What is 5G NR

5G sets new standards for mobile communications through a number of new approaches, including opening up spectrum above 6GHz that was previously unavailable to cellular services.

The mobile network technology has begun to support non-standalone (NSA) 5G using Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure. It is about to complete a standalone (SA) architecture that does not rely on 4G.

The Radio Access Technology (RAT) 3GPP developed for 5G created a dual frequency range system to differentiate radio technologies:

•  FR1, operating frequency below 6GHz
•  FR2, including frequency bands above 24GHz and high frequency ranges above 50GHz

3GPP named 5G's new air interface 5G New Radio (NR). Like LTE, the term describes the wireless technology that enables speed, functionality. In June 2016, the first 5GNR specification was part of 3GPP's RAN Evolution LTE documented in Release 14. 3GPP accelerated these specifications in 2017 to get the non-standalone technology up and running as quickly as possible.

This means major improvements to existing 4G cellular networks, such as LTE Advanced and LTE Pro Advanced. These enhancements enable LTE to support sub-6GHz 5G and faster, more reliable wireless networks.

How 5G NR works

5G utilizes Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, a waveform modulation technique also used by LTE and IEEE802.11 (Wi-Fi).

The technology provides 5G with enhanced flexibility for a variety of use cases. It enables 5G to support multiple spectrum bands, including millimeter wave, with higher usable bandwidth. Specialized techniques such as scalable subcarrier spacing and massive multiple-input multiple-output are necessary for radio beam steering and forming to alleviate the challenges of mmWave propagation.

The waveform principle of OFDM is well suited for radio operation in most countries where highly fragmented spectrum availability exists. According to the EDN network, it uses a "digital multi-carrier modulation method" in which a large number of closely spaced orthogonal sub-carrier signals are used to carry data on multiple parallel streams or channels. Information is transmitted over multiple parallel narrowbands rather than a single wideband.

3 5G NR application areas

Enhanced Mobile Broadband: For data-intensive applications such as HD streaming video, edge computing, computer vision, gaming, and other streaming applications.

Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications: for command and control functions in autonomous robots, drones, and vehicles, and critical applications such as remote control in healthcare and manufacturing services.

Massive Machine Communication: Enables massive IoT, connecting millions of sensors and low-power devices at scale.

Connect to 4G LTE and 5G NR networks

Large-scale commercial 5G networks are starting to achieve usable coverage. Major telecom operators have made significant progress in deployment due to dynamic spectrum sharing. DSS allows connected devices to use a single frequency band in 4G LTE and 5G through an allocation scheme based on device needs and available RAT resources.

DSS enables operators to provide 5G services while upgrading local area networks. Operators can more synchronously calibrate the allocation of spectrum resources based on user demand for 5G.

Although initially reliant on the LTE architecture, 5G NR is not backward compatible and represents a leap forward in cellular technology.

In 2015, the boost of LTE network enhancements connected 15 billion IoT devices. In 2018, it started offering gigabit speeds in some limited applications. As a result of these advancements, 5G has begun to provide eMBB and URLLC services from non-standalone networks.

However, 5G's revolutionary service enablement capabilities require standalone (SA) 5G networks to be realized.

In April 2019, China Telecom, State Grid and Huawei announced the completion of the first successful power slicing test based on a 5GSA network. China Mobile also announced the first 5GSA network field test with Huawei and Baidu.

By the end of 2021, more than 20 vendors have launched 5GSA mid- and low-band networks. This number is expected to double by 2022.