The mobile industry has long anticipated the arrival of 5G, with many expecting it to become available around 2020 or 2021, even if its widespread adoption is still some time away. However, as mobile data traffic continues to surge—having grown by 18 times over the past five years—it’s becoming increasingly clear that 5G will arrive faster than previously expected. According to Cisco, by 2021, 5G connections are projected to generate 4.7 times more traffic than typical 4G connections. This trend is illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Mobile data traffic continues to grow
As we move toward 5G, it's not just a simple upgrade from 4G—it represents a major leap in performance and capability. To facilitate this transition, there are five key areas that need to be explored. Four of these will help drive the shift through an intermediate phase known as LTE-Advanced Pro (or 4.5G), making the transition more gradual and manageable for operators.
**Speed and Capacity**
One of the most significant improvements in 5G will be in speed. While LTE-Advanced currently offers up to 1 Gbps, 5G aims to deliver up to 20 Gbps per cell. This increase will happen in stages, starting with LTE-Advanced Pro, which already supports technologies like carrier aggregation (up to 32 carriers), massive MIMO, and higher-order modulation schemes such as 256 QAM. These technologies can push speeds up to 3 Gbps, allowing operators to enhance their networks without completely overhauling infrastructure.
Figure 2: 256 QAM is a technology that 5G will use to increase data rates
This intermediate step gives operators the opportunity to leverage existing infrastructure while preparing for full 5G deployment.
**Unlicensed Spectrum Utilization**
Another important aspect of 5G is the use of unlicensed spectrum. Operators like T-Mobile and Verizon have already started deploying LTE-U (LTE in unlicensed spectrum), while AT&T is exploring virtual machine solutions. Wi-Fi, which has long used unlicensed spectrum, is now evolving with better quality and standardized access. Improvements such as LDPC error correction, higher-order QAM (up to 1024 QAM), and multi-user MIMO are making Wi-Fi more competitive. Expanding carrier aggregation into unlicensed bands allows operators to boost network capacity and improve user experience.
**IoT Devices**
The Internet of Things (IoT) presents both challenges and opportunities for 5G networks. With billions of devices expected to connect, managing them efficiently is a key concern. Unlike traditional smartphones, many IoT devices are low-power and only transmit small amounts of data occasionally. This requires 5G networks to be optimized for infrequent but critical communication. Additionally, security risks associated with IoT devices must be addressed, as they can be exploited for malware or attacks. Operators are already working on integrating IoT capabilities into LTE networks to ensure a smoother transition to 5G.
**Network Virtualization: NFV and SDN**
Virtualization plays a crucial role in the evolution of 5G. Technologies like Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) allow operators to reduce costs, increase flexibility, and improve scalability. As 5G demands support for a wide range of applications—from ultra-low-latency services to high-bandwidth video—virtualized networks offer the necessary adaptability. For example, NFV enables the core network to be split based on the type of data being transmitted, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: NFV splits the core network based on the type or data it will transmit
Operators are increasingly adopting these technologies, especially in packet core networks, which are IP-based and well-suited for virtualization. The movement toward virtualization is also influencing the access layer, where decisions are being made about how to divide protocols between edge and centralized processing.
**New Radio Access (NR)**
The new 5G radio access interface is one of the most transformative aspects of the technology. Unlike previous generations, 5G introduces new air interface technologies to achieve much higher speeds. It utilizes millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies—between 30 GHz and 300 GHz—which enable extremely fast data transfer. Each cell could potentially offer 10–20 Gbps of bandwidth, with individual users experiencing up to 1 Gbps. Applications like high-end augmented reality and virtual reality will require this level of performance.
The development of the new 5G air interface is still ongoing, but it represents the true essence of 5G. While other areas build upon existing LTE-Advanced Pro specifications, the new radio interface is a fresh start that will define the future of mobile connectivity.
After the 2017 Mobile World Congress, the 3GPP conference in Dubrovnik pushed forward the 5G standardization timeline, advancing some specifications to early 2018. Key discussions centered on flexible OFDM technology and support for massive MIMO in mmWave spectrum. These advancements will enable 5G to serve both high-bandwidth and low-latency applications simultaneously, making it a versatile platform for a wide range of use cases.
While the full rollout of 5G is still in progress, the developments in these five key areas are shaping the path forward. From enhanced speeds and unlicensed spectrum to IoT readiness and network virtualization, each component plays a vital role in ensuring a smooth and efficient transition to the next generation of mobile communications.
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