mmWave ‘new frontier’ as 5G arrives: report

Networks operating on 5G will require much more spectrum than current 4G wireless technology, and part of the solution will be using higher-frequency spectrum, despite its limitations, according to a new report. That includes millimeter wave, also called mmWave spectrum, or spectrum in the 30 GHz to 100 GHz range, according to a white paper prepared for U.S.-based industry trade group 5G Americas by Rysavy Research LLC. Historically, technology “has climbed a ladder to use higher frequencies. What were called ‘ultra-high frequencies’ when made available for television are now considered low-band frequencies for cellular,” the Aug. 16 report noted. That means frequencies above 6 GHz, especially mmWave spectrum, “are the new frontier.” In Canada, the government is consulting on opening up some mmWave spectrum for 5G use, with a comment deadline of Sept. 15. Innovation Canada has proposed releasing spectrum in the 28 GHz, 37–40 GHz and 64–71 GHz frequency bands, the uses for which currently include fixed, fixed-satellite and mobile services, it outlined in the June consultation document. Use of above-6 GHz frequencies represents “one of the greatest opportunities for higher throughputs and higher capacity,” the 5G Americas report said. “This benefit derives from the potential availability of ten times the amount of spectrum as is currently available, with multiple GHz of contiguous spectrum.” The report said that while there are a number of tactics carriers can use to make existing spectrum more efficient, “they do not obviate the need for additional spectrum.” It noted that licensed “spectrum scarcity continues to challenge the industry.” Challenges around using high-frequency spectrum, however, include “propagation limitations and higher penetration loss,” though methods such as carrier aggregation will help mitigate the challenges, the report said. Because the spectrum is suitable only for use over short distances, “the combination of lower and higher frequencies is therefore crucial for 5G operation,” it added. With such a combination, lower bands “can be devoted to coverage and control, while higher bands can provide opportunistic access for high data rates.” Experts have been pointing to the need for more spectrum in 5G for a number of years. Canadian carriers are currently testing the technology, which is expected to begin being deployed, in the U.S. at least, as early as late 2018. While carriers are working on preparing for the next generation of wireless technology, they will also focus on improving LTE technologies for the rest of this decade, it said. “Given the scope of global wireless infrastructure, measured in hundreds of billions of dollars, offering users the most affordable service requires operators to leverage investments they have already made,” it said. “5G will eventually play an important role, but it must be timed appropriately so that the jump in capability justifies the new investment.” While the benefits of 5G will include higher speeds and Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, it will also enable wireless applications that weren’t previously possible, it said. Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications, also known as “mission-critical” communications, will be driven by “high dependability and extremely short network traversal time,” and will make uses like drone control, new medical uses and self-driving cars possible, it said. “These types of applications are potentially the ones that will deliver the greatest societal benefits, yet unfortunately, at least in the United States, they could possibly be undermined by current network neutrality regulations,” the report added. One of the ways companies will manage demand on their networks is through quality of service management, by prioritizing some traffic over, for example, traffic that isn’t time-critical. “Current network neutrality rules, however, may constrain use of traffic prioritization,” it said. — With reporting Anja Karadeglija at akarad@thewirereport.ca and editing by Charelle Evelyn at cevelyn@thewirereport.ca

mmWave ‘new frontier’ as 5G arrives: report

News | August 18, 2017

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mmWave ‘new frontier’ as 5G arrives: report

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