5G – A RAN for all seasons

5G – the network of everything

Cisco predict an 800% increase in mobile traffic by 2020 with an estimated 8.5B mobile devices. Ericsson predict the mobile device will become the television of the future. The 5G mobile network must be capable of accommodating the ever increasing growth in mobile network connected devices with a level of service previously unseen in many fixed networks.

In the 43 years I have been in the industry I have seen the introduction of many networks including X.25, Frame Relay, Cell Relay, MPLS, IP VPN, 2G, 3G and 4G. All of these networks offered a base set of facilities that may (if you were fortunate) meet the customer’s requirements. To interface to one of these networks always required a compromise. We had to know the limitations of each each network type to enable our customers to get the best from the service. We also had to manage our customers’ expectations. This was not just about bandwidth. Each network had its idiosyncrasies, whether due to the size of the frame or packet, limitations in prioritisation, latency, jitter, the list goes on. 5G is the first network in my experience required to meet all of the customers’ needs dynamically, with minimal or no compromise.

“We will also see the introduction of the tactile Internet in the not too distant future, enabling us to enjoy the sensation of touch through the internet…”

The massive growth in video traffic will continue alongside new traffic types with significantly different traffic profiles. Autonomous vehicles, virtual reality devices, robots, people, animals, trees, machines, products going through their life cycle from manufacture to consumption all requiring IoT sensors with mobile connectivity. Not to forget traditional voice, email and mobile app communications. We will also see the introduction of the tactile Internet in the not too distant future, enabling us to enjoy the sensation of touch through the internet to add to the current audio visual content.

This global increase in mobile data bandwidth is already placing extraordinary demands on mobile networks and the available radio spectrum. It is estimated that by 2020 global mobile data traffic will be 120 times the total global mobile traffic in 2010. As a result the 5G network will be a radical design shift from the current 3G and 4G networks. This is no surprise to 5G network designers, they are more prepared than for any of the previous generation of mobile networks.

“One of the major challenges for 5G networks is delivering a network with consistent latency.”

Several major network manufacturers have already made good progress with 5G network development with claims of network speeds of 10 to 100Gbps. Huawei have already demonstrated speeds over 60Gbps cell speed (shared between all devices in the cell). To achieve these speeds in a real world environment will require much higher frequencies in areas of the spectrum that have yet to be allocated combined with much smaller cells.

One of the major challenges for 5G networks is delivering a network with consistent latency. Anyone that has spent anytime working closely with 3G and 4G networks will know only too well that latency is impossible to predict and can be very difficult to work with.

Consistent latency is a requirement for some of the more time critical Internet of Things applications. Autonomous vehicle communications would require minimal and consistent latency whereas TV distribution could employ buffering to ensure a good quality of service even with fluctuating latency (jitter). Future 5G mobile networks will be able to accommodate these traffic differences dynamically.

“5G is required be all things to everyone and everything, aligning itself to the requirements of the customer at any given time.”

The expectations for 5G are building. Going back not too many years, public networks offered a base set of facilities and end users would adapt their needs to the network provider’s service delivery. 5G is required be all things to everyone and everything, aligning itself to the requirements of the customer at any given time.

5G is not just a radio access network (RAN), it has to be an entirely new infrastructure to cater for the diverse demands of the rapidly growing customer base. Software Defined Networking and Network Functions Virtualisation will enable network operators to provide a ‘Network as a Service’ to meet the needs of their customers.

“…demands are incredible and like nothing network engineers have experienced before.”

Not only will 5G need to support data speeds many times higher than current networks, it will also be required to support lower speeds to conserve battery life in sensors with a life expectancy of ten years or more on a single charge. There may be hundreds of thousands of these narrow band devices per cell. The demands are incredible and like nothing network engineers have experienced before.

The potential for 5G networks is very exciting with a number of areas that could have a significant impact on business and personal communications. If the IoT vision is to be truly realised we need reliable connectivity where ever we happen to be, not just in the UK but in the world. This requires a single standard unlike earlier mobile networks where different frequencies and access methods were employed around the world and sometimes within the same country.

“…some industry experts are even citing 5G as the next industrial revolution.”

If this can be achieved, 5G will be a life changing network on a global scale. Ericsson are positioning 5G as an industrial grade solution against 2G, 3G and 4G which were primarily aimed at the domestic market. In fact, some industry experts are even citing 5G as the next industrial revolution.

From my experience working around the UK, there are many rural areas that can only dream of a reasonable broadband connection or access to a 4G network (there are still many areas beyond reach of 3G).

I am sure 5G will follow a similar path to 3G and 4G in that it will be released in cities and major towns first and will then spread out to less populated areas. The danger is that we will be left with an even greater digital divide than we have with 4G and even 3G now.

True 5G mobile networks and devices are due to be available in 2020 when 5G is expected to be a RAN (Radio Access Network) for all seasons. 2020 may not be that far away but I will not be holding my breath. Judging by the way 4G progressed I doubt if we will be seeing any significant 5G deployments in the UK for many years to come.