What is 5G NR? Learn about the new radio standard

What is 5G NR

5G sets new standards for mobile communications in many new ways, including opening up spectrum above 6 GHz that was previously unavailable for cellular services.

The mobile network technology has already begun supporting non-standalone (NSA) 5G using Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure. It is about to complete the standalone (SA) architecture that does not rely on 4G.

The Radio Access Technology (RAT) 3GPP developed for 5G created a dual frequency range system to differentiate between radio technologies:

• FR1, operating frequency below 6GHz
• FR2, including the frequency band above 24 GHz and the high frequency range above 50 GHz

3GPP named the new air interface of 5G 5G New Radio (NR). Like LTE, the term describes the wireless technology that enables speed, functionality, and speed. In June 2016, the first 5G NR specifications were part of 3GPP's RAN Evolution LTE documented in Release 14. 3GPP accelerated these specifications in 2017 to get non-standalone technology up and running as soon as possible.

That means making significant improvements to existing 4G cellular networks, like LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro. These enhancements enable LTE to support sub-6GHz 5G and faster, more reliable wireless networks.

How 5G NR works

5G utilizes orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, a waveform modulation technique also used by LTE and IEEE802.11 (Wi-Fi).

The technology provides 5G with enhanced flexibility for multiple use cases. It enables 5G to support multiple spectrum bands, including mmWave, with higher available bandwidth. Specialized techniques such as scalable subcarrier spacing and massive MIMO are required for radio beam steering and forming to mitigate the challenges of mmWave propagation.

The OFDM waveform principle is well suited for radio operation in the highly fragmented spectrum availability conditions that exist in most countries. According to EDN Network, it uses a "digital multi-carrier modulation method in which a large number of closely spaced orthogonal sub-carrier signals are used to carry data on multiple parallel streams or channels. Information is transmitted over multiple parallel narrowbands rather than a single wideband.

3 5G NR Application Areas

Enhanced Mobile Broadband: For data-intensive applications such as HD streaming video, edge computing, computer vision, gaming, and other streaming applications.

Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications: Suitable for critical applications such as command and control functions in autonomous robots, drones and vehicles, and remote control in healthcare and manufacturing services.

Massive machine communications: Supporting massive IoT, connecting millions of sensors and low-power devices at scale.

Connecting to 4G LTE and 5G NR networks

Large-scale commercial 5G networks are beginning to achieve usable coverage. Major telecom operators have made significant progress in deployment thanks to dynamic spectrum sharing. DSS allows connected devices to use a single frequency band for 4G LTE and 5G through an allocation scheme based on device needs and available RAT resources.

DSS enables operators to provide 5G services while upgrading local area networks. Operators can calibrate spectrum resource allocation more synchronously based on user demand for 5G.

Despite its initial reliance on LTE architecture, 5G NR is not backwards compatible and represents a quantum leap in cellular technology.

The push for LTE network enhancements connected 15 billion IoT devices in 2015. In 2018, it began delivering gigabit speeds in some limited applications. As a result of these advances, 5G has begun delivering eMBB and URLLC services from non-standalone networks.

However, 5G’s revolutionary service support capabilities require standalone (SA) 5G networks to be realized.

In April 2019, China Telecom, State Grid and Huawei announced the completion of the first successful power slicing test based on the 5GSA network. China Mobile also announced the first 5GSA network field test with Huawei and Baidu.

By the end of 2021, more than 20 vendors had launched 5G SA mid- and low-band networks. This number is expected to double by 2022.