LTE To 5G

DevelopmentSummaryMulteFire. Cellular and Wi-Fi industry members are successfullycollaborating to ensure fair spectrum co-existence.Spectrum StillPreciousSpectrum in general, and in particular licensed spectrum, remains aprecious commodity for the industry.Recently added spectrum in the United States includes the 600 MHzband, auctioned in 2017, and the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband RadioService (CBRS) “small-cell” band, which could see initialdeployments in 2018.5G spectrum will include bands above 6 GHz, including “mmWave”(30 GHz to 100 GHz), with the potential of ten times (or more) asmuch spectrum as is currently available for cellular. Radio channelsof 200 MHz and 400 MHz, and even wider in the future, will enablemulti-Gbps peak throughput.Small Cells TakeBaby Steps,Preparing toStrideNetwork FunctionVirtualization(NFV) EmergesOperators have begun installing small cells, which now number inthe tens of thousands. Eventually, hundreds of thousands if notmillions of small cells will lead to massive increases in capacity.The industry is slowly overcoming challenges that include restrictiveregulations, site acquisition, self-organization, interferencemanagement, power, and backhaul.Network function virtualization (NFV) and software-definednetworking (SDN) tools and architectures are enabling operators toreduce network costs, simplify deployment of new services, reducedeployment time, and scale their networks.Some operators are also virtualizing the radio-access network, aswell as pursuing a related development called cloud radio-accessnetwork (cloud RAN). NFV and cloud RAN will be integralcomponents of 5G.The main part of this paper covers the transformation of broadband, exploding demand forwireless services, the path to 5G including planned and expected capabilities, new LTEinnovations, supporting technologies and architectures, voice over LTE (VoLTE), Wi-Fi Calling,LTE for public safety, options to expand capacity, and spectrum developments.The appendix delves into more technical aspects of the following topics: 3GPP Releases, DataThroughput, latency, 5G, LTE, LTE-Advanced, LTE-Advanced Pro, HetNets and small cells, IoT,cloud RANs, Unlicensed Spectrum Integration, self-organizing networks, the IP MultimediaSubsystem, broadcast/multicast services, backhaul, UMTS/WCDMA, 1 HSPA, HSPA , UMTSTDD, and EDGE/EGPRS.1 Although many use the terms “UMTS” and “WCDMA” interchangeably, in this paper “WCDMA” refers tothe radio interface technology used within UMTS, and “UMTS” refers to the complete system. HSPA is anenhancement to WCDMA.Mobile Broadband Transformation, Rysavy Research/5G Americas, August 2017Page 7

Broadband TransformationBroadband networks rely on a fiber core with various access technologies, such as fiber to thepremises, coaxial cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless connections. LTE provides abroadband experience, but capacity limitations prevent it from being the only broadbandconnection for most users. As a result, a majority of consumers in developed countries haveboth mobile broadband and fixed broadband accounts.Two developments will transform the current situation:1. Fiber Densification. Multiple companies are investing to extend the reach of fiber,decreasing the distance from the fiber network to the end node.2. 5G Standardization and Deployment. As 5G mmWave technology, includingmassive MIMO and beamforming, becomes commoditized, it will increasingly be a viablealternative to fixed-access technologies such as coaxial, DSL, and even fiberconnections. 5G commercial services will enable a new innovation cycle. The ability tocreate new applications and services with fewer limitations will take the connectedsociety to a new level.Consequently, the companies that provide broadband service may change, and eventually,fixed and mobile broadband services may converge. For a more detailed discussion of trendsin broadband, including the disruptive role of mmWave, refer to the 2017 Datacomm Researchand Rysavy Research report, Broadband Disruption: How 5G Will Reshape the CompetitiveLandscape. 2As shown in Figure 1, the emerging broadband network is one with denser fiber and competingaccess technologies in which wireless connectivity plays a larger role.2Details at bile Broadband Transformation, Rysavy Research/5G Americas, August 2017Page 8

Figure 1: Fiber Densification with Multiple Access Technologies, including mmWaveMany elements are interacting to transform mobile broadband, but the factors playing the mostimportant roles are emerging capabilities for IoT, radio advances granting access to far morespectrum, small cells, new network architectures that leverage network function virtualizationand software-defined networking, and new means to employ unlicensed spectrum. Except foraccess to high-band spectrum, a 5G objective, these advances apply to both LTE and 5G.Mobile Broadband Transformation, Rysavy Research/5G Americas, August 2017Page 9

Figure 2: Fundamental Mobile Broadband Transformational ElementsIn the past, developers used modems and networks designed for human communication formachine-type applications. But now, new modes of network operation, initially in LTE thenenhanced further in 5G, will cater to the unique needs of a wide variety of machine applications,addressing low-cost, long battery life, long communications range, and a wide variety ofthroughputs. For instance, some IoT applications need only low-throughput communications,some sending only a small number of bits per day.As for spectrum, throughout radio history, technology has climbed up a ladder to use higherfrequencies. What were called “ultra-high frequencies” when made available for television arenow considered low-band frequencies for cellular. Frequencies above 6 GHz, particularlymmWave frequencies, are the new frontier. Networks will ultimately take advantage of tentimes as much spectrum as they use now, and likely even more over time. Althoughchallenging to use because of propagation limitations and higher penetration loss, massiveMIMO, beam steering, beam tracking, dual connectivity, carrier aggregation, small-cellarchitectures with self-backhauling, and other methods will help mitigate the challenges atthese frequencies. The result: massive increases in capacity in localized areas.In addition to accessing higher bands, cellular technologies are integrating unlicensedspectrum more efficiently, using technologies such as LTE-U, LAA, MulteFire, LWA, and LWIP.This integration will immediately augment small-cell capacity, improving the business case forsmall cells.Mobile Broadband Transformation, Rysavy Research/5G Americas, August 2017Page 10

Small cells, on the roadmap for many years but held back by implementation difficulties, suchas backhaul, are on the verge of large scale deployment, leading ultimately to densities ashigh as ten small cells or more for every macro cell. Paving the way are better wirelessbackhaul solutions, neutral-host capabilities enabled by new technologies, and soon, access tommWave bands.Facilitating the capabilities listed above, networks are becoming programmable. Using adistributed, software-enabled network based on virtualization and new architecturalapproaches such as Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) and network slicing, operators andthird parties will be able to deploy new services and applications more rapidly, and in a morescalable fashion. Centralizing RAN signal processing will also play a huge role; depending onthe deployment scenario, such centralization will increase RAN efficiency and decreasedeployment cost.This paper lists the dozens of other innovations also fueling mobile and cellular technologytransformation. Together, these transformed networks will mean that for millions, andultimately billions, of people, wireless connections will be the only connections that they need.These networks will also provide the foundation for entire new industries, ones not yet evenconceived.Mobile Broadband Transformation, Rysavy Research/5G Americas, August 2017Page 11

Exploding DemandTwo technology trajectories have created critical mass: handheld computing and fast wirelessconnections. This combined computing and communications platform inspires the innovationthat has produced millions of mobile applications.IoT is a third trajectory. LTE, and eventually 5G, will connect tens of billions of devices. Andfixed-wireless access could be a fourth. 5G, with expected network capacity a hundred timesgreater than 4G networks, will make wireless connections not only a viable substitute forwireline broadband connections for tens of millions of users over the next ten years, but makethat broadband connection the only connection that many users need.Figure 3: Exploding Demand from Critical Mass of FactorsThis section analyzes some of these demand factors.Application InnovationWhen planning 4G network technology, who could have predicted applications such as Uberand Lyft, which combine location information with mapping and online payment and arenow disrupting the taxi industry and even challenging notions of private vehicle ownership?While some applications of new technology can be predicted, many cannot.More efficient technology not only addresses escalating demand, it also provides higherperformance, thus encouraging new usage models and further increasing demand.Mobile Broadband Transformation, Rysavy Research/5G Americas, August 2017Page 12

Today’s smartphones and tablets, dominated by the iOS and Android ecosystems, incombination with sophisticated cloud-based services, provide a stable, well-definedapplication environment, allowing developers to target billions of users. Developers haverich platform-specifi

LTE for public safety, options to expand capacity, and spectrum developments. The appendix delves into more technical aspects of the following topics: 3GPP Releases, Data Throughput, latency, 5G, LTE, LTE -Advanced, LTE -Advanced Pro, HetNets and small cells , IoT,