5G Network Architecture

A healthy balance between Evolution and Revolution

Peter Merz
Head of Radio Systems
Technology and Innovation
Nokia Networks
1 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz
NGMN Vision
Serves as a baseline for 5G architecture discussion and definition

5G is an end-to-end ecosystem to enable a fully mobile and connected society.

It empowers value creation towards customers and partners, through existing and emerging use cases,
delivered with consistent experience, and enabled by sustainable business models.

2 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

 5G will enable very diverse use cases with extreme range of requirements
Requiring a scalable, flexible and programmable network architecture

>10 Gbps Massive Broadband 100 Mbps

peak data rates whenever needed

10-100 10 000
x more traffic
x more devices Capacity for
everyone

3D video /
4K screens Work in Ultra
M2M Smart city
cameras
the cloud
reliability
ultra low cost Flexibility VR gaming
for the Industry 4.0
unknown
10 years Remote control
of robot
<1 ms
on battery Mission critical
radio latency
Massive machine Sensor NW broadcast Autonomous driving Critical machine
type communication # of Devices | Cost | Power type communication

(Low power) Wide area Crowd Ultra-dense Outdoor

A trillion of devices with different needs GB transferred in an instant Mission-critical wireless control and automation

3 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

The range of diverse use cases results in various requirements for the architecture
Enabling benefits for the operators

Scalability Mobility on demand

Better network efficiency TCO optimization
TCO optimization Better use of network resources
Capacity for
everyone
Network as a Service 3D video /
Work in
Quality and user
4K screens
Better network efficiency Smart city the cloud experience
Flexibility
cameras VR gaming
New business opportunities, for theIndustry 4.0 Monetization of OTT traffic
e.g. verticals, network sharing unknown
Remote control More efficient network utilization
of robot
Mission critical
broadcast

Session on demand Latency

Extended battery life New business opportunities in
Efficient use of resources verticals (automotive, industry)

Reliability
New business opportunities in
verticals (V2X, Industry 4.0)

4 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

5G needs an enhanced connectivity model
To enable new use cases
Connectivity in LTE
Transparent pt-pt IP access line
U-plane and c-plane are designed
for pt-pt model
Enhanced 5G any to any connectivity
Service-aware u-plane packet forwarding with full
support for mobility, charging, lawful intercept
New c-plane optimized for highly distributed
service-aware networking functions Some use cases require
enhanced connectivity
UE3
options for e.g.

PDN
1 Vehicular
local switching
GW 1 (for 5G low latency) and
5G , LTE Voice simultaneous access to
UE2 Radio GW
Internet or other
services
IP access line Service-aware
5G , LTE Video
UE1 2 Radio networking GW simultaneous
2 connection to multiple
Other
MTC GWs (e.g. for internet
Radios,
Fixed GW and optimized video
UE
Internet
delivery (MEC))
GW

5 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

Reliability
Simultaneous and native Het Net & multi-connectivity

LTE5G dual connectivity ensures

smooth introduction of 5G Higher layer

5G multi-connectivity improves Multi connectivity

Ultra Dense
robustness and data throughput Network
LTE-5G
Multi or Single connectivity selected Dual Connectivity
depending on the type of service
Low layer
Multi Connectivity

Benefits:
Highest data throughput and
LTE/5G wide area 5G BTS 5G BTS
consistent end user experience
Enabler for the growing market of
UE
mission-critical services, e.g. health 5G Multi Connectivity
and safety, industry automation

6 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

Low Latency
Example: autonomous vehicles transforming urban space

Dynamic geo-networking of vehicles:

In a certain geographic location or area
(e.g. an intersection, a road hazard)
Forming a moving platoon of cars in
close proximity with full mobility support

Hazard

Autonomous
Related connectivity requirements: Advances in driving
Communications
automotive Sensors used to lowest latency /
-enhanced auto-
Lowest latency packet forwarding sensors avoid collisions or
nomous driving highest reliability
drive in road
Communications
among UEs forming a virtual network t
- assisted driving
trains Sensors + wireless
In combination with
Advances in communications
Full mobility of UEs and virtual networks Car drivers used to react to mobility!
wireless receiving hazards
comms. information about
Seamless connectivity to additional hazards ahead

services (e.g. Internet, traffic control)

7 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

Mobility on demand
Mobility and service continuity offered on demand

Wide range of mobility options

No mobility (stationary meters, CPE) to Centralized Core
high-speed trains running at 500km/h mobility anchor cloud

Various levels of service continuity: seamless Local

mobility, nomadic mobility, sporadic senders mobility anchor

Some MNOs observed that only 30% of subscribers

are actually mobile Radio
cloud

Benefits
Optimize traffic flows and network resources
TCO optimization: 5G BTS 5G BTS
Not all devices need full mobility support
Reduce core network resources and avoid traffic
backhauling to centralized cloud High-speed mobility Nomadic/static devices

8 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

Quality and user experience
5G QoE architecture

Dynamic app-based QoE during congestion periods

Drivers for a new QoE architecture
Network enforces Quality of Experience rather than QoS
Dynamic application-based QoS for known and future OTT
applications
Not achievable with LTE where same QoS is applied for all
traffic in a bearer

Benefits
Monetize quality of experience (B2B , B2C)
Efficiently serve different business models, verticals (IoT and
mission critical) as well as consumers
Ensure superior user experience (web pages loading 76%
faster, 96% of videos stream successfully)
Good QoE in nearly 100% of the cases even in congested
networks
9 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz
Session on demand
For improved network resource efficiency

Resource efficiency for sporadic data

transmission of low-cost and low ARPU
devices can be significantly improved Always-on connectivity for smart devices
Session on demand eliminates signalling
overhead for user-plane management UP
signalling only session 5G AP2

CP
5G BTS
Benefits
Signaling only session for low ARPU M2M
Efficient use of network resources
Extended UE battery life

10 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

Network as a Service enables flexibility and Scalability
RAN selects the proper network slice based on UE type, class of service

Network instance optimized

for massive broadband
(smart devices) CP

UP
UP
UP CP CP

Network instance optimized

Network instance optimized Capacity for to offer low latency, high reliability
for Massive MTC everyone
(critical MTC)
3D video /
Work in
4K screens
Smart city the cloud
Flexibility
cameras VR gaming
for theIndustry 4.0
CP unknown
Remote control
of robot CP
CP UP
UP
CP Mission critical CP UP
UP broadcast

11 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

Translate into the need of a healthy balance of evolutionary & revolutionary concepts

Scalability Mobility on demand

Independent scaling of control and Offering mobility support to users
user plane functions only when needed; local gateway

Network as a Service Quality and user

Network instances tailored to experience
various use cases; New QoS architecture
Network sharing Dynamic QoE management

ARCHITECTURE
Session on demand Latency
Establishing a user plane session Service-driven networking for use
only when requested (Not always ON) cases that require lowest latency

Reliability
Simultaneous connection to
Evolution multiple RATs and/or cells Revolution
12 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz
End to end 5G network architecture

3rd party Service Operators

application applications
provider providers
Open API

Distributed Centralized

Management & Orchestration

5G , LTE
Cloud Cloud
Radio

cplane
Other Radio BB
Radio BBs C-plane
Radios Service
Fabric
GWs
uGW GWs
uGW
Fixed
distributed network functions #1 #2
access
Virtualized resources Virtualized resources
front ends

13 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

Key to success
Call for action

NGMN needs to provide clear/strict prioritization of

1 use cases and requirements in order to progress

2 Research on networking concepts/architecture needs

to deliver innovative ideas and feed standardization

3 3GPP needs to time and phase 5G radio and system

architecture properly, ensuring forward compatibility!
A healthy balance of evolution and revolution will
4 ensure invstment protection while innovative
technologies will enable a future-proof 5G network
ARCHITECTURE

14 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz

15 Nokia 2015 Johannesberg Summit 2015 Peter Merz