Fulfilling the promise of 5G requires 5G infrastructure.
Introduction
The last three years of 5G deployments have been a roller coaster ride. For most users around the world, the experience of 5G has been underwhelming compared to the promises made of ubiquitous, instantaneous, and broadband mobile coverage of everything, anywhere. The most common complaint about 5G is that the deployment, and reciprocally the adoption, has been slow. The resulting experience of 5G is subpar at best, especially when users examine the 5G icon and low reception bars on their smartphone screen. This makes sense when considering that most of the current 5G deployments are built on top of Non-Stand Alone (NSA) networks, meaning they are built into an existing 4G LTE core infrastructure. This creates a critical bottleneck in performance and latency.
Furthermore, some of these 5G deployments are still operating in the shared spectrum with 4G through dynamic spectrum sharing. This results in large variability in the experiences of 5G where only in certain instances it may be an improvement over 4G, and it’s typically when the current NSA infrastructure is loaded with high capacity of devices. 5G networks require true Stand Alone (SA) 5G infrastructure with dedicated and higher bandwidth to deliver on its promise.
5G SA infrastructure deployment is currently underway and effective design and deployment of private 5G networks has begun in earnest. While the promises of 5G— including enabling massive IoT connectivity and blazing fast speeds— haven’t yet been realized, the launch of these networks will eliminate the bottlenecks to make it happen.
Unlocking potential of 5G SA - network synchronization
Carrier aggregation (CA), both up link and down link, is a critical feature that produces the highest speeds of LTE networks. This feature has been expanded to support even higher speeds in 5G with UL-coordinated multi-point (CoMP) and other advanced RAN coordination capabilities that support more efficient aggregation of carrier frequencies. Implementing these CA features, and delivering reliable, low-latency performance, requires far better network synchronization.
The IEEE 1588 standard provides the network protocol for 5G networks to synchronize to a single GPS-based master clock, ensuring data from multiple access points (e.g., CoMP) and multiple carriers can be coordinated to produce accurate, correctly sequenced, broadband data streams.
This provides one key answer to the question, “Where do we go from here in 5G?” That said, it is not necessary to wait for a 5G operator to deploy their SA network. 5G private networks are “democratizing” 5G networks by enabling any entity to deploy their own 5G SA local network with performance matched to their needs. Countries around the world are designating shared spectrum, such as CBRS (150MHz of C-band) in the U.S., that any private network can use under General Availability Access with no license required. Manufacturers, campuses, utilities, security/military, and other entities are deploying 5G private networks to achieve the high throughput, low latency, and high security 5G enables. With that in mind, there are some key aspects of private network deployments worth considering.
Power over Ethernet (PoE) in private networks
Widescale private network deployments will be possible in part due to PoE. PoE is an important technology because it provides power through the same ethernet cable— thus requiring only a single cable for both power and data transfer, greatly reducing installation costs. Whereas previously PoE only supported 30 watts, the new standard supports 71 watts minimum at 100 meters. This makes it ideal for indoor radios that need more bands and operate at a higher frequency. The added power is required to improve the coverage and the penetration needed to provide high-reliability signals.
PoE is the same technology that has brought Wi-Fi to indoor enterprises, including allowing Wi-Fi access points to be deployed so ubiquitously in offices and commercial settings. Similarly, it is now bringing to private networks the advent of the higher power standard. With the new 90-watt standard as well as the incredible efficiency of the new generation of power amplifiers, the ecosystem can be managed much more effectively, at scale— and without complexity, messy cables, or high installation costs.
Many private networks are connected to the network via an ethernet cable to enable the transfer of data. PoE eliminates the need for AC mains or for a wallboard power supply to support the deployment— you simply plug in the ethernet cable, and the network is up and running. This allows private networks in both indoor and outdoor environments to be much easier to initiate and deploy for seamless and secure connectivity.
In fact, PoE is the only solution that makes sense to improve indoor cell service coverage. According to an Ericsson Mobility Report, indoor environments are “difficult to serve from outdoor base stations due to radio signal attenuation through walls and windows.” And yet, the report found that 40% of outdoor small cell traffic was being serviced by users indoors – highlighting the lack of indoor coverage.
Within this context, a network deployment model for indoor environments makes perfect sense. It has applications for office spaces, shopping centers, and more without high cost or complex installation requirements. Consumers will have the choice between Wi-Fi or 5G for seamless connectivity.
How do private networks benefit from C-band spectrum?
Despite 5G capacity and applications driving more data demand, there have not been significant improvements in network speeds. However, turning on the C-band spectrum around the world will be the boost needed to build the network to its promise. U.S. C-band spectrum refers to mid-band frequencies in the ranges of 3.7 GHz to 3.98 GHz, which are optimal for 5G because they provide the right balance of geographic coverage, capacity, and speed. In addition, the FCC recently auctioned out even more spectrum, 3.45 GHz to 3.55 GHz, which many mobile operators plan to utilize in conjunction with C-Band.
Industry 4.0 is fundamentally changing the way we produce products by introducing digitalization into the manufacturing process. Through this, devices are continually being innovated to ensure reliable connection and fast communication. According to Statista, the amount of data “created, captured, copied, and consumed globally” is expected to increase exponentially. Global data creation is projected to grow to more than 180 zettabytes in 2025—up from 64.2 zettabytes in 2020.
With the increase in data use, the need for enhanced spectral efficiency is also growing. 5G will enable the use of the C-band spectrum for the efficient transmission of data and the ability to serve more users simultaneously. With expanded access to the C-band spectrum and the proliferation of 5G private networks more broadly, enabled by PoE, much more bandwidth will become available, allowing for true 5G speeds.
SA core network dedicated entirely to 5G
Mobile providers are already beginning to roll out standalone 5G with IEEE 1588 synchronization. Building off its launch of the world’s first nationwide SA network in 2020, T-Mobile executeda four-carrier aggregation call on a commercial device, a first for 5G SA, in March. The call hit peak speeds of 3.3 Gbps by combining four channels of mid-band spectrum. In October of 2022, Verizon announcedthat it has begun moving customer traffic onto its new 5G SA core.
As 5G infrastructure continues to expand, and by tapping into the C-band spectrum, the promise of 5G and its multitude of applications will come to fruition. 5G’s large capacity, low latency, and ability to provide service to a large geographic area mean that its applications are endless—from the automotive industry to broadband, IoT, enterprise networks, and beyond.
