Towards sustainable 5G networks
5G will enable new applications, new business models and new industries, transforming the way we live and work, in the view of J. Scott Marcus and Dr. Ömer Bulakçı. One of the promises of 5G is to enable sustainable networks.
5G will likely give rise to the widest set of use cases and applications in the history of mobile and wireless communications. While we can confidently forecast this today, there is no way of knowing what all the use cases and applications will be in the future.
Each previous generation of mobile communications (2G, 3G, 4G) has seen improvements in data transfer rates (bits per second) and support for higher bandwidths, but with 5G we are entering into completely new territory, with a focus on customisation for use cases beyond mobile broadband. 5G will support many more devices, connecting things not just to people (up to 10 billion devices), but also to things (100 billion devices), such that it has been estimated that networks are going to need to support up to one million connections per square kilometre considering massive machine-type communications (mMTC).
For the general population, enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) service will be needed, e.g., for fixed access, high-definition video communications, and virtual and augmented reality applications. But then add to that the needs of vertical sectors such as:
- Automotive (vehicles will also connect with everything, as well drive autonomously)
- 5G on trains and buses (your commute to work will never have been so entertaining!)
- Highly automated factories and manufacturing plants capitalizing on ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC)
- Smart energy grids
- Smart cities and all their interactive applications
- Public safety infrastructure, medical equipment, satellite links, drone control (the list goes on).
Virtualisation in 5G networks potentially lowers infrastructure costs and fosters network slicing and shared multi-service networks that can support multiple revenue streams.
An urgent task for governments is to provide the radio spectrum necessary for all these connections. Delays in assigning spectrum caused many problems in rolling out 4G.
But will mobile network operators (MNOs) be able to make such large-scale deployment in time for 5G to roll out across Europe from 2020 onwards? Costs for some deployments might be moderate, but for others they are likely to be high. We believe, however, that if deployments in the 3.6 GHz band can use the same cell sites as existing 2.6 GHz facilities, those costs should be manageable.
The European Electronic Communications Code, preparing for the new era of widespread and very high-speed connectivity, is a step in the right direction and should be approved by the co-legislators this autumn. It
- sets clear and binding goals for freeing key spectrum bands;
- prohibits arbitrary barriers to small cell deployment at Member State and municipal levels; and
- prevents arbitrary, unjustified, electromagnetic field restrictions.
Fast and effective implementation of the Code by the EU Member States will be essential. Operators must be able to offer diverse and dynamic 5G services and a future-proof system that can cope with diversity.
