Long-awaited in the US, 5G technology is already available in some countries, at least on a limited scale. In May, Qatari telecommunications company Ooredoo launched 5G Supernet, which it claims is the world’s first commercial 5G network. June saw Kuwait telecom provider Zain rolling out its first 5G network, and in the United Arab Emirates, Etisalat is promising 5G by September. Meanwhile, U.S. provider AT&T gave a demonstration of 5G virtual reality at Warner Brothers Studios in June in anticipation of a fall rollout of 5G service to 12 U.S. cities by the end of the year, including Atlanta, Dallas and Waco. Verizon is hoping to beat AT&T to the punch by launching 5G wireless home broadband internet services in four U.S. cities by the fourth quarter of the year, starting with Sacramento and Los Angeles.
One of the benefits 5G technology promises is greater efficiency for transferring data over the Internet of Things. Here’s a look at how 5G innovations empower communications efficiency and what this means for practical consumer and commercial IoT applications.
How 5G makes communication more efficient
According to telecommunications equipment designer Qualcomm, which has played a major role in developing 5G technology, five top innovations underlie the efficiency gains that are being introduced by the 5G New Radio (5G NR) air interface design. An air interface is the radio transmission circuit between a mobile device and a base station, which can change as the user moves. 5G NR makes this interface more efficient by deploying five key advances, among others.
1. Scalable orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)
OFDM is a technology for using a radio wave to transmit large amounts of data. It works by splitting an original signal into smaller sub-signals and then transmitting these simultaneously to the receiver, which reduces crosstalk interference. OFDM technology has been around for decades, but 5G NR takes this to a new level by introducing the ability to scale according to the width of the channel being used, allowing it to support the range of bandwidths used for 5G.
2. A new self-contained time division duplex (TDD) framework
TDD is a method of supporting two-way communications by using a single frequency band to both send and receive data simultaneously, in contrast to a two-way radio where one party talks while the other listens. TDD achieves this by delegating alternate time slots to sending and receiving. The latest 5G NR innovation integrates both data transmission and post-decoding acknowledgment of reception in the same subframe. This delivers low latency and other benefits.
3. Advanced low-density parity-check (LDPC) channel coding
LDPC is a code used to correct errors that result when transmitting signals over very noisy channels. Advanced LDPC techniques allow 5G networks to retrieve the original signal from transmissions that have been disrupted by interference. This makes it possible to broadcast reliable signals even in crowded areas.
4. Advanced massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas
MIMO is a technique that uses multiple antennas to send and receive more than one data signal simultaneously over the same channel when signals are reaching the receiving antenna along two or more paths. Massive MIMO uses a large number of base station antennas per active terminal devices. This allows more data to be transmitted per frequency, increasing network capacity. In conjunction with beamforming, a technique that focuses signals so they don’t lose strength over distance, massive MIMO also increases the range of network coverage. One benefit of massive MIMO is the ability to use high-frequency bandwidths to deliver accelerated data speeds and enhanced capacity.
5. Advanced spectrum-sharing techniques
Spectrum is essential for wireless communication, but its scarcity makes efficient usage challenging. 5G NR is designed to utilize all spectrum types, including new spectra that will open up through further innovations.
5G and IoT efficiency
The efficiency gains delivered by 5G will enable it to support the trillions of devices that make up the Internet of Things, says mobile standards expert Asha Keddy. Where 2G networks were designed to support voice communications, 3G for voice and data, and 4G for broadband internet use, 5G will bring computing capability to all devices connected to the IoT. This will allow devices to transmit and receive data with other local devices, rather than going through remote cloud networks, translating into much faster data delivery.
A primary application of this will be connected cars. 5G will make it possible for smart cars to process data from internal sensors, navigational landmarks, other vehicles and pedestrians. This will allow drivers and autonomous vehicles to make decisions based on augmented reality input from the local environment. The enormous amount of data required for this, up to 300 TB of data per year per vehicle, can only be processed due to the efficiency of 5G. Other important applications requiring efficient processing of large amounts of data will include mobile healthcare, smart factories and streaming virtual reality.
5G New Radio’s ability to transmit data more efficiently is supported by a wide range of new innovations. These enable 5G to scale to high-frequency bandwidths, support low-latency two-way transmissions, correct errors over noisy networks, increase network capacity and coverage and make use of a wider range of spectra. These innovations will allow 5G to provide the infrastructure for applications that require efficient processing of enormous volumes of data, making technologies such as connected cars, mobile healthcare and smart factories possible.
Graphic by Prographer Man