Millimetre wave frequency band as a candidate spectrum for 5G network architecture : a survey

In order to meet the huge growth in global mobile data traffic in 2020 and beyond, the development of the 5th Generation (5G) system is required as the current 4G system is expected to fall short of the provision needed for such growth. 5G is anticipated to use a higher carrier frequency in the millimetre wave (mm-wave) band, within the 20 to 90 GHz, due to the availability of a vast amount of unexploited bandwidth. It is a revolutionary step to use these bands because of their different propagation characteristics, severe atmospheric attenuation, and hardware constraints. In this paper, we carry out a survey of 5G research contributions and proposed design architectures based on mm-wave communications. We present and discuss the use of mm-wave as indoor and outdoor mobile access, as a wireless backhaul solution, and as a key enabler for higher order sectorisation. Wireless standards such as IEE802.11ad, which are operating in mm-wave band have been presented. These standards have been designed for short range, ultra high data throughput systems in the 60 GHz band. Furthermore, this survey provides new insights regarding relevant and open issues in adopting mm-wave for 5G networks. This includes increased handoff rate and interference in Ultra-Dense Network (UDN), waveform consideration with higher spectral efficiency, and supporting spatial multiplexing in mm-wave line of sight. This survey also introduces a distributed base station architecture in mm-wave as an approach to address increased handoff rate in UDN, and to provide an alternative way for network densification in a time and cost effective manner

Analog radio over fiber solutions for multi-band 5g systems

This study presents radio over fiber (RoF) solutions for the fifth-generation (5G) of wireless networks. After the state of the art and a technical background review, four main contributions are reported. The first one is proposing and investigating a RoF technique based on a dual-drive Mach-Zehnder modulator (DD-MZM) for multi-band mobile fronthauls, in which two radiofrequency (RF) signals in the predicted 5G bands individually feed an arm of the optical modulator. Experimental results demonstrate the approach enhances the RF interference mitigation and can prevail over traditional methods. The second contribution comprises the integration of a 5G transceiver, previously developed by our group, in a passive optical network (PON) using RoF technology and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) overlay. The proposed architecture innovates by employing DD-MZM and enables to simultaneously transport baseband and 5G candidate RF signals in the same PON infrastructure. The proof-of-concept includes the transmission of a generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM) signal generated by the 5G transceiver in the 700 MHz band, a 26 GHz digitally modulated signal as a millimeter-waves 5G band, and a baseband signal from an gigabit PON (GPON). Experimental results demonstrate the 5G transceiver digital performance when using RoF technology for distributing the GFDM signal, as well as Gbit/s throughput at 26 GHz. The third contribution is the implementation of a flexible-waveform and multi-application fiber-wireless (FiWi) system toward 5G. Such system includes the FiWi transmission of the GFDM and filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (F-OFDM) signals at 788 MHz, toward long-range cells for remote or rural mobile access, as well as the recently launched 5G NR standard in microwave and mm-waves, aiming enhanced mobile broadband indoor and outdoor applications. Digital signal processing (DSP) is used for selecting the waveform and linearizing the RoF link. Experimental results demonstrate the suitability of the proposed solution to address 5G scenarios and requirements, besides the applicability of using existent fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks from Internet service providers for implementing 5G systems. Finally, the fourth contribution is the implementation of a multi-band 5G NR system with photonic-assisted RF amplification (PAA). The approach takes advantage of a novel PAA technique, based on RoF technology and four-wave mixing effect, that allows straightforward integration to the transport networks. Experimental results demonstrate iv uniform and stable 15 dB wideband gain for Long Term Evolution (LTE) and three 5G signals, distributed in the frequency range from 780 MHz to 26 GHz and coexisting in the mobile fronthaul. The obtained digital performance has efficiently met the Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) requirements, demonstrating the applicability of the proposed approach for using fiber-optic links to distribute and jointly amplify LTE and 5G signals in the optical domain.Agência 1Este trabalho apresenta soluções de rádio sobre fibra (RoF) para aplicações em redes sem fio de quinta geração (5G), e inclui quatro contribuições principais. A primeira delas refere-se à proposta e investigação de uma técnica de RoF baseada no modulador eletroóptico de braço duplo, dual-drive Mach-Zehnder (DD-MZM), para a transmissão simultânea de sinais de radiofrequência (RF) em bandas previstas para redes 5G. Resultados experimentais demonstram que o uso do DD-MZM favorece a ausência de interferência entre os sinais de RF transmitidos. A segunda contribuição trata da integração de um transceptor de RF, desenvolvido para aplicações 5G e apto a prover a forma de onda conhecida como generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM), em uma rede óptica passiva (PON) ao utilizar RoF e multiplexação por divisão de comprimento de onda (WDM). A arquitetura proposta permite transportar, na mesma infraestrutura de rede, sinais em banda base e de radiofrequência nas faixas do espectro candidatas para 5G. A prova de conceito inclui a distribuição conjunta de três tipos de sinais: um sinal GFDM na banda de 700 MHz, proveniente do transceptor desenvolvido; um sinal digital na frequência de 26 GHz, assumindo a faixa de ondas milimétricas; sinais em banda base provenientes de uma PON dedicada ao serviço de Internet. Resultados experimentais demonstram o desempenho do transceptor de RF ao utilizar a referida arquitetura para distribuir sinais GFDM, além de taxas de transmissão de dados da ordem de Gbit/s na faixa de 26 GHz. A terceira contribuição corresponde à implementação de um sistema fibra/rádio potencial para redes 5G, operando inclusive com o padrão ―5G New Radio (5G NR)‖ nas faixas de micro-ondas e ondas milimétricas. Tal sistema é capaz de prover macro células na banda de 700 MHz para aplicações de longo alcance e/ou rurais, utilizando sinais GFDM ou filtered orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (F-OFDM), assim como femto células na banda de 26 GHz, destinada a altas taxas de transmissão de dados para comunicações de curto alcance. Resultados experimentais demonstram a aplicabilidade da solução proposta para redes 5G, além da viabilidade de utilizar redes ópticas pertencentes a provedores de Internet para favorecer sistemas de nova geração. Por fim, a quarta contribuição trata da implementação de um sistema 5G NR multibanda, assistido por amplificação de RF no domínio óptico. Esse sistema faz uso de um novo método de amplificação, baseado no efeito não linear da mistura de quatro ondas, que vi permite integração direta em redes de transporte envolvendo rádio sobre fibra. Resultados experimentais demonstram ganho de RF igual a 15 dB em uma ampla faixa de frequências (700 MHz até 26 GHz), atendendo simultaneamente tecnologias de quarta e quinta geração. O desempenho digital obtido atendeu aos requisitos estabelecidos pela 3GPP (Third-Generation Partnership Project), indicando a aplicabilidade da solução em questão para distribuir e conjuntamente amplificar sinais de RF em enlaces de fibra óptica

5G-PPP Technology Board:Delivery of 5G Services Indoors - the wireless wire challenge and solutions

The 5G Public Private Partnership (5G PPP) has focused its research and innovation activities mainly on outdoor use cases and supporting the user and its applications while on the move. However, many use cases inherently apply in indoor environments whereas their requirements are not always properly reflected by the requirements eminent for outdoor applications. The best example for indoor applications can be found is the Industry 4.0 vertical, in which most described use cases are occurring in a manufacturing hall. Other environments exhibit similar characteristics such as commercial spaces in offices, shopping malls and commercial buildings. We can find further similar environments in the media & entertainment sector, culture sector with museums and the transportation sector with metro tunnels. Finally in the residential space we can observe a strong trend for wireless connectivity of appliances and devices in the home. Some of these spaces are exhibiting very high requirements among others in terms of device density, high-accuracy localisation, reliability, latency, time sensitivity, coverage and service continuity. The delivery of 5G services to these spaces has to consider the specificities of the indoor environments, in which the radio propagation characteristics are different and in the case of deep indoor scenarios, external radio signals cannot penetrate building construction materials. Furthermore, these spaces are usually “polluted” by existing wireless technologies, causing a multitude of interreference issues with 5G radio technologies. Nevertheless, there exist cases in which the co-existence of 5G new radio and other radio technologies may be sensible, such as for offloading local traffic. In any case the deployment of networks indoors is advised to consider and be planned along existing infrastructure, like powerlines and available shafts for other utilities. Finally indoor environments expose administrative cross-domain issues, and in some cases so called non-public networks, foreseen by 3GPP, could be an attractive deployment model for the owner/tenant of a private space and for the mobile network operators serving the area. Technology-wise there exist a number of solutions for indoor RAN deployment, ranging from small cell architectures, optical wireless/visual light communication, and THz communication utilising reconfigurable intelligent surfaces. For service delivery the concept of multi-access edge computing is well tailored to host virtual network functions needed in the indoor environment, including but not limited to functions supporting localisation, security, load balancing, video optimisation and multi-source streaming. Measurements of key performance indicators in indoor environments indicate that with proper planning and consideration of the environment characteristics, available solutions can deliver on the expectations. Measurements have been conducted regarding throughput and reliability in the mmWave and optical wireless communication cases, electric and magnetic field measurements, round trip latency measurements, as well as high-accuracy positioning in laboratory environment. Overall, the results so far are encouraging and indicate that 5G and beyond networks must advance further in order to meet the demands of future emerging intelligent automation systems in the next 10 years. Highly advanced industrial environments present challenges for 5G specifications, spanning congestion, interference, security and safety concerns, high power consumption, restricted propagation and poor location accuracy within the radio and core backbone communication networks for the massive IoT use cases, especially inside buildings. 6G and beyond 5G deployments for industrial networks will be increasingly denser, heterogeneous and dynamic, posing stricter performance requirements on the network. The large volume of data generated by future connected devices will put a strain on networks. It is therefore fundamental to discriminate the value of information to maximize the utility for the end users with limited network resources

Optimization of 5G Second Phase Heterogeneous Radio Access Networks with Small Cells

Due to the exponential increase in high data-demanding applications and their services per coverage area, it is becoming challenging for the existing cellular network to handle the massive sum of users with their demands. It is conceded to network operators that the current wireless network may not be capable to shelter future traffic demands. To overcome the challenges the operators are taking interest in efficiently deploying the heterogeneous network. Currently, 5G is in the commercialization phase. Network evolution with addition of small cells will develop the existing wireless network with its enriched capabilities and innovative features. Presently, the 5G global standardization has introduced the 5G New Radio (NR) under the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). It can support a wide range of frequency bands (<6 GHz to 100 GHz). For different trends and verticals, 5G NR encounters, functional splitting and its cost evaluation are well-thought-out. The aspects of network slicing to the assessment of the business opportunities and allied standardization endeavours are illustrated. The study explores the carrier aggregation (Pico cellular) technique for 4G to bring high spectral efficiency with the support of small cell massification while benefiting from statistical multiplexing gain. One has been able to obtain values for the goodput considering CA in LTE-Sim (4G), of 40 Mbps for a cell radius of 500 m and of 29 Mbps for a cell radius of 50 m, which is 3 times higher than without CA scenario (2.6 GHz plus 3.5 GHz frequency bands). Heterogeneous networks have been under investigation for many years. Heterogeneous network can improve users service quality and resource utilization compared to homogeneous networks. Quality of service can be enhanced by putting the small cells (Femtocells or Picocells) inside the Microcells or Macrocells coverage area. Deploying indoor Femtocells for 5G inside the Macro cellular network can reduce the network cost. Some service providers have started their solutions for indoor users but there are still many challenges to be addressed. The 5G air-simulator is updated to deploy indoor Femto-cell with proposed assumptions with uniform distribution. For all the possible combinations of apartments side length and transmitter power, the maximum number of supported numbers surpassed the number of users by more than two times compared to papers mentioned in the literature. Within outdoor environments, this study also proposed small cells optimization by putting the Pico cells within a Macro cell to obtain low latency and high data rate with the statistical multiplexing gain of the associated users. Results are presented 5G NR functional split six and split seven, for three frequency bands (2.6 GHz, 3.5GHz and 5.62 GHz). Based on the analysis for shorter radius values, the best is to select the 2.6 GHz to achieve lower PLR and to support a higher number of users, with better goodput, and higher profit (for cell radius u to 400 m). In 4G, with CA, from the analysis of the economic trade-off with Picocell, the Enhanced multi-band scheduler EMBS provide higher revenue, compared to those without CA. It is clearly shown that the profit of CA is more than 4 times than in the without CA scenario. This means that the slight increase in the cost of CA gives back more than 4-time profit relatively to the ”without” CA scenario.Devido ao aumento exponencial de aplicações/serviços de elevado débito por unidade de área, torna-se bastante exigente, para a rede celular existente, lidar com a enormes quantidades de utilizadores e seus requisitos. É reconhecido que as redes móveis e sem fios atuais podem não conseguir suportar a procura de tráfego junto dos operadores. Para responder a estes desafios, os operadores estão-se a interessar pelo desenvolvimento de redes heterogéneas eficientes. Atualmente, a 5G está na fase de comercialização. A evolução destas redes concretizar-se-á com a introdução de pequenas células com aptidões melhoradas e características inovadoras. No presente, os organismos de normalização da 5G globais introduziram os Novos Rádios (NR) 5G no contexto do 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). A 5G pode suportar uma gama alargada de bandas de frequência (<6 a 100 GHz). Abordam-se as divisões funcionais e avaliam-se os seus custos para as diferentes tendências e verticais dos NR 5G. Ilustram-se desde os aspetos de particionamento funcional da rede à avaliação das oportunidades de negócio, aliadas aos esforços de normalização. Exploram-se as técnicas de agregação de espetro (do inglês, CA) para pico células, em 4G, a disponibilização de eficiência espetral, com o suporte da massificação de pequenas células, e o ganho de multiplexagem estatística associado. Obtiveram-se valores do débito binário útil, considerando CA no LTE-Sim (4G), de 40 e 29 Mb/s para células de raios 500 e 50 m, respetivamente, três vezes superiores em relação ao caso sem CA (bandas de 2.6 mais 3.5 GHz). Nas redes heterogéneas, alvo de investigação há vários anos, a qualidade de serviço e a utilização de recursos podem ser melhoradas colocando pequenas células (femto- ou pico-células) dentro da área de cobertura de micro- ou macro-células). O desenvolvimento de pequenas células 5G dentro da rede com macro-células pode reduzir os custos da rede. Alguns prestadores de serviços iniciaram as suas soluções para ambientes de interior, mas ainda existem muitos desafios a ser ultrapassados. Atualizou-se o 5G air simulator para representar a implantação de femto-células de interior com os pressupostos propostos e distribuição espacial uniforme. Para todas as combinações possíveis do comprimento lado do apartamento, o número máximo de utilizadores suportado ultrapassou o número de utilizadores suportado (na literatura) em mais de duas vezes. Em ambientes de exterior, propuseram-se pico-células no interior de macro-células, de forma a obter atraso extremo-a-extremo reduzido e taxa de transmissão dados elevada, resultante do ganho de multiplexagem estatística associado. Apresentam-se resultados para as divisões funcionais seis e sete dos NR 5G, para 2.6 GHz, 3.5GHz e 5.62 GHz. Para raios das células curtos, a melhor solução será selecionar a banda dos 2.6 GHz para alcançar PLR (do inglês, PLR) reduzido e suportar um maior número de utilizadores, com débito binário útil e lucro mais elevados (para raios das células até 400 m). Em 4G, com CA, da análise do equilíbrio custos-proveitos com pico-células, o escalonamento multi-banda EMBS (do inglês, Enhanced Multi-band Scheduler) disponibiliza proveitos superiores em comparação com o caso sem CA. Mostra-se claramente que lucro com CA é mais de quatro vezes superior do que no cenário sem CA, o que significa que um aumento ligeiro no custo com CA resulta num aumento de 4-vezes no lucro relativamente ao cenário sem CA

5G and beyond networks

This chapter investigates the Network Layer aspects that will characterize the merger of the cellular paradigm and the IoT architectures, in the context of the evolution towards 5G-and-beyond, including some promising emerging services as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or Base Stations, and V2X communications

NextGEM: Next-Generation Integrated Sensing and Analytical System for Monitoring and Assessing Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure and Health

The evolution of emerging technologies that use Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Field (RF-EMF) has increased the interest of the scientific community and society regarding the possible adverse effects on human health and the environment. This article provides NextGEM’s vision to assure safety for EU citizens when employing existing and future EMF-based telecommunication technologies. This is accomplished by generating relevant knowledge that ascertains appropriate prevention and control/actuation actions regarding RF-EMF exposure in residential, public, and occupational settings. Fulfilling this vision, NextGEM commits to the need for a healthy living and working environment under safe RF-EMF exposure conditions that can be trusted by people and be in line with the regulations and laws developed by public authorities. NextGEM provides a framework for generating health-relevant scientific knowledge and data on new scenarios of exposure to RF-EMF in multiple frequency bands and developing and validating tools for evidence-based risk assessment. Finally, NextGEM’s Innovation and Knowledge Hub (NIKH) will offer a standardized way for European regulatory authorities and the scientific community to store and assess project outcomes and provide access to findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data

Sixth Generation (6G)Wireless Networks: Vision, Research Activities, Challenges and Potential Solutions

The standardization activities of the fifth generation communications are clearly over and deployment has commenced globally. To sustain the competitive edge of wireless networks, industrial and academia synergy have begun to conceptualize the next generation of wireless communication systems (namely, sixth generation, (6G)) aimed at laying the foundation for the stratification of the communication needs of the 2030s. In support of this vision, this study highlights the most promising lines of research from the recent literature in common directions for the 6G project. Its core contribution involves exploring the critical issues and key potential features of 6G communications, including: (i) vision and key features; (ii) challenges and potential solutions; and (iii) research activities. These controversial research topics were profoundly examined in relation to the motivation of their various sub-domains to achieve a precise, concrete, and concise conclusion. Thus, this article will contribute significantly to opening new horizons for future research direction

European leadership in 5G. CEPS Special Report, December 2016

Prepared by Policy Department A at the request of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), this report examines the concept for 5G, how it might fit in the future telecommunications landscape, the state of play in R&D in the EU and globally, the possible business models and the role of standards and spectrum policy, to assess the EU’s strategic position

5G Mobile Phone Network Introduction in Colombia

This research received support from the AUIP (Iberoamerican University Association for Postgraduate Studies).The authors would like to thank the following members of Ericsson and Nokia Company for their valuable technological support in relation to the deployment of 5G networks in Colombia and Latin America. To Ericsson Company: Fabian Monge, Head of Networks & Managed Services Sales LATAM North—Ericsson, Andrés Quintero Arango, Country Manager Colombia— Ericsson, Camilo Beltrán, RAN Sales Domain Manager—Ericsson, Tatiana Dimian, Technical & Solution Sales Colombia—Ericsson. To Nokia Company: Juan Gabriel Mariño Pedroza, Presales Director & Business Development Colombia—Nokia.The deployment of the 5G mobile network is currently booming, offering commercially available services that improve network performance metrics by minimizing network latency in countries such as the USA, China, and Korea. However, many countries around the world are still in the pilot phase promoted and regulated by government agencies. This is the case in Colombia, where the assignment of the first 5G band is planned for the third quarter of 2021. By analyzing the results of the pilot phase and the roadmap of the Colombian Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTIC), we can determine the main issues, which contribute to the deployment of 5G mobile technology as well as the plans to achieve a 5G stand-alone network from 4G networks. This is applicable to other countries in Latin America and the world. Then, our objective is to synthesize and share the most important concepts of 5G mobile technology such as the MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) antenna, RAN (Radio Access Network), C-RAN (Centralised-RAN), and frequency bands, and evaluate the current stage of its introduction in Colombia.AUIP (Iberoamerican University Association for Postgraduate Studies