Nguyen, Brunstrom, Grinnemo, and Taheri
32
(3GPP) [3], the 5G system will support most of the existing Evolved Packet System
(EPS) services (i.e. 4G related services), in addition to many new services.
2.1.1.1 From a System Architecture Perspective
5G will be a mix of multiple access technologies, which include both current and existing
access radio technologies such as LTE, and the New Radio (NR) for 5G [4], as well as the
evolution of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technologies. In addition, 5G will
integrate most of the current emerging network paradigms such as cloud computing,
Software Defined Networking (SDN) [5], and Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
[6], into a unified, programmable software‐centric system and infrastructure.
2.1.1.2 From the Spectrum Perspective
5G will be allocated with a significant amount of new spectrum to cope with massively
connected devices, highly dense networks, and to support a variety of use cases, in which
the traditional cellular frequency bands (typically < 6 GHz) might not provide sufficient
bandwidth for all 5G applications. Particularly, during the World Radiocommunication
Conference in November 2015 (WRC‐15), an agenda item was approved for studying
and investigating additional spectrum above 6 GHz (from 24 GHz up to 86 GHz) for 5G
mobile services, and the results of those studies will be considered at the next WRC in
2019. In addition, WRC‐15 also identified a range of new spectrum bands below 6 GHz
or sub‐6 GHz that can be used for 5G mobile services.
2.1.1.3 From a User and Customer Perspective
This is when 5G realized that subscribers can, on demand, have access from their
devices from anywhere, at any time with high data rates (e.g. 1G bps), very low latency
(e.g. at around 1 ms), much improved quality of service and quality of experience. With
5G, they can experience many newly defined service types such as virtual reality, augmented reality for gaming or other purposes, ultra‐high definition and 3‐dimensional
videos, and autonomous driving, etc. In the following, some typical 5G use cases will be
described in detail.
2.1.2 Typical Use Cases
So far, there are a large number of use cases, which are considered as main drivers for the
upcoming 5G ecosystem. These use cases come from different projects, organizations,
and industrial vertical sectors, based up on their visions and their needs. However, in
general, there are primarily three main categories of use cases, which have been agreed
by most of the standardization groups, including the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) and 3GPP. These include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive
machine type communications (mMTC), and ultra‐reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), as shown in Figure 2.1:
● Enhanced mobile broadband: This usage scenario refers to the improvement of the
current mobile broadband services, which are typically human‐centric, in terms of
user experienced data rates, traffic volume, coverage, and seamless mobility compared
to services delivered in today’s system. This scenario covers both wide and dense (e.g.
hotspot) area coverages, which have different requirements. Some typical examples
32
(3GPP) [3], the 5G system will support most of the existing Evolved Packet System
(EPS) services (i.e. 4G related services), in addition to many new services.
2.1.1.1 From a System Architecture Perspective
5G will be a mix of multiple access technologies, which include both current and existing
access radio technologies such as LTE, and the New Radio (NR) for 5G [4], as well as the
evolution of Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) technologies. In addition, 5G will
integrate most of the current emerging network paradigms such as cloud computing,
Software Defined Networking (SDN) [5], and Network Function Virtualization (NFV)
[6], into a unified, programmable software‐centric system and infrastructure.
2.1.1.2 From the Spectrum Perspective
5G will be allocated with a significant amount of new spectrum to cope with massively
connected devices, highly dense networks, and to support a variety of use cases, in which
the traditional cellular frequency bands (typically < 6 GHz) might not provide sufficient
bandwidth for all 5G applications. Particularly, during the World Radiocommunication
Conference in November 2015 (WRC‐15), an agenda item was approved for studying
and investigating additional spectrum above 6 GHz (from 24 GHz up to 86 GHz) for 5G
mobile services, and the results of those studies will be considered at the next WRC in
2019. In addition, WRC‐15 also identified a range of new spectrum bands below 6 GHz
or sub‐6 GHz that can be used for 5G mobile services.
2.1.1.3 From a User and Customer Perspective
This is when 5G realized that subscribers can, on demand, have access from their
devices from anywhere, at any time with high data rates (e.g. 1G bps), very low latency
(e.g. at around 1 ms), much improved quality of service and quality of experience. With
5G, they can experience many newly defined service types such as virtual reality, augmented reality for gaming or other purposes, ultra‐high definition and 3‐dimensional
videos, and autonomous driving, etc. In the following, some typical 5G use cases will be
described in detail.
2.1.2 Typical Use Cases
So far, there are a large number of use cases, which are considered as main drivers for the
upcoming 5G ecosystem. These use cases come from different projects, organizations,
and industrial vertical sectors, based up on their visions and their needs. However, in
general, there are primarily three main categories of use cases, which have been agreed
by most of the standardization groups, including the International Telecommunication
Union (ITU) and 3GPP. These include enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive
machine type communications (mMTC), and ultra‐reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), as shown in Figure 2.1:
● Enhanced mobile broadband: This usage scenario refers to the improvement of the
current mobile broadband services, which are typically human‐centric, in terms of
user experienced data rates, traffic volume, coverage, and seamless mobility compared
to services delivered in today’s system. This scenario covers both wide and dense (e.g.
hotspot) area coverages, which have different requirements. Some typical examples