5G COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

I. 5G overview

1. What is 5 G?

5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks, following on from

previous generations; 2G, 3G and 4G. 5G is set to offer much faster connection
speeds than previous networks. Also, being more reliable with lower response
times and greater capacity.

5G is the successor to the previous mobile telecommunication

standards GSM (2G), UMTS (3G), and LTE (4G). Development and
standardization are being carried out by the 3GPP standards organization and
have not yet been finalized. The new communication standard goes far beyond
digital telephony and fast mobile internet. It is seen as a response to the
increasing data traffic worldwide in the course of digitalization, which is being
driven by things such as streaming, big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

5G is expected to set new standards in terms of data speed,

network capacity, response time, reliability, and data security and enable real-
time data communication for the first time. This promises many new
application possibilities, such as in the areas of IoT, self-driving cars, and
Industry 4.0 (IoT).

2. Benefits of 5G

Theoretically, 5G technology enables data rates of up to 20

Gbit/s and thus up to 20 times faster data transmission than the previous
generation. At the same time, 5G promises latency times of less than one
millisecond, which for the first time allows data communication in real time.
Energy consumption is also expected to be lower than with 4G, and it should
be possible to network up to 1,000 times more devices per square kilometer.
This opens numerous new application possibilities in professional and private
environments.

➢ Improved machine-to-machine (M2M) communication for

automation (e.g., wirelessly connected manufacturing robots)
➢ Real-time communication as the basis for connected road traffic and
self-driving vehicles
➢ Guaranteed network availability (e.g., for emergency services)
through service levels and private campus networks (closed 5G
 networks for local company sites, a university, or individual
buildings)
➢ Telemedicine (e.g., augmented reality, direct video connection, and
smart meters)
➢ Digital agriculture (e.g., remote control of agricultural machinery and
the use of digital measurement and control technology)
➢ Shorter loading times and faster page loading (e.g., when browsing or
streaming video)
➢ Very low response time (e.g., when online or cloud gaming)
➢ Better coverage and stability of the connection (e.g., at large events
or on a train)
➢ Improved mobile telephony (voice over 5G)
➢ Possible alternative to fixed networks for gigabit internet
➢ New application areas such as augmented or virtual reality in real
time, ultra-high-resolution live TV (5G broadcast), and 4K video
telephony

3. Drawbacks
➢ Gigabit mobile communications have so far provided little added
value for consumers
➢ Still inadequate availability (especially in rural areas)
➢ New devices required
➢ More transmission antennas required for uniform network coverage
than with 4G
➢ Issue of health hazards from mobile radiation not yet conclusively
clarified

4. 5G Speed
 5. 5G Range

The range constraints of 5G technology have motivated a trend towards

more flexible architectures in 5G with the decomposition of the base
station into new logical elements. These facilitate the network to be
deployed flexibly using the available real estate with local aggregation of
some functions with minimal space footprint and other requirements
needed for radio sites where this is limited.

With these prescient range concerns in mind, anchoring with LTE or low
band 5G may remain a component of 5G networks for the foreseeable
future, with only users close to the antennas reaping the full benefits.
Small cell technology and other creative alternatives to the traditional cell
tower can be utilized effectively to make standalone 5G networks viable.

II. 5G Architecture

5G utilizes a more intelligent architecture, with Radio Access Networks (RANs) no

longer constrained by base station proximity or complex infrastructure. 5G leads the
way towards disaggregated, flexible and virtual RAN with new interfaces creating
additional data access points.

1. 5G Architecture 3GPP (The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP))

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) covers telecommunication

technologies including RAN, core transport networks and service capabilities. 3GPP
has provided complete system specifications for 5G network architecture which is
much more service oriented than previous generations.
5G Spectrum and Frequency

Multiple frequency ranges are now being dedicated to 5G new radio (NR). The portion
of the radio spectrum with frequencies between 30 GHz and 300 GHz is known as the
millimeter wave since wavelengths range from 1-10 mm. Frequencies between 24 GHz
and 100 GHz are now being allocated to 5G in multiple regions worldwide.

In addition to the millimeter wave, underutilized UHF frequencies between 300 MHz
and 3 GHz are also being repurposed for 5G.

Characteristics of the MEC (Multi-Access Edge Computing) include the low latency,
high bandwidth and real time access to RAN information that distinguish 5G
architecture from its predecessors.

A radio access network (RAN) is defined as the combination of telecommunication

network elements used to establish communication between user equipment and the
core network.

NFV and 5G

Network function virtualization (NFV) decouples software from hardware by

replacing various network functions such as firewalls, load balancers and routers with
virtualized instances running as software.

NFV enables the 5G infrastructure by virtualizing appliances within the 5G network.

This includes the network slicing technology that enables multiple virtual networks to
run simultaneously. NFV can address other 5G challenges through virtualized
computing, storage, and network resources that are customized based on the
applications and customer segments.

eCPRI (Enhanced CPRI (control public radio interface))

The introduction of eCPRI interfaces presents a more cost-effective solution as fewer

interfaces can be used to test multiple 5G carriers. eCPRI is aimed to be a standardized
interface for 5G unlike RF (Radio frequency interface) and CPRI used 4G.

Network Slicing

The key ingredient enabling the full potential of 5G architecture to be realized

is network slicing .
5G network slicing is the use of network virtualization to divide single network
connections into multiple distinct virtual connections that provide different amounts of
resources to different types of traffic.

Network virtualization is the process of transforming network functions into software

and disconnecting them from the hardware they traditionally run on.

This technology adds an extra dimension to the NFV domain by allowing multiple
logical networks to simultaneously run-on top of a shared physical network
infrastructure.

Network slicing becomes extremely useful for applications like the IoT where the
number of users may be extremely high, but the overall bandwidth demand is low.

Beamforming
Another breakthrough technology integral to the success of 5G is beamforming.

Beamforming is a traffic-signaling system for cellular base stations that identifies the
most efficient data-delivery route to a particular user, and it reduces interference for
nearby users in the process. Depending on the situation and the technology, there are
several ways to implement it in 5G networks.
. Using multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) arrays featuring dozens of small
antennas combined in a single formation, signal processing algorithms can be used to
determine the most efficient transmission path to each user while individual packets
can be sent in multiple directions then choreographed to reach the end user in a
predetermined sequence.
2. 5G Core Architecture

The 5G core network architecture is at the heart of the new 5G specification and
enables the increased throughput demand that 5G must support. The new 5G core, as
defined by 3GPP, utilizes cloud-aligned, service-based architecture (SBA) that spans
across all 5G functions and interactions including authentication, security, session
management and aggregation of traffic from end devices.
The 5G core further emphasizes NFV as an integral design concept with virtualized
software functions capable of being deployed using the MEC infrastructure that is
central to 5G architectural principles.
Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) is a network solution that provides services
and computing functions required by users on edge nodes. It makes application
services and content closer to users and implements network collaboration, providing
users with reliable and ultimate service experience.

3. Security in 5G Architecture

5G implementation will engender tremendous performance benefits and diversity of

applications through extensive use of cloud-based resources, virtualization, network
slicing and other emerging technologies. With these changes come new security risks
and additional “attack surfaces” exposed within the 5G security architecture
5G Security is multifaceted – it deals with security on different levels to address the
issues raised by the new uses to which it can be put, and to deal with risks associated
with the environment in which 5G applications and services will be delivered.
Among the improved 5G security features detailed by the 3GPP standards are unified
authentication to decouple authentication from access points, extensible authentication
protocols to accommodate secure transactions, flexible security policies to address
more use cases and subscriber permanent identifiers (SUPI) to ensure privacy on the
network.
The unified user security authentication solution is developed for 5G. It protects the
integrity, reliability, consistency, and security of user data, and always ensures the
secure and stable operation of the multi-access network. It has the following main
features:
➢ Unified cloud native/Microservice architecture to implement fast service
deployment
➢ Large capacity, full integration, and high reliability to reduce TCO (Total
cost ownership)
➢ Unified authentication and authorization of multi-network access to
simplify the network
➢ Privacy protection for the permanent ID of a 5G user to protect user
privacy.
➢ Bi-directional authentication for 5G user registration to prevent illegal users
from accessing the network
➢ Enhanced home network authentication control to prevent against fraud

III. 5G Application areas

Although the 5G communication system can be applied in many areas like IOT,
cloud computing, drone application, …

1. 5G in manufacturing

New and improved use cases and applications enabled by 5G

a. Advanced predictive maintenance

5G will support a new wave in predictive maintenance – what

we have termed “advanced predictive maintenance.” This means increasing
the number of sensors fitted to equipment from one or two to measuring
dozens of different parameters – temperature, vibrations, humidity,
pressure, etc. – and ensuring the data is always collected reliably in real-
time. This is important because the value comes from analyzing the data,
 cross-referencing it with historical data and trends to proactively predict
outcomes. Data needs to be as complete as possible to make sure that
anomalies are not missed, as it could be a single data point that detects the
issue and determines whether the machine needs to be repaired.

b. Precision monitoring and control

5G is an important enabler of this use case given that ultra-low latency is

required, for example adapting the actions of a machine tool in real-time
cannot tolerate latency above 10 milliseconds. To create an accurate digital
twin of the process and product, data from sensors always needs to be
collected continuously and reliably. This avoids the possibility of missing
the relevant data point that identifies the anomaly or feeding incomplete
data into the analytics system that would risk misdiagnosing the situation.
Alternatives, such as Wi-Fi or LTE, do not provide that same level of
reliability and quality of service

Impact on the manufacturing industry:

➢ Reducing defective products

➢ Improving machine performance

➢ Reducing spend on (traditional) quality control

➢ Increasing asset lifetime

c. Augmented reality and remote expert

Today, there are still technical challenges inhibiting augmented

reality headsets from being adopted at scale. Most AR applications run on the
device itself, which means headsets are of considerable size to process the
amount of compute required. In addition, pre-loading content limits the use
of the headset, which is particularly problematic in manufacturing given the
number of scenarios a single device could be used for: training, maintenance,
assembly, etc.
To offload the compute to the cloud, the connection between the device and
the cloud needs to support high bandwidth levels for the high-definition
video streams and ultra-low latency to avoid dizziness for the end-user. This
lends itself to 5G since average latency in LTE and Wi-Fi are too high at an
average of 80ms and 150ms respectively.
5G is particularly useful for situations where there is a degree of mobility,
such as for a maintenance service provider. When servicing a machine at a
customer’s plant, it is impractical for the maintenance.
There are different scenarios in manufacturing where this may be beneficial:

➢ Training: Employees spend on average 7%11 of their time carrying

out training. Rather than using resources to teach employees on how
to use equipment or on new processes, they can be guided on the job
using the AR headset.

➢ Health and safety: reduce risk of hazardous situations, for example by

warning workers if they are entering an area that is off limits or by
providing hands-on guidance when using specialist equipment.

➢ Maintenance and repair: shop floor staff can be alerted on whether a

machine requires servicing and carry out the task without necessarily
needing to wait for a specialist or use traditional manuals.
 ➢ Product checks / quality assurance: the image of the product can be
cross-referenced with a digital twin to identify discrepancies and
notify the worker as they conduct the check.

➢ Complex assembly: instructions can be directly projected on the

display so the worker assembling various components avoids having
to pause the job to refer to a separate document for guidance.

2. 5G IN TRANSPORTATION

Regarding the apport of 5G in the transportation system we can point out:

1. MAC Address Capture

Another capability is to capture MAC address, using Wi-Fi or
Bluetooth through an accelerated operating system.
Every mobile phone has a MAC address. As a vehicle travels through an
area, a scanning tool can read the different MAC addresses of passenger’s
phones and feed that information through the Digi router to determine the
number of passengers in the vehicle.
There can also be a safety and security aspect to MAC address capture if
there should be an accident or an emergency where people might need
medical attention or need to be evacuated.

Transit organizations can then use analytics to examine ridership

levels and determine, for example, when vehicles should be departing, the
optimum interval between vehicles and even the total number of vehicles
needed for the fleet.
This information is captured and sent via one of a Remote
Manager’s extensive lists of APIs to provide accurate, real-time feedback
about whether a vehicle is on schedule, information on the occupancy level,
and more.

2. 5G for Passenger Wi-Fi Connectivity

The 5G chip has dual Wi-Fi, which helps to segment public and
private communications so that passengers can also enjoy the benefits of
5G connectivity.
This segments public and private data, with onboard systems taking
priority and the remaining bandwidth made available to Internet traffic
for passenger Wi-Fi.
Which also includes carrier failover so that if one carrier connection goes
down, the device will automatically reconnect to a backup carrier.

3. GNSS Dead Reckoning

An important enhancement is the addition of a GNSS

(Global Navigation Satellite System) dead-reckoning module, which
provides a more accurate location for the vehicle than is possible with
GPS.
Untethered dead reckoning (UDR) is a capability that is especially
helpful when vehicles are going through tunnels or underneath an
overpass.
Anytime something is blocking the GPS signal, dead reckoning uses
inertial sensor data on the router to help maintain the continuity that
dispatchers and traffic management centers need to track their vehicles
continuously.
Dead reckoning technology uses algorithms and other tools
to determine a vehicle’s location, rather than simply trying to pinpoint
the closest GPS towers. For example, if a vehicle is traveling at 65 miles
per hour and connectivity is disrupted momentarily, the dead-reckoning
system will assume that the vehicle is continuing to go in the same
direction for those few seconds. The alternative involves re-computing
the location and direction from scratch once the connection is established
again, which is how traditional GPS works.

4. Enhanced traffic safety

While 5G’s fast data transmission is deemed useful for

things like providing road weather services, carrying out road
maintenance, and controlling self-driving vehicles at least when it
comes to traffic and transportation, is reducing accidents.
Drivers can collect data automatically without doing anything
themselves, and this data can be sent to other road users by means of
automated systems.
The connected devices will be notified when the lights turn red or
when vehicles ahead come to a sudden stop.
Everyone on the road can have access to crucial
information, including warnings about icy conditions and the
location of snow build-up, potholes, or fallen trees. This can then
help drivers choose a different route or change the way they drive.
Additionally, 5G’s high bandwidth, ultra-high-speed, low latency,
and the ability to connect hundreds of devices, will mean that
vehicles will be able to send and receive data from other vehicles
and streetlight-mounted cameras.