5G Technology: The Future Of Connectivity

The invention of the transistor in 1947 seeded the beginning of the digital revolution. Since then, we
have come a long way, from home computers to the Internet, and the introduction of 1G in the 1980s
to 4G in 2009. This trajectory over the last seven decades has brought us to 2019, when 5G will
become a reality. Billions of people carry smartphones in their pockets, which were akin to super
computers not that long ago. These smartphones are used to communicate, be entertained, bank, get
educated, and even manage their fitness. We are on the verge of the next stage of the Internet
revolution, and 5G is at the core.

The 5G Era

Mobile Internet traffic is estimated to grow over 40% a year by 2025. Over 75% of the Internet usage
will be for video consumption and over 60% of the world’s population will be online by 2025.
Additionally, SIM connections are expected to more than double, with intelligent machines competing
with humans for Internet bandwidth. This staggering number of mobile connections and mobile users
are expected to generate reams of data, which will reveal valuable information about customer usage
patterns, consumption rates, consumer behavior, etc.
What is 5G technology? It isn’t merely an advanced version of 4G, but a global platform that can
automate and digitize almost everything we can think of. 5G comprises of a group of cutting-edge
technologies and concepts that include but not limited to fiber, ultra-fast, MIMO-based new radio, edge
computing, network slicing, and virtualization to name a few.

With digital technologies disrupting every vertical, telecom will have 5G to fall back on. 5G will play an
enabling role in realizing the full potential of Internet of Things (IoT), Internet, and other emerging
technologies. 5G will be the foundation that will drive growth, and is expected to grow at 350% over
the next 5 years.

But how will 5G drive this staggering growth?

While the transition from 2G to 3G to 4G was largely based on bandwidth, 5G has multiple levers. 5G
is expectedly faster than 4G and could be several times faster in certain boundary conditions,
especially when it is using a higher frequency spectrum and has been enhanced through small cells.
Some of the other features of 5G include –

1. High Speed – 5G is 1000x faster, enabling an entire HD film to be downloaded in under 10

seconds.
2. Low Latency – 5G is 50x better and can unlock the potential of Augmented Reality
(AR)/Virtual Reality (VR) and autonomous driving technologies.
3. Higher Capacity – 5G can reach higher frequencies with larger bandwidths.
4. Higher Connection Density – 5G has the potential to sustain 500x more connections, which
can be leveraged to support massive IoT deployments.
5. High Reliability – 5G is up to 99.99% reliable, which is a necessity in sectors that engage
with time-sensitive data such as defense and healthcare.
6. Low Energy Consumption – 5G consumes less power, which will drive increase the battery
life for low power IoT devices.

5G and the 3Ds!

5G use cases can be split into consumer-led and enterprise-led. Use cases like mobile Internet,
broadband anywhere, in-vehicle media and entertainment, autonomous vehicles, and mHealth are
consumer-led and would require higher speed, higher throughput, ultra-low latency, and reliable
connections for mobility.

Enterprise-led use cases such as remote surgery, critical control of remote devices, human-machine
interaction, smart grid, smart cities, and smart factories would need a massive number of connected
devices, higher quality of services, higher data rate, higher mobility, and throughput.

Given that 5G use cases have demanding, diverse, and dynamic network requirements, operators
will need to understand the use cases to optimize their 5G investments. 5G use cases, be they
consumer-led or enterprise-led, depend on much more than connectivity, as explained above. Certain
aspects of 5G, once the technology has been rolled out, will become applicable only at a later point in
time due to expected standardization protocols and the technology’s commercial availability.

The 5G Network Architecture

The existing mobile network architecture was designed to meet the requirements for voice and
conventional mobile broadband services. This is not flexible enough to support multi-connectivity
technologies, on-demand deployment of multiple services, orchestration of network functions, or
shorter period of service deployment – essentials for 5G. Hence the need for a service-driven 5G
network architecture that can flexibly and efficiently meet diversified mobile service requirements. The
5G network architecture is comprised of 5 layers –
 1. Business Service Layer which delivers mobile broadband and vertical services to customers
2. Business Function Layer which supports application-related virtual function repositories
3. Control Layer orchestrates/allocates computing and networking resources to dedicated
services
4. Network Function Layer consists of logical network slides containing specific computing and
networking functions like software-defined network (SDN), network functions virtualization
(NFV)
5. Infrastructure Layer which consists of physical towers, Radio Access Network (RAN), optical
core network, and metro and access facilities.

The bottom three layers are required in the network operators’ network while the top two layers are
pan-provider service layers that define the end services for business or residential customers. 5G will
provide the infrastructure to support multiple industry sectors, and therefore will require collaboration
between sectors to realize many benefits of the technology. Further, telecom operators, equipment
providers, and chipset firms form the base, whereas companies across industry sectors are working
to build vertical-specific business features.

The Role of 5G Ecosystem Players

5G will soon become a reality, with several telecom operators pushing for the commercialization of the
5G technology. The numbers stand testimony to this push – in 2018 alone, 201 operators in 83
countries were actively investing in 5G, with many of them either testing or trialing 5G technologies.
Operators such as Verizon, AT&T in US; KT, SK Telecom in South Korea, have launched 5G services
in late 2018. Verizon launched 5G broadband services in select US cities, while AT&T has taken an
enterprise-first approach to roll out 5G. AT&T is working on setting up manufacturing-focused 5G in
Texas.

The near future is filled with possibilities as well. In 2019, T-Mobile is set to provide nation-wide 5G in
US while also offering next-gen mobile user experience. Vodafone, another major telecom player, will
provide future corporate networks through 5G technology by 2020. By 2023, it is estimated that there
will be key players offering next-gen infra-as-a-service through nation-wide 5G rollout, thereby
increasing 5G adoption.
The visual above provides a snapshot of the substantial support offered by key ecosystem players in
the push for 5G commercialization. Network equipment providers, semiconductor companies, end
vertical players, universities, and standardization bodies – are all playing key roles in realizing 5G
commercialization and unlocking its potential. Equipment providers such as Cisco and Ericsson have
already rolled out 5G core solutions and hardware, whereas semiconductor companies are focusing
on creating 5G modems and SoCs to drive mobile adoption. On the other hand, many vertical-specific
players have started working on real-world use cases like autonomous driving, smart factory, smart
cities, and remote healthcare.

5G Everywhere?

5G seems to have taken over conversations across verticals, across the globe in the recent past. Be
it at CES 2019 or the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, 5G is the talk of the town.
While at CES there weren’t any breakthroughs in terms of products/solutions leveraging 5G, the same
can’t be said about MWC. MWC 2019 has already set the stage for 5G and its plethora of use cases
across industries – healthcare (a surgeon directed an intestinal surgery conducted 3 miles away),
consumer electronics (smartphones with 5G connectivity), smart manufacturing (industrial robots that
can perform various tasks). All the signs point to 5G technology augmenting existing systems and
models across verticals in an unprecedented manner. However, it remains to be seen companies in
which industry verticals will be agile enough to capitalize on this disruption.