5G Demystified; the what,

when and where

Professor Andy Sutton
Principal Network Architect
BT Technology
August 2020

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Contents
• 5G services and performance requirements

• Spectrum

• EN-DC mode of operation - NSA

• 5G network architecture with NGC - SA

• Mobile backhaul (transmission) & edge cloud

• 5G rollout to date

• Further information

• Summary
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Photo source: Derico Watson
Usage scenarios of IMT for 2020 and beyond

Source: https://www.itu.int/dms_pubrec/itu-r/rec/m/R-REC-M.2083-0-201509-I!!PDF-E.pdf

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5G services and use cases

Source: http://www.5gamericas.org/files/3215/1190/8811/5G_Services_and_Use_Cases.pdf

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ITU-R IMT-2020 requirements - selected parameters

The minimum requirements for eMBB peak data rate The minimum requirements for 1-way user plane
are as follows: latency over the radio interface are:
– Downlink peak data rate is 20Gbps – 4 ms for eMBB
– Uplink peak data rate is 10Gbps – 1 ms for URLLC (3GPP target = 0.5ms)

The minimum requirements for eMBB peak spectral The minimum requirement for control plane latency is
efficiencies are as follows: 20ms (Proponents are encouraged to consider lower
– Downlink peak spectral efficiency is 30 bit/s/Hz control plane latency, e.g. 10ms) 3GPP target = 10ms)
– Uplink peak spectral efficiency is 15 bit/s/Hz

The target values for the user experienced data rate The minimum requirement for mMTC connection
are as follows in the Dense Urban - eMBB test density is 1,000,000 devices per km2
environment:
– Downlink user experienced data rate is 100Mbps
– Uplink user experienced data rate is 50Mbps

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Ofcom and RSPG has identified three pioneer bands for 5G in Europe

700 MHz band - to provide a coverage layer

2 x 30 MHz + 20 MHz centre gap - SDL - January 2021

3.4 - 3.8 GHz band - to provide a large amount of contiguous spectrum for high-data rate and low-latency
services and a capacity solution in congested areas

150 MHz in the 3.4 - 3.6 GHz band in 2018 (auction complete)

120 MHz in 3.6 - 3.8 GHz band to be auctioned in January 2021

26 GHz band - to provide “fibre-like” data rates and very low latencies at short distance, as a capacity solution in
very congested hotspots
24.25 - 27.5 GHz - date tbd - lower 2.25 GHz is currently available for low-power in-building solutions

[Note: Existing bands will be refarmed (repurposed from 2G, 3G & 4G) and more new bands are likely in the future…]

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 NR Uplink (UL) operating band Downlink (DL) operating band Duplex Mode
operating BS receive / UE transmit BS transmit / UE receive
band FUL_low – FUL_high FDL_low – FDL_high

5G spectrum bands approved n1 1920 MHz – 1980 MHz 2110 MHz – 2170 MHz FDD

by 3GPP
n2 1850 MHz – 1910 MHz 1930 MHz – 1990 MHz FDD
n3 1710 MHz – 1785 MHz 1805 MHz – 1880 MHz FDD
n5 824 MHz – 849 MHz 869 MHz – 894 MHz FDD
n7 2500 MHz – 2570 MHz 2620 MHz – 2690 MHz FDD
n8 880 MHz – 915 MHz 925 MHz – 960 MHz FDD
n12 699 MHz – 716 MHz 729 MHz – 746 MHz FDD
NR operating bands in FR1 n20 832 MHz – 862 MHz 791 MHz – 821 MHz FDD

Maximum of 100 MHz channel bandwidth n25

n28
1850 MHz – 1915 MHz
703 MHz – 748 MHz
1930 MHz – 1995 MHz
758 MHz – 803 MHz
FDD
FDD
n34 2010 MHz – 2025 MHz 2010 MHz – 2025 MHz TDD
n38 2570 MHz – 2620 MHz 2570 MHz – 2620 MHz TDD
n39 1880 MHz – 1920 MHz 1880 MHz – 1920 MHz TDD
n40 2300 MHz – 2400 MHz 2300 MHz – 2400 MHz TDD

NR operating bands in FR2 n41 2496 MHz – 2690 MHz 2496 MHz – 2690 MHz TDD
n50 1432 MHz – 1517 MHz 1432 MHz – 1517 MHz TDD

NR operating Uplink (UL) and Downlink (DL) operating band Duplex Mode n51 1427 MHz – 1432 MHz 1427 MHz – 1432 MHz TDD
band BS transmit/receive n66 1710 MHz – 1780 MHz 2110 MHz – 2200 MHz FDD
UE transmit/receive
FUL_low – FUL_high n70 1695 MHz – 1710 MHz 1995 MHz – 2020 MHz FDD
FDL_low – FDL_high n71 663 MHz – 698 MHz 617 MHz – 652 MHz FDD

n257 26500 MHz – 29500 MHz TDD n74 1427 MHz – 1470 MHz 1475 MHz – 1518 MHz FDD
n258 24250 MHz – 27500 MHz TDD n75 N/A 1432 MHz – 1517 MHz SDL
n260 37000 MHz – 40000 MHz TDD n76 N/A 1427 MHz – 1432 MHz SDL
n261 27500 MHz – 28350 MHz TDD n77 3300 MHz – 4200 MHz 3300 MHz – 4200 MHz TDD

Maximum of 400 MHz channel bandwidth n78 3300 MHz – 3800 MHz 3300 MHz – 3800 MHz TDD
n79 4400 MHz – 5000 MHz 4400 MHz – 5000 MHz TDD
n80 1710 MHz – 1785 MHz N/A SUL
n81 880 MHz – 915 MHz N/A SUL
n82 832 MHz – 862 MHz N/A SUL
Source: 3GPP TS 38.104 NR; Base Station (BS) radio transmission and reception
n83 703 MHz – 748 MHz N/A SUL
n84 1920 MHz – 1980 MHz N/A SUL
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n86 1710 MHz – 1780 MHz N/A SUL
Antenna system evolution towards massive-MIMO (active antennas)
• Current FDD LTE is typically 2T2R (2x2) or 4T4R (4x4), 5G TDD will typically utilise 8T8R (8x8) and 64T64R (64x64)
• 16T16R and 32T32R systems are now available, offering greater granularity - along with hybrid (active/passive) antennas

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5G trial site with 64T64R M-MIMO AAU and 8T8R passive antenna with RU

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EN-DC network architecture supporting legacy terminals
Non-Standalone Architecture (NSA)

UGW MME pool UGW+

S1-u S1-c

eNB gNB

LTE-u
LTE-c

Legacy
UE

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EN-DC network architecture supporting VoLTE
Non-Standalone Architecture (NSA)

UGW MME pool UGW+

S1-u S1-c

eNB gNB

LTE-u
LTE-c

Legacy
or R15
UE
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EN-DC network architecture supporting user data session
Non-Standalone Architecture (NSA)

UGW MME pool UGW+

S1-c S1-u

X2-u

eNB gNB

X2-c

LTE-u NR-u
LTE-c

R15
UE

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EN-DC network architecture supporting user data session
Non-Standalone Architecture (NSA)

UGW MME pool UGW+

S1-c S1-u

X2-u

eNB gNB

X2-c Dual Connectivity between

1 x NR carrier and a maximum
of 5 x LTE carriers
LTE-u NR-u
LTE-c

R15
UE

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3GPP 5G network architecture
Standalone Architecture (SA)

NSSF AUSF N13 UDM N9 - between UPFs

N14 - between AMFs

N22 N12 N8 N10

AMF N11 SMF N7 PCF N5 AF

N15

N1 N2 N4

UE NR air i/f RAN N3 UPF N6 DN

Note: Focus on mobile however Access Network (AN) could be fixed

 NGC during 2022 at geographically distributed
3GPP 5G Service Based Architecture locations to enable lower latency services
Standalone Architecture (SA)

NSSF NEF NRF PCF UDM AF

Nnssf Nnef Nnrf Npcf Nudm Naf

Nausf Namf Nsmf

AUSF AMF SMF

NG-CP

N1 N2 N4

UE NR air i/f RAN N3 UPF N6 DN

Further reading:
https://www.academia.edu/36284890/5G_Network_Architecture (2017)
 5G within a multi-RAT network deployment
Mobile backhaul (transmission)

Resilient PRTC
sync source
Openreach Point to point 21C IP/MPLS network
DWDM solution (OSA-FC) (P routers not illustrated)

3G
D D
Mobile
21C W W 21C
4G1 CSG NTU NTU core
nxλ PE D D PE
networks2
(can bypass M M
5G CSG & NTU)

E-Band

E-band millimetre Passive optical 1 - 2G is supported on the same base station as 4G (SRAN/Multi-RAT)
wave radio system filters 2 - Includes BSC for 2G, RNC for 3G and IP Sec GW for 2G, 4G and 5G

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 Optical backhaul solutions

EAD1000

4G CSG

5G CSG

XG-210

OSA-FC
16 CSM

17 Note: Photo from lab environment, doesn’t represent actual deployed configuration
 Frequency and phase synchronisation

Resilient PRTC
sync source
Openreach Point to point 21C IP/MPLS network
DWDM solution (OSA-FC) (P routers not illustrated)

3G
D D
Mobile
21C W W 21C
4G1 CSG NTU NTU core
nxλ PE D D PE
networks2
(can bypass M M
5G CSG & NTU)

E-Band

E-band millimetre Passive optical 1 - 2G is supported on the same base station as 4G (SRAN/Multi-RAT)
wave radio system filters 2 - Includes BSC for 2G, RNC for 3G and IP Sec GW for 2G, 4G and 5G

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The introduction of E-band radio systems
71 - 76 GHz paired with 81 - 86 GHz

• Target architecture is a single E-band radio hop between a hub site and sub-
tended site (child site)

• Radio link to be planned to 99.99% atmospheric availability @ ref mod scheme

• Link can provide 6Gbps at up to 1.5km with 500 MHz channels and 256 QAM in
2+0 CCDP - XPIC configuration

• E-band radio will take power from indoor mounted DC power source

• Traffic feeds to/from all outdoor E-band radio units will be via cell site gateway

E-band Frequency plan - source: Ofcom

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 5G edge cloud - lowering latency through distributed service platforms

Resilient PRTC
sync source
Openreach Point to point 21C IP/MPLS network
DWDM solution (OSA-FC) (P routers not illustrated)

3G
D D
Mobile
21C W W 21C
4G1 CSG NTU NTU core
nxλ PE D D PE
networks2
(can bypass M M
5G CSG & NTU)

E-Band 5G Edge Cloud3

E-band millimetre Passive optical

wave radio system filters
1 - 2G is supported on the same base station as 4G (SRAN/Multi-RAT)
2 - Includes BSC for 2G, RNC for 3G and IP Sec GW for 2G, 4G and 5G

20 3 - Enables RAN functional decomposition, distributed UPF and service platforms

 So, what have we deployed so far?

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5G rollout progress - 80 locations by May 2020

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 NGMN White Paper v2: https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/NGMN-5G-White-Paper-2.pdf
Further reading:

Source:https://www.academia.edu/41625209/Design Source: https://www.theiet.org/impact-society/factfiles/engineering-safety-

23 _and_Deployment_of_the_EE_5G_Network factfiles/allaying-health-concerns-regarding-5g-and-exposure-to-radio-waves/
Summary

• 5G supports enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Ultra Reliable and

Low latency Communications (URLLC) along with massive Machine Type
Communications (mMTC)

• 5G opens up new and exciting opportunities for industry verticals, including

private/non-public networks - it’s a lot more than just faster Internet to
smartphones…

• 5G will be deployed across a wide range of frequency bands to address a

range of use cases and deployment scenarios

• 5G will operate in fully licensed, license shared access and unlicensed

spectrum

• Next Generation Core network will enable new services such as network
slicing, low latency services and private/non-public network

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© British Telecommunications plc