5G Network Deployment, Opportunities and Challenges

 The deployment of 5G (i.e., 5th generation mobile networks), which is just beginning to spread globally, is expected to deliver 10x faster speeds than 4G and support 10,000x more network traffic and 100x more device access, all with a new 5G deployment and upgrade to provide near real-time data transmission for emerging applications to deliver consumer coverage to a wider area, but deploying smaller cells (or micro-base stations) closer to data sources and users will be key to 5G deployment. While still in its infancy, urban small cell deployments now make up the bulk of mobile operators' 5G plans, with the small cell market expected to grow at an unprecedented rate of more than 50 percent over the next five years. While public and private outdoor 5G small cell sites are needed to bring the 5G experience to consumers and support everything from smart city applications to connected cars, enterprise businesses will also need to bring 5G to office buildings, factories, hotels, hospitals, airports, classrooms and other venues using indoor small cell solutions and distributed antenna systems (DAS). There are challenges and potential opportunities in the infrastructure supporting 5G, from the macro and micro levels to the internal venues. The Macro-Micro Divide 5G is fundamentally different from 4G in that it uses higher frequencies to transmit more data over shorter distances. In other words, more towers are needed to cover the same amount of space and number of users. This is where small cells come into play. In the United States, for example, small cells work in tandem with the more than 200,000 macro-cell sites (those large, high-powered towers located along highways and in rural areas that provide low-frequency coverage over large areas) that exist across the country. While there are still existing challenges to macro cell deployment around rights-of-way, weather conditions, lack of skilled labor, and cost (macro cell deployments typically cost about 20 times more than micro cells), much of the supporting fiber optic infrastructure still exists. Backhaul infrastructure is important for macrocells, but most of the fiber is already in place for these cell sites, and advances in optical transport are enabling more bandwidth from fiber," said Baber Abbas, CEO of viaPhoton, a provider of fiber connectivity products. The bigger issue at the macro level is power supply. Every cable that goes up a tower incurs cost, so rather than adding more cable, operators are expanding the size of the wires to carry more power, which means tower operators have to worry more about weight and wind load." viaPhoton offers a variety of 5G fiber-to-antenna (FTTA) lead-in cables and patch cables with OptiTap, OptiTip and LC connector options for connecting baseband units (BBUs) and remote radio units (RRUs) to 5G base stations. While macrocells will remain a major component of 5G networks, with thousands more expected to be built, these numbers are dwarfed by projections for smallcells, which mobile operators such as Verizon and AT&T expect to deploy 10 times more than macrocells over the next five years. At the small cell level, a 10-fold increase in antenna density presents different challenges and will certainly require more fiber backhaul and infrastructure investment. "Microcells do not require as much power as macrocells, and power is often available from local utilities. On the other hand, the need to bring fiber to the microcell poles is increasing, as is the amount of fiber. Designing and deploying new infrastructure is a lot of work, so providers need to get more creative with existing fiber through advances such as bi-directional optics and WDM," Baber said. "Deployment at the micro level also means dealing with local jurisdictions and various requirements about what kind of structures can go where." To reduce the need for new fiber deployments, many small cells will leverage existing metro FTTX infrastructure originally built for homes and businesses. Many small cell deployments are using legacy connections, such as Corning's ruggedized OptiTap and OptiTip connectors, which Verizon has long deployed for FTTH deployments. "While 5G is a global standard, implementation may vary by wireless operator. Verizon is using the same connections as FTTH because they are splitting much of their existing fiber backhaul to support 5G. Others may utilize ODC [outdoor connectors] or MPO [multi-fiber push-in] connections," said Nathan Benton, vice president of sales for viaPhoton, which offers LC, MPO, ODC-equivalent, OptiTip and OptiTap connector options for their outdoor fiber optic cables and connections for 5G. "Regardless of connectivity, outdoor microcells need to withstand harsh weather through weatherproof connectivity and IP68-rated enclosures. Outdoor power supply and protection When powering outdoor mini-cell solutions, they can utilize existing local power sources, such as those used for city light poles, utility poles and traffic signals, when available. Less power is required than for macro base stations, and some small batteries can also take advantage of solar power. Standby power is also a key consideration for any mission-critical deployment. "Active devices using cellular backhaul require power, and off-grid 5G mini-cells present a unique challenge. That's where solar power is ideal. It can be a small remote base station in a park, used to monitor incoming and outgoing vehicles, or deployed in a field to transmit data from an agricultural sensor. "We've also seen solar power used to provide temporary remote mobility solutions for events such as golf tournaments, or for emergency response in areas devastated by hurricanes or tornadoes, where there is often no power and cell phones are the only available means of communication. The AccelTex standalone solar solution with panel, battery, charge controller and enclosure will be ideally suited to support outdoor 5G small cell solutions where no power is available. For example, the AccelTex solar solution for outdoor wireless is a standalone unit with solar panel, battery, charger and enclosure with multiple DC output power options that are sized to operate based on the total current consumption of the device, the number of hours per day the device requires, the ability to install solar panels to the south, and the ability to avoid any obstructions. also offers a Power-2-Go portable kit solution that includes an integrated antenna, 10-hour battery pack, cable and connectivity to create a fully functional standalone 5G hotspot that is ideal for temporary and emergency response scenarios. In addition to power, those deploying small outdoor base stations will also face the challenge of protecting active equipment from the elements. Aesthetics, security, surge protection and installation are all considerations. Deployments in parks, parking lots and other public and outdoor areas may require enclosures that protect equipment from environmental elements and tampering, including bollards, post enclosures and underground enclosures designed for burial. "Whenever you put any equipment outdoors, you need to protect it from the elements and provide lightning and surge protection. Safety is also a consideration, and some customers don't want to be exposed," said Chris Marco, director of brand management for AccelTex. "How the signal needs to travel, the density it needs to support, and whether it's a directional or omni-directional antenna can all determine how the solution is installed." Bringing coverage indoors While small outdoor cells are often seen as a revenue source, multi-year indoor cell solutions are needed to support the nearly 80 percent of mobile traffic that occurs indoors and the emerging business-critical 5G applications. While indoor penetration issues are not new, 5G's high-frequency radio waves are less able to penetrate building materials than 4G. "While there is a learning curve to figure out the best way to deploy indoor 5G overlays and integrate them into existing networks, key verticals such as manufacturing and the military are already exploring the realities of machine-to-machine communications and augmented and virtual technology industrial automation and training," said Luigi Tarlazzi, director of product management for Compaq's DAS and Small Cell business. "The key driver is mobility, but it also has to do with quality of service and latency. With licensed cellular spectrum, you can guarantee higher service level agreements and enable devices to respond faster without disruption. Ideal for emergency response, the AccelTex Power-2-Go solution is a compact package of antennas, cables and batteries that can be used with cellular routers to provide a standalone, fully functional 5G mobile hotspot. 5G is especially top of mind among enterprises that already have an indoor cellular solution, and many wonder what it takes to upgrade existing 3G and 4G LTE systems. While some modular systems can be upgraded to support the new 5G frequencies, it really depends on the system. "Enterprise customers need to determine if their current 4G LTE footprint is suitable for their 5G needs. Depending on what's already installed, they may need to replace radios, upgrade software or overlay the system with new antennas to support the spectrum," Tarlazzi said. "They may also need to densify to avoid coverage gaps, but that depends on the target coverage and the requirements of the application. Those looking to deploy a new indoor solution also face the challenge of choosing between a single small cell and a DAS, where many nodes are connected to operate as a single cell. Smaller hives typically each require their own backhaul connection, while DAS requires only one backhaul. In general, smaller hives are considered more cost-effective for smaller facilities that don't experience large spikes in traffic, while DAS can be deployed to support more users and higher capacity. "It really depends on the use case, and even when deployed together, both small cells and DAS can be ideal solutions for 5G," said Tarlazzi. "Our ONECELL small cell solution is focused on small to large enterprises, while our DAS solution is more targeted at large public venues such as sports stadiums. Both solutions utilize Ethernet transmission and structured copper and fiber optic cabling. We believe it is important that indoor cellular networks are as IT-friendly as possible. Market Opportunity As 5G small cell deployments begin to roll out, most industry experts expect there will be plenty of opportunities for designers, integrators and installers to get involved - working with municipalities or businesses that want to use the technology for public and private use, whether outdoors or indoors. "5G will be a huge catalyst for the indoor cellular market, as it opens up a variety of new use cases for cellular technologies beyond mobile broadband. To make network deployments scalable, a robust ecosystem of vendors, partners and solution providers is needed to deliver these solutions to end customers," said Compaq's Tarlazzi. With the software upgrade, Compaq's multi-carrier, multi-channel small cell RP5000 radio point can be converted from the LTE band to 5G New Radio (NR) for Verizon's 5G ultra-broadband network. It will also support higher 5G frequencies such as global C-band and CBRS in the U.S. Their single-carrier, single-band RP2000 series solutions are software optional, enabling operators to change bands without access to hardware. AccelTex's Marco believes that the deployment of 5G and its complementary evolving WiFi technology among enterprise customers provides more opportunities for individuals designing networks based on coverage profiles, as well as for individuals who will deploy infrastructure and actually install solutions. "From a private 5G perspective for stadiums and campuses, there are many opportunities for installers, while more public applications and smart city opportunities will flow to high-end service provider contractors," he said. "With 5G, there may also be a lot of opportunities for custom work that will leverage our business integration side to provide turnkey solutions for specific use cases." AccelTex's Kierstead also envisions that 5G will drive complementary WiFi applications and provide more opportunities. "Operators want to move as much load as possible to WiFi, and it doesn't make sense for every device to connect directly to the cellular network. With new standards such as WiFi 6 and 6E and long-range, low-power WiFi HaLow, enterprises will build mesh WiFi networks that can then be backhauled using 5G cellular networks." As viaPhoton's Benton points out, 5G also offers opportunities for data center professionals. "5G offers significant opportunities for OSP designers and installers, particularly with municipalities deploying fiber infrastructure to leverage the technology for distance learning and smart city applications. Because of the many benefits of mobility, we will eventually see a lot of 5G wireless connectivity outside of buildings, and it's much cheaper than connecting all of these devices with wires," Benton said. With many applications supported by 5G, such as machine-to-machine communications, self-driving cars and intelligent transportation systems, latency becomes important, and it will be about getting computing closer to the user and enabling faster access to the core," Benton said.