come from a 5G tower, and then the router will distribute it through the usual home WiFi. The main player companies have completed preparations, synchronizing the release of routers for sale with the deployment of 5G networks. A typical 5G router costs $700-900 and provides download speeds of 2-3Gbps. In this way, operators will solve the "last mile" problem for themselves and reduce the cost of laying wires. And there is no need to be afraid that existing backbone networks will not be able to cope with the increased traffic that will come from 5G networks: research is underway to use the existing reserve of fiber optic networks - the so-called "black fiber" (dark fibre).
How new will this scenario be to users? Already, in some countries, they are ceasing to use the traditional home wired Internet, and are switching to LTE: it turns out to be faster and cheaper to use mobile communications in all situations, with convenient tariffs. Such a situation, for example, has developed in Korea. And it is illustrated in this comic:
Case 2. Mass gatherings of people
Surely everyone has been in such an unpleasant situation: come to an exhibition or a stadium, and mobile communications disappear. And this is exactly at the moment when you want to post a photo or write on a social network.
Stadiums
Samsung conducted a test with Japanese telecom operator KDDI in a 30-seat baseball stadium. Using test 5G tablets, we were able to demonstrate 4K video streaming simultaneously on several tablets.
The stadium is one of three scenarios illustrated in the 5G City demo zone located in Suwon (Samsung's headquarters). Other scenarios include an urban environment (connecting video cameras, sensors, and information boards) and a high-speed access point to deliver HD video to a moving bus: while it passes by the point, the movie has time to download.
Games
Niantic, the creator of the world-famous geolocation game Pokemon Go, has high hopes for 5G. And here's why: not so long ago, group events appeared in the game - raids. In raids, you need to coordinate with other players in order to work together to take down a particularly powerful PokΓ©mon, and this creates interesting situations in real life. So, the main legendary location of the game with the rarest Pokemon Mewtwo is located in Times Square in New York - you can imagine what a crowd can gather there, consisting not only of Pokemon hunters, but also just tourists.
Augmented reality is also being considered as the "killer app" for 5G. In that you can see the concept of real-time magic fights that are currently being developed by Niantic in a new game based on "Harry Potter". Niantic has already partnered with Samsung and carriers Deutsche Telecom and SK Telecom.
Transport
Finally, the train case is interesting. There was an idea to provide the railway with 5G communications for the entertainment and comfort of passengers. University of Bristol study : to achieve high-speed seamless communication, you need to equip the railway with access points at a distance of 800 meters from each other!
An example of how to arrange access points along the railway track
Tests were successfully carried out on a train plying near Tokyo - their and Samsung together with telecom operator KDDI. During the tests, a speed of 1,7 Gb / s was achieved, and during the test, 8K video was downloaded and 4K video was uploaded from the camera.
New use cases
But all this is rather a solution to problems already familiar to us. And what fundamentally new can 5G offer us?
connected car
The main advantage is low latency, which allows machines to communicate with each other at speeds up to 500 km/h. Unlike human drivers, cars will finally be able to negotiate among themselves or with fixed infrastructure about maneuvers, making the road safer. Interestingly, the system will take into account weather conditions: everyone knows that in slippery weather the stopping distance is longer, so the rules in such a system must change.
The European Association 5GAA (Automotive Association) is already bringing together more than 100 major telecom and car manufacturers around the world to accelerate the deployment of the C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-To-Everything) system. The main objectives of the association are comprehensive road safety and traffic efficiency. Cyclists and pedestrians with 5G smartphones can also count on safety. Participants in the movement at distances up to 1 km will be able to communicate directly, at longer distances they will need 5G coverage. The system will provide the creation of corridors for the police and ambulances, provide for the exchange of sensors between cars, remote driving and other wonders. After the launch of C-V2X, the association plans to apply the lessons learned to 5G V2X, where it will aim at industry 4.0, smart cities and everything that moves using 5G.
Examples of situations that can be resolved with Connected Car. Source: Qualcomm.
5G will allow communication not only for ground vehicles, but also for aircraft. This year, Samsung, together with Spanish ISP Orange, how a remote pilot flew a drone using a deployed 5G network and received a high-definition video stream in real time. The American provider Verizon in 2017 bought , promises millions of 5G-connected flights. The company's drones are already connected to Verizon's launched 4G network.
Industry 4.0
In general, the expression "Industrie 4.0" was invented in Germany for its industrial modernization program. Association (5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation), headquartered in Germany, has been bringing together manufacturing companies interested in using 2018G since 5. The greatest requirements for latency and reliability are imposed by the motion control of industrial robots, where the response time cannot exceed tens of microseconds. This is now solved with Industrial Ethernet (eg the EtherCAT standard). It is likely that 5G will compete for this niche too!
Other applications, such as communication between industrial controllers or with a human operator, sensor networks, are less demanding. Now most of these networks use cable, so 5G wireless seems to be a cost-effective solution, in addition to allowing rapid reconfiguration of production.
In practice, economic feasibility will lead to 5G deployment in the most costly areas of human labor, such as forklift drivers in factories and warehouses. Thus, the European engineering company Acciona demonstrated . The cart is transmitting high-definition 360 video, a remote operator will help it get out of an unexpected situation. The cart uses 5G technology from Cisco and Samsung.
Remote collaboration technologies will go further. This year, it was shown how an expert surgeon observes in real time the progress of an oncological operation taking place many kilometers away and shows his colleagues how to perform the operation better. As the technology improves, he will be able to take a more active part, already directly operating the surgical instruments.
Internet of things
First of all, 5G will solve the problem with the numerous and poorly supported IoT communication standards, which, in our opinion, is currently limiting the development of this direction.
Here, 5G has the following to offer:
- Ad hoc networks (without routers)
- High density of connected devices
- Support for narrowband, energy efficient (10+ years on a single battery) communications
But it seems that big business is more interested in other scenarios other than the Internet of Things. A cursory web search did not find demonstrations by key players of the benefits of 5G for the IoT.
Concluding this topic, let's pay attention to the following interesting possibility. Now dependence on the outlet or the need to replace batteries limits the choice of βthingsβ. Low-frequency inductive wireless charging only works at a distance of a few centimeters. 5G and its directed millimeter waves will enable efficient charging over distances of several meters. Although existing standards do not stipulate this, we have no doubt that engineers will soon find ways to take advantage of this opportunity!
Opportunities for Developers
If you are interested in the topic, then where to move on?
Π‘Π²ΡΠ·ΠΈ. It will be possible to personally get acquainted with 5G players at the next Russian conferences 29-30 may, 30-31 may, 25-27 June, 24 October.
Of the academic contacts, it should be noted held at the Institute for Information Transmission Problems.
Financing. Key players are holding competitions on the use of 5G in various areas. In the US, Verizon recently Built on 5G Challenge for Industry 4.0, immersive consumer applications (VR/AR), and breakthrough ideas (changing the way we live and work). The competition is open to U.S.-registered small businesses through July 15th. The prize pool is $1M. The winners will be announced in October this year.
Employment. In addition to the big four cellular operators, there are several companies in Russia planning to use 5G in the near future. The business model of the leading content delivery provider in Russia and the CIS, CDNVideo, is payment for the amount of traffic received. The use of 5G, potentially reducing this price, will allow the company to reduce costs. PlayKey is pushing games in the cloud, and it's no surprise that 5G is also in its plans.
Open Source, is likely to play a key role in the infrastructure. American supports 5G. European brings together those who want to bypass the proprietary components of the 5G infrastructure. Strategic directions include support for 5G modems and software-defined systems, heterogeneous networks and the Internet of things. virtualizes radio access networks (Radio Access Networks). The implementation of the network core is available from .
Authors:
Stanislav Polonsky β Head of Advanced Research and Development, Samsung Research Center
Tatyana Volkova β Author of the Samsung Academy IoT Project Curriculum, Specialist in Corporate Social Responsibility Programs at the Samsung Research Center
Source: habr.com