5G Architecture

Evolution of technology

• The first-generation technology: 
  • This generation let people make and receive phones calls through their mobile handheld devices while 
• The second and third generations:
  • These generations added text and multi-media messaging, as well as email services to cell phones. 
• The fourth-generation technology:
  • The emergence of 4G in the early part of the past decade changed the mobile-telephone landscape. 
  • This paradigmatic shift let users stream and download videos at speeds three times greater than 3G.
  • With 4G-capable cell phones, people could make calls over the Internet instead of via telephone networks.
• 4G+ (LTE advanced):
  • Fourth generation’s evolution to 4G+ (LTE advanced), which offered download speeds of 200 to 300 Mbps, made it easier for people to connect and talk over the Internet.
• The fifth-generation technology: 
  • Technology shift:
    • Building on the multiplexing technology of its predecessor, 5G ushers in a new standard called 5G New Radio (NR), which uses the best capabilities of LTE. 
    • Apart from this, the fifth-generation of mobile communication will use high-frequency millimeter wave (mmWave) bands that operate on wavelengths between 30 GHz and 300 GHz. 
    • For comparison, 4G’s LTE operates on wavelengths under 6 GHz.
  • Offered benefits:
    • The latest iteration of mobile connectivity offers low latency, greater download speeds.
    • It has the ability to connect multiple devices and exchange data in real-time. 
    • Energy savings:
      • 5G NR will enable increased energy savings for connected devices and enhance connectivity. 
    • Autonomous Vehicles: 
      • 5G will allow vehicles to communicate between themselves and with infrastructure on the road, improving safety and alerting drivers to travel conditions and performance information.
  • Social Benefits: 
    • Healthcare: 
      • Healthcare providers can create sensor networks to track patients and share information faster than ever before.
    • Public Safety: 
      • A vast network and rapid response times mean that public works can respond to incidents and emergencies in seconds rather than minutes, and municipalities can react fast and with reduced costs.

Global progress on 5G

• More than governments, global telecom companies have started building 5G networks and rolling it out to their customers on a trial basis.
  • Different countries and firms are at various stages of 5G deployment. 
• In countries like the US, companies such as AT&T, T-mobile, and Verizon have taken the lead when it comes to rolling out commercial 5G for their users.
• In other countries such as China, some of the telcos such as China Unicom had started 5G trials as early as 2018, and have since rolled out the commercial services for users.
• South Korean company Samsung, which had started researching 5G technology way back in 2011, has, on the other hand, taken the lead when it comes to building the hardware for 5G networks for several companies.