The purpose of 5G
Name: João Pinheiro
Subject: Communication Networks
Degree: Computer Engineer
Date: 09/04/2019
I. INTRODUCTION
Ever since the first commercial use of G.S.M. back in
1991, that mobile technology never stopped evolving, it
started by simply being able to provide a safe way to do a
phone call with the use of encryption, call forwarding, call
waiting, conferencing, caller ID and even allowing to send
S.M.S.´s.
There have been major updates on the mobile generations,
which are now focused in not the way you communicate but
in giving you access to a whole new role of smart interactions
by allowing you to be online anytime, everywhere and as long
as you want (if your network plan allows it).
According to statista [1] the number of smartphone users
is forecast to grow from 2.1 billion in 2016 to around 2.5
billion in 2019, with smartphone penetration rates increasing
as well. Just over 36 percent of the world’s population is
projected to use a smartphone by 2018, up from about 10
percent in 2011.
And don´t forget Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS are
the two most popular smartphone operating systems in the
industry where in 2016 alone, nearly 1.5 billion smartphones
with either Android or iOS operating systems were sold
worldwide, which means people are just now realizing the
diversity of interactions a smartphone allows them to have and
making the transition accordingly.
Behind all this must be a capable network generation to
support future applications and services in all aspects of
people’s living. Consider that smartphones are not alone but
instead are joined by wearable devices, Internet of Things
(I.o.T.), Internet of Vehicles (I.o.V.), etc., both numbers and
types of smart devices accessing to wireless networks will
result in a bottleneck situation of existing networks.
Fig. 1 – Characteristics of every mobile technology [1]
According to “Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast
Update 2014–2019 WhitePaper” by Cisco [2], the global
mobile data traffic at the end of 2013 reached 1.5exabytes, an
increase of 81% from 2012, while the mobile data traffic of
2014 was nearly as 18 times as the total annual amount of
Internet data in 2000.
Moreover, the global mobile data traffic from 2014 to 2020
is continuing to grow exponentially, and it estimates that the
demand for data capacity will grow 1000-fold in the next 10
years.
II. STATE OF THE ART
4G made mobile internet speeds up to 500 times faster than
3G and allowed support for HD TV on mobile, high–quality
video calls, fast mobile browsing and wear-able devices.
Using high-speed download and upload packets, 4G
allows you to access broadband style speeds whilst away from
your Wi-Fi. Users can often access speeds of up to 21Mb on
the go.
4G is now common throughout the world, but things are
about to change again. The Internet of Things (IoT) is now a
real possibility and 4G will not be able to manage the huge
number of connections that will be on the network.
There is another hidden problem with 4G that we can only
“feel” when using our devices, the disparity of download
speeds between those advertised (technical) and the reality
(experienced by the most of us) which is estimated to have a
deficit of 50Mbps between the two.
Service quality is another influential variable, varying
according to distance from dense urban areas, data rates are
usually lower in rural areas than those enjoyed in dense urban
areas.
Propagation loss is increased by operating at higher
frequencies and at higher transmission bit rates the received
signal level threshold must be higher than at lower bit rates, in
order to compensate for the greater effect of noise at higher bit
rates in order to receive the signal at an adequate SNR (Signal
to Noise Ratio).
But in fact according to an online sciences article [4] 4G
requires an expensive infrastructure to operate, this is
embodied in the Access Points and mainly Gateways or
Routers. 4G is optimal for data rates, but not necessarily the
best for voice services, regarding this limitation some of these
services are delegated to Wi-Fi or 3G/GSM cellular
technologies on your phone.
On further notice in some countries, 4G networks are so
underdeveloped, that they’re barely a step up from 3G when it
comes to stable data rates.
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 III. HOW WILL 5G DIFFER
5G most obvious and immediate advantage will be solving
the current problem of bandwidth that we´re facing with 4G,
regarding the fact that as the days go on more and more
devices are joining in and claiming their piece of bandwidth
in order to be continuously updated and in touch with others
or the world.
It uses different kinds of antennas and operates on different
radio spectrum frequencies, which allows to connect many
more devices to the internet, minimizes delays, and delivers
ultrafast speeds.
5G is expected to be capable of speeds that completely
surpass the ones existing in 4G networks, a current estimate of
peak capability is around 10Gbps, which is faster than any
existing consumer internet service, including mobile and
wired networks.
This means a high definition movie could be downloaded
in seconds, and video calling could be in Full HD, QHD, or
even 4K resolution.
Speed is not the only goal here but latency since current
networks have up to 50 ms latency on an average connection,
which means that data is not transmitted in real time. 5G is a
total game changer, it will go as low as 1 ms.
That would play as a huge role and advantage on future
data transmission since, according to a Cisco paper [2] mobile
data traffic is expected to grow to 77 exabytes per month by
2022, a seven-fold increase over 2017.
Fig. 2 - Mobile data traffic will grow at a CAGR
(Compound annual growth rate) of 46 percent from 2017 to
2022 [2]
5G network also uses a set of unique radio frequencies,
broken up into bands, each with unique features as you move
up into higher frequencies.
4G networks uses frequencies below 6 GHz, but 5G uses
extremely high frequencies in the 30 GHz to 300 GHz range.
This would be hugely important for autonomous driving
vehicles, Internet of Thing (IoT), and virtual reality (VR)
devices. Sensors could interact with networks in real time,
making autonomous vehicles possible on 5G connections
since they support a huge capacity for fast data but not only
that, according to lifewire [5] they are less cluttered with
existing cellular data, and that allows them to be used in the
future for increasing bandwidth demands.
Being highly directional allows sensors to be used right
next to other wireless signals without causing interference
opposed to 4G towers that fire data in all directions,
potentially wasting both energy and power to beam radio
waves at locations that aren't requesting access to the internet.
5G uses shorter wavelengths, which means that antennas
can be much smaller than existing antennas while still
providing precise directional control.
One base station can utilize even more directional
antennas, which means that 5G can support over 1,000 more
devices per meter than what’s supported by 4G.
These antennas should obey to a strategic plan since they
operate in super-high frequencies they are only able to provide
their full potential when in clear, direct line of sight with the
device receiving the signal, otherwise there is a risk of these
frequencies to be absorbed by the elements in the air, such as
humidity, rain or other objects that surround the antenna in
that tight range.
Other alternative to make sure that we get every single bit
of signal available, is to place small antennas in every room or
building that needs it, large ones positioned throughout the
city or both.
Not only that but it may probably be needed many
repeating stations to give an extra boost on the radio waves so
we can make sure they go as far as possible to provide long
range 5G support.
Fig. 3 - Key difference between 4G and 5G antenna
technology [6]
A. Antennas
Still taking in account “fig. 3”, antenna design is one of the
most critical and challenging aspects when changing from 4G
to 5G.
According to semiengineering [6] until 4G came out, the
traditional antenna technology’s transmission power (energy
consumed by power amplifier, RF chains) was greater when
compared with the computation power for wireless signal
processing.
However, semiengineering [6] says that with 5G the
computation power would increase manifold, as small-cell
base stations (BSs) are replacing macro cells BSs to perform
the function of wireless data transmission in 5G cellular
networks.
They make clear that if the small-cell antennas provide
low power consumption and high performance, a large-scale
deployment of these antennas will increase the energy
consumption.
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 So in resume still to be figured out remains the way to
minimize the energy consumption of this antennas while still
maintaining their performance at a level that would allow
them to be more efficient and greater than the previous
network generation.
Not forgetting of course that we cannot compromise the
amount of antennas we have, otherwise we would lose signal
range and efficiency, since 5G mm waves don’t travel well
through obstacles.
B. Impact on IoT
According to I.o.T Agenda [7] the internet of things, or
I.o.T, is a system of interrelated computing devices,
mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people
that are provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability
to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-
human or human-to-computer interaction.
This can be a person with a heart monitor implant, a farm
animal with a biochip transponder, an automobile that has
built-in sensors to alert the driver when tire pressure is low or
any other natural or man-made object that can be assigned an
IP address and is able to transfer data over a network.
Some examples of this objects and implementations are
showed below:
Fig. 4 – What is consumer IoT? [8]
Still according to I.o.T. Agenda [7] devices share the
sensor data they collect by connecting to an I.o.T. gateway or
other edge device where data is either sent to the cloud to be
analyzed or analyzed locally.
Sometimes, these devices communicate with other related
devices and act on the information they get from one another.
5G larger bandwidth will largely benefit this cloud and
inter-communication (between devices) data sharing protocol
meaning that the number of “connected endpoints will have
an easier time communicating their data to neighboring
locations where the data can be processed locally”.
Giving the option of “higher-level information, and/or the
data itself, optionally being transmitted on to cloud data
centers” says an investigator named Woo on semi engineering
[6].
I.o.T. networks will also have the ability to become more
extensive, once 5G allows up to 100x more devices connected
per unit area compared with 4G LTE, a 90% reduction in
network energy usage and an increment in battery life to up to
10 years for low power I.o.T. devices.
On the business side of things, the ability of 5G to handle
massive data volumes with high transaction rates from remote
and/or mobile locations and to capture data from remote
sensors, transfer it to large data centers, and apply both A.I.
and machine leaning and data science techniques to it for near
real-time analysis is where enterprises will see the biggest
early gains.
Cars and robots per example show the benefits of 5G
intersecting I.o.T., but both raise security questions.
C. Security advancements related to IoT-5G correlation
A failed network could have serious repercussions or in
case of robots the communication device itself could be used
as a botnet, where cyber-criminals takeover the robot for
malicious purposes.
In the case of smarter vehicles, hackers have multiple
access points to exploit, since 5G supports network slicing, the
ability to create multiple virtual networks on top of one
platform.
The medical field can also be impacted with events like
medical identity theft, invasion of health privacy, and medical
data management can occur once 5G capabilities will help
with faster transfer of large patient files, remote surgery, and
remote patient monitoring.
A way to solve this is by recurring to an already developed
and implemented technology, LiFi, a disruptive technology
that uses light to send data embedded in the beam. LiFi could
ensure the validity of the connected home with I.o.T. devices
only able to access the network, when in direct contact with
the light see “fig.5”.
Fig. 5 – Procedure of Li-fi Technology [10]
In this way we would be able to maximize speed and
capacity, without the added security risks in areas like smart
homes and offices, once they would be almost unrecognizable
while using these interconnected devices inside. Not to forget
the unlimited possibilities to change layouts and units of this
devices allowed by this technology.
Smart homes will although require stronger methods of
authentication, such as biometric identification or the
fingerprint-access door locks.
According to Ericsson [9] the solutions for this I.o.T. top
security concerns, Identity and access management and Data
integrity would be the following:
a) Trusted identities;
b) Trusted data;
c) Trusted connectivity;
d) Privacy and confidentiality.
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 a) Trusted identities
“As the number of connected devices grow, identifying
each device becomes increasingly important, and complex.
Device identification is done on the connectivity or
application level. SIM cards, and the evolution to embedded
SIM's (eSIMs), provide good protection of the device
connectivity identity.
For device identification on application level, there are
different types of identification such as Pre-shared Keys
(PSK), Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Certificates and Raw
Public Keys (RPK).”
b) Trusted data
“It is crucial to ensure that each device is behaving as it
should, and its data has not been manipulated.
Block chain technologies can be useful for data integrity,
generating a non-reversible signature for data, and verifying
that the current version of a data asset has not been altered.
Data also needs to be protected in transit, and 3GPP
networks support security controls to preserve data integrity,
confidentiality and availability to guarantee the security and
privacy of the information.”
c) Trusted connectivity
“Traffic separation methods, including the 5G network
slicing concept, will provide isolation of network, application
and security functions, allowing service providers to offer
different security levels for different network slices.
The Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Internet Protocol
Security (IPSec) protocols encrypt data to ensure traffic
protection.”
d) Privacy and confidentiality
“Europe's GDPR. Non-compliance could have serious
consequences for the bottom line of any company operating in
the EU.”
D. V.R. and A.R.
According to semiengineering [6] vendors are having
difficulty eliminating motion sickness because of low data
rates, and that is limiting adoption of V.R. (Virtual Reality)
technology by the public.
This is a supposed easy fix with the adoption of 5G thanks
to Millimeter-wave technology, where signals cannot go
through walls and only operate over relatively short distances,
which are perfect for V.R. headsets since they are usually only
a feet away from a controller.
At the moment, 4G handles 360º video at 4K 30fps (frames
per second), but 5G is projected to improve the experience by
operating at 8K 90fps.
Not only waves are a major factor but low wireless latency
according to a document published by Qualcomm [11] since
this is critical for immersion where “Motion to Photon (MTP)
latency below 15 ms generally avoids discomfort processed
on the device”.
Also solved by 5G Ultra-low latency, benefiting A.R. on
the side since a head movement per example requires an A.R.
helmet to quickly process the new information.
5G will simplify and smoothen the whole processes
ensuring a better user experience.
A.R. and V.R. users will require a constant, stable signal
since lag, stutter and disruption will significantly disrupt the
A.R. and V.R. users experience. 5G's way of solving this is to
swallow all previous networks into one and use a large number
of antennas to steer signal to the user's location, benefiting
those at the network's edges.
The impact of 5G features in V.R. and A.R. can be
“measured” in the following next-gen scenarios where this
technologies work together “fig.6”:
Fig. 6 – 5G Essential for next-gen A.R./V.R. experiences
[11]
In each of this scenarios we will need some of the
following requirements to be fulfilled:
a) Feedback times bellow 5 ms to enable multi-sensory
remote tactule control;
b) A latency ranging from 40 ms to 300 ms;
c) Tradeoff (balance) between throughput and latency;
As you can see all this scenarios will mean that we will be
able to get away from the conventional use of this technology
(A.R./V.R.) with a P.C. and will instead use something called
the edge cloud, where it will only be require a headset. This is
cloud A.R./V.R. technology.
E. Cloud A.R./V.R.
According to Huawei [12] “Hybrid cloud processing for
example can greatly diminish some of the processing and
bandwidth requirements for room scale video experiences and
help address network latency.
Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) enables cloud computing
at the edge of the cellular network and it can be used for
content distribution (e.g. at a stadium or concert – premium
passes with showing multiple viewing angles could be sold)
among other services at public locations and enterprises”.
Cloud rendering A.R./V.R. technology allows users to
stream video games or virtual contents from cloud servers, It
will offer more varied and interactive V.R. contents and make
the user device lighter, cheaper and freedom from the chain.
Hybrid cloud services will provide the necessary bridge
towards more pure cloud based services and platforms would
become relatively hardware agnostic so consumers will have
relatively consistent experiences across devices.
4

Fig. 7 – Workflow for V.R. and 360° Streaming [13]
F. Autonomous Vehicles
5G Automotive Association (5GAA) is a global cross-
industry organization of companies from the automotive,
technology, and telecommunications industries working
together to develop end-to-end solutions for future mobility
and transportation services.
According to 5GAA, it is essential to redefining
transportation by providing real-time, highly reliable, and
actionable information flows to enable safety, mobility, and
environmental applications.
But before connecting to 5G network a communications
standard needs to be implemented, and we must decide where
data is stored and the rules car manufacturers will need to
follow, with this in mind the U.S. Department of
Transportation intends to maintain the priority use of 5.9 GHz
for spectrum transportation safety communications.
Reliability will also be a key factor and will enable rapid
growth of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-
infrastructure (V2I) technology (both operating in 5.9GHz) in
order to deliver additional value in a smart mobility eco-
system.
V2V technology supported through 5G, capable of
maintaining speed and distance is intended to improve driver
safety allowing cars to communicate with each other directly
for autonomous driving use cases, without dependency or
reliance on wide area network coverage.
V2I technology also has security at its core (traffic lights,
pollution levels, hazards, emergency services). But, on the top
of that, V2I is more aimed at traffic flow, re-routing, fuel
consumption, parking, WIFI, charging spots for electric cars
on the move, etc.
All you will need according to Qualcomm [15] is “Release
16 5G NR-based C-V2X technology, which will bring about
new direct communication capabilities, such as high
throughput and ultra-reliable low latency communication
(URLLC), for advanced autonomous driving use cases, while
maintaining backward compatibility to Release 14 C-V2X.
Fig. 8 – Latest-V2X-technology [16]
Rel-14 C-V2X is designed for low-latency direct
communications for automotive safety, allowing vehicles to
communicate directly with each other (Vehicle-to-Vehicle or
V2V), to pedestrians (Vehicle-to-Pedestrian or V2P), and to
roadway infrastructure (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure or V2I)
without relying on network coverage or a cellular
subscription”.
As you can see V2X (Vehicle to everything) will be the
platform that regulates all connections a car makes with the
outside world, be that another car, an I.o.T. device or even a
human.
Having this in mind there are already a pre-established
idea of what sensors autonomous vehicles must include, to
communicate with each other, detect pedestrians, traffic,
signals and much more depending on what features we may
feel the need to implement in the future in order to make them
more practical and roadworthy, refer to “fig.9”.
Fig. 9 – Autonomous cars communication driven primary
features and sensors [14]
Some of the sensors for this tasks would be sensors like
radar, and camera systems, but these sensors are limited by
their line-of-sight (LOS) operation.
Qualcomm [15] states that “Rel-14 C-V2X direct
communication complements the capabilities of these sensors
by providing 360-degree non-LOS (NLOS) awareness,
extending a vehicle’s ability to detect farther down the road
— even at blind intersections or in poor weather conditions”.
Sanjeev Athalye (the spokesman of Qualcomm) said in an
interview to Techrepublic [17] “for autonomous vehicles to
operate efficiently, you need what are called high definition
maps or HD maps.
The collection and distribution of those maps requires very
high data rates. That's where 5G can step in and really improve
on vehicle or use cases”.
Basically a high definition or HD map is what these
autonomous vehicles will use to get a “feel” of their
surroundings and has previous said they require very high data
rates, which may be over four terabytes of data for roughly
every 8 hours of driving.
These packets of information will need immediate access,
action, and reaction, especially since when it can mean the
difference between life and death. A particular solution would
be to set-up preloading maps and algorithms into the vehicle's
navigation system, even though the driverless unit would still
maintain communication with the Internet by providing other
information’s about the vehicle status.
5
 As final note edge cloud is a solution being considered to [2] Cisco, “Cisco visual networking index: global mobile data traffic
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