5G Fundamentals

5G fundamentals is a quick primer report to understand the basics of 5G including its key features, applications, spectrum bands, and use cases for consumers and enterprises. It also covers an aspect of how new emerging business models would contribute to smooth private network deployment for enterprises while overcoming the existing challenges.

To get a deeper understanding, find our presentation below:

Hello everyone, I am Tanveer. In this presentation, I’ll talk about 5G fundamentals and how this fifth generation of networks would enable new applications and use cases for consumers and enterprises.

In the past, we have seen that every new generation of the networks has promised faster speeds and improved connectivity applications over its previous generation.

Remember — the 2G era was when people, for the very first time, had access to both internet and voice services. This was an era of Kbps speeds. Most operators today are sunsetting this network technology.

And as you know, the next decade was the onset of the 3rd generation of networks and smartphone apps.

Then came the fourth generation of networks. Launched in 2011, 4G offered 10 times the speed of 3G. It further enabled the use of applications like HD videos, mobile TV streaming, and many others.

Today, several countries have launched the fifth generation of networks.

Let’s explore what 5G is all about.

5G vs 4G

When comparing nascent 5G networks with the dominant 4G, we should first discover the pull factors of migration from 4G to 5G.

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The first factor is higher bandwidth and faster speeds. With 5G, downlink speeds can peak up to 20 Gbps, 20 times more than 4G.

The second is lower latencies. It is as low as 1 ms.

And the third-biggest differentiator is 5G’s ability to provide reliable speeds to a large group of devices, all deployed in a particular area.

Primary applications of 5G

5G has three basic applications that support a multitude of use cases. These range from 8K video streaming and cloud gaming to autonomous vehicles and use cases as complex as remote surgeries.

The first application is enhanced mobile broadband. eMBB is all about faster speeds that will support more consumer-centric applications.

mMTC is the second application. It is crucial for use cases that involve high device density, such as the IIoT.

The third is URLLC. This application of 5G is inevitable for the most critical applications. A delay of data transfer from one end to the other by a few seconds, for instance, could result in blunders, such as autonomous vehicles.

5G spectrum bands

The technology behind 5G supports all three spectrum bands. Operators using a mix of all three would acquire the benefits of 5G to its full potential.

  • Low band – In the case of low band, 5G speeds are moderately faster than 4G. Overall, low bands are already in use for 4G services. The low band provides the highest coverage. One low-band cell tower can cover hundreds of square miles.
  • Mid band – This band is advantageous in terms of coverage and speed. It can provide speeds in the range of 100Mbps-900 Mbps. Further, there is an expectation the speeds for this band to improve up to 1.5 Gbps.
  • High band – The high band provides the highest speeds amongst all three bands. However, this band is only ideal for delivering services over shorter distances.

The mid-band is an ideal band as it balances both speeds and coverage. Operators in the Asia Pacific haven’t missed the opportunity to secure spectrum under this category.

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5G spectrum bands in Asia Pacific

5G subscribers and key launches in the Asia Pacific

Now, let’s find out about the state of APAC in terms of 5G subscriber penetration and key launches.

As of Dec 2021, China and South Korea are leading the 5G subscriber penetration with 30% and 28%, respectively. Whether it is the device availability, spectrum availability, government support, development of applications, or massive infrastructure layout by the operators, the overall ecosystem for 5G services is more developed in these countries than the others.

Japan is slightly behind its peers in terms of the 5G deployment. However, there is a strong ecosystem of local vendors and operators and supportive government policies that aid in securing a strong position for Japan.

In countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, only a few operators have launched 5G.

Moving on, we’re about to uncover what 5G is like for consumers.

5G for consumers

When it comes to 5G use cases, two broad categories are consumers and enterprises.

In the consumer narrative, one question on repeat is whether 5G is a technology that would transform the way people conduct their lives or is simply hype.

Indeed, 5G promises faster speeds that will support data-heavy applications, but the answer to this question will largely depend on how the ecosystem for 5G will develop, going forward.

Operators are strategising 5G for consumers in two ways:

  • By ensuring the availability of 5G devices
  • By adding value to their mobile plans

Operators are strategically bundling 5G-rich apps. They are developing these apps individually or in partnerships with other tech giants.

A few examples of applications that are unique to 5G include AR/VR-based media and applications and 360-degree video streaming. These use cases would primarily utilise the eMBB application we mentioned earlier. eMBB provides greater data bandwidth, coupled with moderate latency improvements.

5G for enterprise

Private networks play an important role in enabling digital transformation for enterprises.

A private network is an enterprise-owned local area network deployed in a large area. The technology benefits of private 5G are similar to those of public 5G. However, it provides more control over your network in terms of security, policies, data, and services.

Types of private 5G deployment models

5G private networks are flexible in terms of deployment. There are broadly two models – the first one is a dedicated on-prem private network. The network is independent of any interference from the public network. In the hybrid deployment model, an enterprise uses some components of the public network as well.

Private 5G vs legacy networks

Private 5G, when compared with legacy networks, offers performance and security levels. For instance, WiFi doesn’t offer the same level of attributes compared to Private LTE or 5G. With that said, not all enterprises or applications need private networks. 5G private networks play a role in supporting a wide variety of use cases, especially mission-critical operations like remote control operations and autonomous vehicles.

What are the potential use cases ?

Here are the 5G use cases that the ecosystem of enterprises, telcos, and vendors in APAC are testing and commercialising successfully. These use cases are prominent in vertical industries such as manufacturing, urban mobility, ports, mining, and healthcare.

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For instance, the maritime industry is facing challenges around high labour costs and increasing trade volumes.

This leads to more complexities and operational inefficiencies at the seaport.

RTGs, video surveillance, AGVs, smart ships, cargo handling optimisation are some of the prominent use cases that would address these challenges.

Similarly, smart manufacturing enabled by the 5G network includes the applications of AR/VR for remote expertise, robotics for remote control, predictive and preventive maintenance of machinery, all requiring a highly reliable and secure network.

Mining is another vertical industry that could significantly invest in technologies like IoT, Cloud, AI/ML, AR/VR to improve operational efficiencies and overcome worker safety challenges. The deployment of these technologies for mission-critical operations would drive the need for private 5G networks.

In healthcare, there is an increased expectation for quality healthcare services that are easily accessible. Virtual consultations enabled by 3D/UHD videos to examine patients is one of the short-term use cases enabled by the fifth-generation mobile network

Connected ambulances and robotic surgeries are some of the other promising use cases in healthcare, but these are not yet ready for general use.

Emerging business models – Network as a service (NaaS)

Deploying private networks have certain challenges. Some of the biggest challenges are the huge infrastructure cost and the lack of IT expertise to deploy and manage private networks.

NaaS is an emerging business model for organisations to consume network infrastructure through flexible OpEx-based subscriptions. Naas is like an all-in-one networking solution that includes hardware, software, tools for managed services, spectrum licenses, and lifecycle services. The network enterprises can use these services as and when needed and only pay for what they use.

NTT, AWS, CISCO are among some of the emerging vendors in this space.

Now that you have an idea of what 5G is all about, here is an interesting quiz for you.

5G Quiz!




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