5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has emerged as a transformative use case driving the widespread deployment of 5G technology. Since 2018, many markets around the globe have embraced 5G FWA services, with the U.S. leading the charge. By analyzing the evolution and impact of 5G FWA services in the U.S., Opensignal provides valuable insights and conclusions that can guide and inform other global markets embarking on their own 5G FWA journeys.

Key Findings

• 5G FWA has reshaped the US broadband market. It has allowed U.S. mobile operators to rapidly expand their broadband footprints for minimal incremental network investment. This has seen 5G FWA absorb all broadband subscriber growth in the market since mid- 2022.

• FWA is the secret sauce for 5G monetization. FWA benefits from lower prices compared to wireline competition, access to existing mobile retail channels and subscribers, and the ability to deliver a “good enough” broadband service.

• U.S. mobile networks have proven to be resilient. Despite adding millions of 5G FWA subs since 2021, 5G speeds on T-Mobile and Verizon’s mobile networks have continued to improve. Their success in managing FWA traffic is due to a variety of factors, including plentiful access to mid-band spectrum, localized load management, and differences in peak usage time of day patterns between mobile and FBB usage.

• Elsewhere, there are mixed results. In India, Jio is seeing no discernible impact from FWA on the mobile experience of its users, while in Saudi Arabia Zain is seeing the additional load on its network from FWA having a greater influence on mobile users’ experience, depending on the time of day or the level of FWA penetration.

5G Fixed Wireless Access – US

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Agriculture is one of the key contributors to European GDP. Almost 40% of EU budget is spent for agriculture to sustain healthy food, meat and fish production is a sustainable way. In the current landscape of agriculture and aquaculture for food production, digital technologies have emerged as a transformative force leveraging cutting-edge technologies to enhance productivity, sustainability, and decision-making processes. Digital farming and precision agriculture are key trends which will leverage the evolution of IoT technologies and the evolution of connectivity services from 5G to 6G that will collect more high fidelity data to monitor soils, crops, animal wellness and trigger automation in this sector. The final aim is to produce more (quality food) with less (pesticides)to provide the food transformation industry, retail and restauration with higher quality and more sustainable raw natural material. The recent pandemics showed how important livestock monitoring is along with the paramount importance of reliable communications. The food production industry is demonstrating in its own high innovation as witnessed by recent advancements in meat culture.

Looking to the future, the demands on communication networks in digital farming are expected to grow exponentially. The farming industry will not only require more reliable, high-speed, and low-latency connectivity but also support the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and sensing capabilities that 6G will offer natively from the edge cloud. Advanced analytics, digital twins, autonomous vehicles and drones are digital concepts that are already changing a traditional sector bases on centuries old procedures. New concepts like indoor farming based on advanced digital and communication services will change for ever the outlook of an industry dominated by hard work and tractors.

Policy measures such as the Biodiversity Strategy and the Farm2Fork Strategy will finally need advanced IoT capabilities that 5G and its evolution to 6G will support. 6G with its new features will step up the sector sustainability level (“6G for Green”) but attention must be put on 6G sustainability aspects such as energy consumption of networks and AI training, bio degradation of IoT devices etc. (“Green 6G”).

5GPPP and now SNSJ JU are funding research projects that make show concrete achievements in abovementioned statements. This document contains most relevant use cases investigated under European funded research projects and the level of impact of 6G.

The role of 6G in agriculture

About AIOTI

AIOTI is the multi-stakeholder platform for stimulating IoT and Edge Computing Innovation in Europe, bringing together small and large companies, academia, policy makers and end-users and representatives of society in an end-to-end approach. We work with partners in a global context. We strive to leverage, share and promote best practices in the IoT and Edge Computing ecosystems, be a one-stop point of information on all relevant aspects of IoT Innovation to its members while proactively addressing key issues and roadblocks for economic growth, acceptance and adoption of IoT and Edge Computing Innovation in society. AIOTI’s contribution goes beyond technology and addresses horizontal elements across application domains, such as matchmaking and stimulating cooperation in IoT and Edge Computing ecosystems, creating joint research roadmaps, driving convergence of standards and interoperability and defining policies.

About 6G IA

The 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA) is the voice of European Industry and Research for next generation networks and services. Its primary objective is to contribute to Europe’s leadership on 5G, 5G evolution and SNS/6G research. The 6G-IA represents the private side in both the 5G Public Private Partnership (5G-PPP) and the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU). In the 5G-PPP and SNS JU, the European Commission represents the public side. The 6G-IA brings together a global industry community of telecoms & digital actors, such as operators, manufacturers, research institutes, universities, verticals, SMEs and ICT associations. The 6G-IA carries out a wide range of activities in strategic areas including standardization, frequency spectrum, R&D projects, technology skills, collaboration with key vertical industry sectors, notably for the development of trials, and international cooperation.

The role of 6G in agriculture

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The emergence of 5G networks is based on the vision of providing very high data rates, wider coverage area, enhanced throughput, delay-less services, and signicantly better Quality-of-Services (QoS). It is not just an upper version of 4G systems but is much more beyond that in terms of technological capabilities and service provision. Current wireless network systems have become insufcient to manage user requirements, which are tremendously increasing on daily basis, due to their limited resources. 5G wireless network is expected to accommodate several times larger customers and their increasing data trafc efciently. Some of the characteristics of 5G are:

• 1-10Gbps connection, which is almost 10 times higher than the traditional LTE network’s theoretical peak data rate of 150 Mbps
• 10-100x devices interconnected all the time via the Internet.
• Availability of 99.999%
• Round trip latency of 1 ms, which is a reduction of almost 10 times from 4G’s round trip latency of 10 ms.
• 90% reduced power consumption of network, and 10 years long battery life for low power consumption devices.
• ‘Anytime Anywhere’ connectivity coverage of almost 100%
• Reduction in energy consumption by 90%.

Moreover, some crucial new techniques will also become part of 5G networks such as New Radio on Unlicensed band (NR-U), NR Vehicle-to-X (V2X), software-dened network (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), with new features including diversied terminals, large number of nodes, ultra-high density node deployment, the coexistence of multiple wireless technologies and security schemes, and Network Slicing.

The idea of network slicing is a signicant part of 5G networks. 5G provides the connection of multiple devices to communicate with each other over the Internet, allowing it to support IoT. The main technology behind 5G, which is allowing it to support multiple and diverse devices and services simultaneously is the network slicing technology.

Network slicing originates from the concept of network virtualization techniques to deploy multiple logical/virtual systems that run on top of a single shared physical network architecture. The main objective behind using network slicing is to divide the physical network resources to optimally group different trafc and congure the network resources at a macro level. There is a separation between each slice in terms of case/eld with specic necessary operations. The network slicing divides a single common physical network into various virtual end-to-end (E2E) networks. While performing the division, the target is to customize and optimize each network with respect to resources, QoS, and security.

5G Network Slicing: Empowering Vertical Industries

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The mobile industry has significant interest in accessing a portion of the C band spectrum currently assigned to satellite services globally. Plans to free up C band spectrum are already well advanced in Europe and migrations underway in USA. This study was commissioned to provide an understanding of the current use of C band for satellite services in Africa, the amount of capacity available and being used, and the possible mitigation and migration strategies if a portion of the C band was allocated to IMT services.

Background

There are a number of allocated frequency bands for commercial geostationary satellite services these being designated L, S, C, X, Ku, Ka and Q/V bands. Of these bands, C and Ku band have been the main bands historically used for commercial geostationary communication services. Reasons for continued use of C band over other bands include availability of deployed equipment, minimal impact of rain attenuation ie. good link availability, and wide beam coverage areas with up to 30% of the earthís surface able to be covered by a single satellite. The typical sizes of the antennas of C band client terminal sizes are 1.8m, 2.4m and 3.8m, with 1.8m and 2.4m probably representing 60%+ of the deployed C band client terminal base. Typical teleport antenna sizes used are 4.8m, 6.5m, 7.3m and 9m.

The main user applications for C band services are:

1. Trunking and cellular backhaul

2. Television contribution and distribution

3. Enterprise VSAT services with a main segment being Maritime and offshore Oil and Gas platforms

4. Air Traffic Control

5. Military

It should be highlighted that there are no C band DTH television services in Africa.

African C Band Satellite Report: Systems House – 2021

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About this study

This independent study, commissioned by the GSA, considers the use of UHF spectrum generally, but in particular the sub-700 MHz band, in a number of different services, focussing on its use in ITU Region 1. The study sets out the potential use for UHF spectrum in mobile, broadcasting, PMSE, PPDR and radioastronomy, and considers how these demands vary by geography. We conclude with consideration of how a more regional approach to spectrum assignment may lead to significant benefits.

Summary

This independent study examines the current and future use of the UHF band in general, but in particular the portion of this band between 470 MHz and 694 MHz. Historically this spectrum has been allocated and used by television broadcasting, with secondary users of PMSE equipment in the white spaces created by the need for non-overlapping transmissions (and a small reservation for use by radio astronomy). However, with changing demand from mobile services and broadcast viewing habits, this paper considers whether there is a need to revisit this allocation.

Mobile broadband growth requires more low-band spectrum

First, we look at the use of sub-1 GHz UHF spectrum by mobile broadband services. There has been a very large increase in the use of mobile broadband over the past decade, across rural and urban areas, and in both developing and developed countries. Consumers and enterprises alike are using connections for a wide variety of services, and many now rely on high quality broadband for work, productivity, home keeping, and entertainment. A key driver of mobile data is video, representing over three quarters of all traffic, and as screens improve in resolution and consumers increasingly acquire VR and AR equipment, demand for mobile data will accelerate further.

The future use of UHF spectrum in ITU Region 1

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In response to the challenges of designing 5G-ready beamformer hardware at mmWave (re. my article of the last three months), disruptive technological trends have emerged that are likely to change the way we look at mmWave beamforming hardware, like using a multi-stage lens-based beamformer, or a channel sounding technique based on a metallic cavity with sub-wavelength holes on one side and a scatterer placed inside, or to integrate the 3D beamformer radiation patterns measured in the field with the communication models.

A fourth technique is related to a very large mmWave array hardware. Beamformers at mmWave 5G can operate at full capacity when they have a very large number of radiating antennas. Each antenna is responsible to transmit a fraction of the total available radiated power, which means that each antenna must have a direct or indirect connection to the radio power source. This leads to cumbersome hardware at mmWave frequencies, where technology is not advanced enough to withstand high loss between the radio source and the antennas.

Using sparse antenna arrays is an alternative approach where the total radiated power from the access point is the same, while the number of radiating antennas is less than in a conventional antenna array, in which adjacent antenna spacing must be no larger than λ/2 to avoid grating lobes. Surprisingly, the direction of radiation (main lobe and side lobes) using a sparse antenna array can perfectly match that of a conventional antenna array using the Compressive Sensing [1-2] technique. The randomness of antenna locations in a sparse array avoids the introduction of grating lobes while allowing adjacent antenna spacing to be greater than λ/2. This means that a larger array size can be implemented using a relatively small number of antennas.

Conclusion:

The radio infrastructure required to support mmWave 5G is not ready yet, however, the disruptive technologies are pushing the limits of engineering to make it a reality by 2025. The fastest version of 5G is in fact the mmWave 5G and we are looking forward to the benefits of its ubiquitous ultra-high-speed and very low latency.

References:

1. M. A. B. Abbasi, V. Fusco and D. E. Zelenchuk, “Compressive Sensing Multiplicative Antenna Array,” in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 66, no. 11, pp. 5918-5925, Nov. 2018.

2. Abbasi, M. A. B., & Fusco, V. “Hardware Constraints in Compressive Sensing Based Antenna Array,” In UK-China Emerging Technologies (UCET) Conference at the University of Glasgow, UK IEEE 2019.

Disruptive Beamforming Trends – 4. QUB White Paper

© Queens University Belfast 2020

About the Authors:

Dr. M. Ali Babar Abbasi is a researcher in the Centre for Wireless Innovation and lecturer at the School of Electronics Engineering at Queen’s University Belfast, UK. Profile.

Professor Vincent Fusco (FIEEE, FREng, FIAE, MRIA, FIET) is a researcher in the Centre for Wireless Innovation, Professor of High Frequency Electronics at the School of Electronics Engineering and CTO of the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) at Queen’s University Belfast. Profile.

For detailed information on our mmWave 5G beamformers, please contact Norbert Sagnard, Business Development Manager at Queen’s University Belfast [E] n.sagnard(at)qub.ac.uk

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The full report with a complete picture of the C-Band Spectrum is available for GSA Members and Associates.

3300-4200 MHz:
A KEY FREQUENCY BAND FOR 5G

How administrations can exploit its potential.

As part of the GSA vision for spectrum from low, mid and high band frequency ranges 2020.

The GSA White Paper addresses the importance of 3300–4200 MHz spectrum range for 5G networks and the societal benefits that follow from early and widespread deployment of 5G in this range. It is intended to help national administrations and policymakers who are considering this frequency range for IMT identification – as well as those who have decided in its favour and are currently engaged in designing appropriate regulatory frameworks and assignment procedures – make informed decisions.

The White Paper updates the June 2017 GSA White Paper titled, The Future of IMT in the 3300–4200 MHz Frequency Range, highlighting the increasing maturity of the 5G global ecosystem in this frequency range. The paper provides the current status of 5G deployment across the world in this frequency range and details 5G’s standards readiness, new and developing use cases, and current technology enhancements that portend greater efficiencies for industries, richer user experiences as well as the creation of ‘smart’ societies.

On the policy and regulatory side, the paper identifies the key ITU-R decisions facilitating the identification of this spectrum for IMT and its use for 5G. It also addresses a wide set of policy and regulatory issues, ranging from those pertaining to cross-border coordination, spectrum sharing/clearing and spectrum caps to those pertaining to frequency arrangements, channelisation schemes and national synchronisation frameworks.

The paper emphasises that national administrations seeking to secure the many and varied benefits of 5G for their policies must also provide wide and contiguous channel assignments to operators while simultaneously considering investment-friendly provisions and connectivity requirements of industry verticals.

The executive summary provides the principle highlights of the paper and may be read as a preview of the issues detailed in the paper.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

C-Band for 5G

The 5G ecosystem – of chipsets, network equipment and handsets as well as other end-user devices – has developed at an unprecedented speed, maturing within a year of the first 3GPP standards release of 5G-NR (in the case of LTE, the corresponding time was roughly three years!). Network equipment, smartphones, customer premises equipment and other types of end-user equipment utilising 5G NR are now available in various markets in different spectrum bands, all of which add support for 5G in various parts of the 3300–4200 MHz range, if not the entire range – that is, for 3GPP bands n77 (3300–4200 MHz) and n78 (3300–3800 MHz).

There are nearly 140 operators  currently investing in 5G networks in the 3300–4200 MHz range globally: 43 of them are deploying, have deployed, or have launched 5G networks using this spectrum.

This section summarises GSA’s key messages articulated in this White Paper with respect to the importance and the use of the 3300–4200 MHz range for the early and widespread deployment of 5G.

©2020 GSA

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Long term evolution (LTE) provides global mobility and a wide range of services that includes voice, data and video for subscribers and delivers new revenue streams and cost saving for operators. However, in order to get best performance and efficiency out of an LTE network, its operation needs to be continuously monitored and optimized.

This white paper provides an engineer’s reference by describing radio access network optimization challenges and how to address them. It identifies key performance indicators (KPIs), their associated performance indicators (PIs) and field measurement metrics.

This white paper can be download from the Rhode & Schwarz web site once registered on their site.

Link here.

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Phase shifter–based hybrid beamforming has received a lot of attention at millimeter–wave frequencies for cellular communications. Nevertheless, the implementation complexity of such beamformers is rather high due to the complexities involved in designing and fabricating the required radio–frequency (RF) circuits. In contrast, lens–based RF beamformers significantly reduce the implementation complexity, as all active circuits can be replaced by a passive device. In this paper, researchers of the Centre for Wireless Innovation at Queen’s University Belfast present the sum spectral efficiency performance of an uplink multiuser multiple–input multiple–output (MU–MIMO) system with a 28 GHz Rotman lens. An asymmetric two–stage stacked design is fabricated with a 15 element (3×5) uniform rectangular array feeding 9 RF down–conversion chains towards baseband.

Zero–forcing processing is employed at baseband for interference nulling and multistream recovery. Our results show that the MU–MIMO gains are substantially more pronounced for the two–stage architecture relative to a single–stage design due to the inclusion of the elevation multipath components. They also show that the asymmetric design can help further reduce the implementation complexity, since the conventional beam selection network can be omitted from the RF front–end.

This novel approach won the Grand Prize of the global Mobile World Scholar award at MWC19 in Barcelona in February 2019. Please contact Norbert Sagnard for more info [n.sagnard@qub.ac.uk].

©2019 Queens University Belfast.

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This white paper from AB ResearchI, sponsored by Qualcomm Incorporated, focuses on augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), among the most attractive use cases for 5G. These technologies are promising to transform the way content is consumed and communicated, and will no doubt help a wide variety of industries increase productivity and change the way they do business. Workflow assistance and “see-what-I-see” remote interaction and guidance have seen strong uptake already among existing AR rollouts. ABI Research estimates the total AR market will reach US$114 billion by 2021, and the total VR market will reach US$65 billion within the same timeframe.

©2017 ABI Research

Qualcomm Incorporated is an Executive Member of GSA

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