New development in pairs with millimeter wave sub 6, SA, O-RAN that brings out the true performance of 5G

Qualcomm of the United States said on October 4, 2021 that the use of millimeter waves is indispensable to bring out the true performance of 5G, the column "What is the missing piece of the 5G puzzle? How to plan for the" "Future." Was posted on his blog.

Related blog What is the missing piece of the 5G puzzle? How to plan for the future.

Millimeter waves make it possible to strengthen the current 5G network strategy

Adding millimeter waves to today's 5G networks will significantly improve the user experience and network efficiency. By utilizing the ultra-wideband width of the millimeter-wave frequency band, it is possible to increase the capacity 19 times faster than when using only sub 6 (frequency band less than 6 GHz) and 38 times larger than when using LTE. In addition, it can respond quickly and efficiently to new applications such as data consumption and cloud gaming, which are said to increase 4.5 times from the current level by 2026. According to the latest Bell Labs research, 5G millimeter waves will enable more flexible and efficient mobile broadband distribution and deployment, which will bring many benefits to carriers.

5G millimeter wave that enables cost-effective network service deployment (Source: Qualcomm) [Click the image to enlarge]

Mobile operators have various investment plans for higher performance and sustainability of 5G networks. Combining these major investment areas with millimeter waves will create further synergies.

Sub 6 + millimeter wave = cost-effective capacity enhancement in dense areas with heavy data traffic

Currently, mobile operators are focusing on deploying 5G services using sub 6 such as 3.5GHz, but this frequency band does not have enough bandwidth to expand capacity. By combining 5G millimeter waves and Sub 6 with technologies such as dual connectivity and carrier aggregation, it will be possible to provide large-capacity communications at high cost efficiency. The previous Bell Labs survey also introduced examples of installation in crowded downtown areas, offices, indoor and indoor event venues, shopping centers, and so on. In addition, a recent GSMA study found that by introducing a 5G system that supports both millimeter waves and sub 6 in high-traffic locations, the total cost of ownership (total cost of ownership) is higher than in the case of sub 6 alone. TCO) can be reduced by up to 35%.

FWA + millimeter wave = wireless, wired level communication realized

Another important use of millimeter waves is 5G FWA (Fixed wireless access), which provides high-speed wired-level communication to homes and the like. With more than 60 providers in 30 countries already launching commercial services, 5G FWA not only significantly improves the fixed broadband user experience, but also helps close the digital divide. In the GSMA survey mentioned above, compared to the 3.5GHz band only network, the millimeter wave only FWA reduced the total cost of ownership by 34%, and the medium frequency band to enhance coverage and the millimeter wave band to enhance communication capacity. The combined FWA can reduce the cost by up to 39%. In addition, in cases where the uplink reaches 30% of the total traffic, combining the sub 6GHz band and millimeter waves will reduce the total cost of ownership by up to 60% compared to the case of only the sub 6GHz band.

5G SA + millimeter wave = ultra-low latency service

One of the short-term investment areas for mobile operators is the shift to 5G SA (Standalone). The introduction of 5G SA networks will significantly reduce the latency of mission-critical networks, enabling network slicing and 5G network virtualization. By combining this with 5G millimeter waves, it will be possible to provide new services with ultra-low latency, such as cloud games and XR (extended reality) that do not feel a time lag.

5G millimeter wave dramatically improves the experience of cloud gaming etc. (Source: Qualcomm) [Click the image to enlarge]

5G private network + ultra-reliable low-latency communication + millimeter wave = industrial IoT platform

By combining Sub 6 and millimeter waves, it will be possible to respond to fields that require higher quality of service. For example, industrial IoT requires low latency of about 1 millisecond and ultra-high reliability of up to 99.9999%. At Qualcomm, in order to meet these requirements, various use cases in smart factories, high-speed large-capacity communication, mission-critical communication, low-complexity IoT devices such as camera sensors, etc. are connected to 5G millimeter waves. We are conducting simulations and field tests. In many countries such as Japan and Germany, the use of millimeter-wave private networks and IoT is advancing.

Simulation using 5G millimeter waves in a smart factory (Source: Qualcomm) [Click the image to enlarge]