Issue link: https://resources.mouser.com/i/1315957
3 | The Fifth-Generation New Radio (5G NR) specification and its networking component, 5G Core, represent a new generation of communications that, like previous generations, does not entirely replace its predecessors. That said, it does make entirely new services possible and opens the door to a new, disruptive ecosystem. Operators who deploy 5G networks will continue to offer existing network services, but they will also be able to offer transformative new services in three main areas: • New consumer services made possible by enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB). The first wave of 5G deployments will provide eMBB networks to enable enriched consumer services including high-performance communications, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), home automation, high-speed Internet access, along with ultra-high definition (UHD) and streaming video. Initial deployments will occur in high-density areas where fourth-generation (4G) wireless is already congested. • Fixed wireless Internet access for broader coverage. High- frequency bands in the 26- to 28-gigahertz (GHz) range make antenna miniaturization possible. Miniaturization, in turn, facilitates more advanced, adaptive multiple- input, multiple-output (MIMO) arrays that control the form and direction of radio transmissions, giving these high bands longer range and better coverage with less interference. The result is a wireless alternative to cable and fiber connections to homes and the delivery of high-bandwidth services to rural areas where fiber is unavailable. • New industrial services made possible by the 5G network architecture. 5G Core enables virtualization and network slicing, which will be the foundation of new industry-specific services. These new services could be network services unique to vertical industries, distant medical services and surgery, utilities, or specific use cases such as robotic communications or communications for autonomous vehicles (AVs). Network slicing makes it possible to adapt virtual networks and mobile connectivity to usage needs and specific applications. Technical aspects of the 5G specification must be realized during these early deployment and trial phases currently underway. However, a lot of the new design opportunities will come from the potential for new kinds of industrial applications that 5G network slicing and virtualization make possible. With network slicing, a service provider or network operator will be able to quickly deploy dedicated logical networks with performance and security characteristics tailored to fit specific applications and use cases. These logical network slices will span various technology and administrative domains including management and orchestration functions. A key area of 5G related engineering will involve orchestration of technologies and functions to provide "customer-facing" on-demand services that fulfill specific business needs across various industries. This flexibility opens the door to innovations not possible with previous monolithic network architectures, and many are working to explore those innovations. For instance, the 5G Infrastructure Public Private Partnership (5G PPP) is a joint initiative between the European Commission and the telecommunications industry to develop new programs, partnerships, and markets in many areas including smart cities, e-health, intelligent transport, education, media, factories of the future, and others that will use smart network services and other aggregated features such as artificial intelligence (AI). Many issues and challenges still need resolutions. For instance, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 16 and subsequent releases will discuss in greater detail 5G vertical industry specifications, vehicle- to-everything (V2X) communications standards, and technical standards relevant to several other areas. In addition, much work still exists to achieve spectrum harmonization through regional and country-by-country Foreword: 5G Issue "5G Core enables virtualization and network slicing, which will be the foundation of new industry- specific services." By Jean-Pierre Bienaimé, Chairman, Institute of Economic & Social Research on Telecommunications (IREST)