CommScope’s Viewpoint: Operators’ Network Efficiency Transformation in the 5G Era

Despite the impact of the "black swan" event of the COVID-19 pandemic, global 5G commercial construction is still in full swing in 2020. The latest report from GSA shows that as of September this year, more than 100 commercial 5G networks have been launched worldwide. At the same time, China's 5G network construction has ranked among the top in the world and plays an important role in the global 5G field. According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China has built more than 600,000 5G base stations, completing this year's 5G construction target ahead of schedule.

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For operators, although 5G technology itself cannot completely solve the long-standing problems of "pipelining" and "homogeneous competition" of their services, 5G has brought operators a new opportunity to improve network efficiency in all aspects. By planning different spectrums and combining different solutions, operators can build an efficient 5G network, thereby solving the problems faced by traditional operating models by improving efficiency. Specifically, operators can improve network efficiency from three aspects: achieving smooth convergence and evolution of 4G/5G antennas, introducing open RAN and dynamic spectrum sharing.

4G to 5G antenna evolution: smooth integration is the key

As the fifth generation of mobile communication technology, 5G integrates wired, wireless, core and optical transmission networks, and the construction of any node affects the operation efficiency of the entire 5G network. However, the deployment of 5G is not achieved overnight, and ensuring the smooth integration and evolution of 4G/5G is the key.

Compared with 4G, 5G, as a converged network, has high speed and high capacity, which are mainly driven by three factors: efficient NR (New Radio) channels, large-scale MIMO and wider channel bandwidth. 5G NR uses a new coding scheme. Under the same frequency band, equipment and configuration, 5G coding can improve efficiency by 15%-20%; and large-scale MIMO can increase capacity by 2-3 times compared with 4G, and can achieve coverage of more cells; in terms of bandwidth, 5G uses 60M-100MHz bandwidth, while 4G only has 20MHz bandwidth.

During the 5G deployment process, the antenna form and networking method used determine the capacity and coverage of the network. In terms of the evolution of antenna form, operators can upgrade the two system bands of FDD and TDD separately. Currently in the Asia-Pacific region, several common evolution forms include: for the low-frequency band (700/850/900M) and mid-frequency band (1800/2100/2600M) of the FDD system, operators can consider upgrading to 4T4R or dual beams according to the bandwidth and specific conditions of the ecosystem in the region. For the existing 4G band (2300/2600M) in the TDD system, operators can consider 8/32/64TR beamforming according to the specific coverage and capacity requirements to carry out 5G recultivation or simply increase 4G capacity; in the new frequency band of 3500-5000MHz in the TDD system, 8TR or 32/64TR beamforming can be considered as standard.

As we all know, 5G has two networking modes: non-standalone networking (NSA) and standalone networking (SA). In NSA, since 5G uplink and downlink use beamforming in the 3.5/2.6 GHz frequency band, its downlink coverage is basically the same as that of 4G below 3GHz, but 5G uplink coverage is somewhat insufficient compared to 4G. In this case, the 5G mobile station can use dual connection with the 4G uplink to compensate for the uplink coverage, so that the 5G mobile station uplink can reach the coverage of 4G and 5G downlink. For 5G SA, carrier aggregation can be performed through the 5G sub-3GHz frequency band and the 5G 3.5GHz frequency band to achieve uplink compensation, so that the uplink and downlink coverage are the same, thereby ensuring that the 5G 3.5GHz coverage matches the 4G coverage.

The deployment of 5G will be a long-term replacement, upgrade, and iteration process based on the 4G network. When operators configure RF, they need to comprehensively consider the evolution method based on the different spectrum, user distribution patterns, and cost investment to achieve the corresponding configuration. As an expert in antenna solutions, CommScope can provide a series of active/passive antenna solution toolkits to provide simplified and reliable deployment solutions for various upgrade situations faced by operators, ensuring the smooth integration of 4G/5G antennas during network evolution.

Open RAN interface enables flexible network deployment

To achieve more 5G innovations and generate more innovative services, the mobile industry is moving towards open RAN interfaces. With the official establishment of cooperation between the O-RAN Alliance and GSMA this year, I believe this trend will become more prominent in the future.

Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) is equivalent to open source in the mobile industry. It requires the use of chipsets to build a large number of different devices, which is the same as opening RAN interfaces and building modules to create multiple networks. There are many factors driving the industry to open interfaces, including interoperability with 4G networks on X2 signaling, virtualization makes small base stations easier to commercialize, the introduction of more suppliers and the flexibility to use different suppliers' inventory, enabling 5G to enter private and enterprise networks, and improving total cost of ownership.

In order to achieve more flexible network deployment and diversified structure, 5G technology introduces the concept of slicing. From the perspective of RAN, based on 3GPP R15, the functions of BBU (baseband processing unit) are divided into three parts: radio unit (RU), distribution unit (DU) and central unit (CU). Previously, BBU and RU had dedicated interfaces and needed to be supplied by the same supplier. After the introduction of O-RAN, the interfaces of each functional block can be made public and standardized, allowing different suppliers to participate, promoting the breadth and depth of the industrial chain, while achieving flexible network deployment, reducing user costs, so that new services can be introduced faster.

As an important member of the Open Fronthaul Interface Working Group (WG4) in the O-RAN Alliance, CommScope will work with the alliance and partners in the entire O-RAN ecosystem to create a more open and innovative 5G future.

Dynamic spectrum sharing to maximize network efficiency

For the wireless industry, spectrum is the basic resource for all operators' business operations, and spectrum sharing technology can improve the efficiency of the entire spectrum. Large enterprise factories, wireless operators, OTT companies and other emerging markets all have a wide demand for efficient spectrum sharing technology. Taking the industrial Internet of Things as an example, 5G technology has unlocked many IoT applications, including vertical industrial fields. Millions and tens of millions of machine-to-machine (M2M) connections in enterprise factories can be effectively managed through intelligent management to reduce management costs. However, the connection of these machines does not generate other added value. As these connections continue to use corresponding resources such as frequency, they have become costs that need to be optimized for enterprises. In contrast, continuing to purchase frequencies is obviously not as effective as adopting a dynamic spectrum sharing mechanism that rents on time and on demand.

Spectrum sharing is not a new term. In fact, we have been using wireless spectrum sharing since the emergence of wireless technology. For example, different terminals in the same location share the same wireless frequency through time division. Spectrum sharing not only shares the same frequency resources among users, but also allows different network elements and different networks to share a common spectrum in the same area at the same time. Through effective allocation, the utilization efficiency of the entire spectrum is improved, thereby improving the overall network efficiency.

A practical example of improving network efficiency through spectrum sharing is the CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) spectrum sharing solution introduced in the North American market on the 3.5GHz band. CBRS can achieve dynamic spectrum allocation and improve network efficiency by managing, allocating, terminating, and reallocating usage rights through a fully automatic mechanism. The solution can provide users with corresponding wireless spectrum usage rights based on their priority, the type of service they apply for, and the service fees they pay.

The core of the CBRS network is SAS (Spectrum Access System), which is equivalent to the "brain" of CBRS and has powerful dynamic allocation management functions. The SAS server can actively analyze the priority and business progress of each network element in the corresponding area, and dynamically adjust the transmission power of each network source to eliminate interference and ensure the service of high-priority users. CommScope has many years of accumulation in the field of CBRS networks, and actively participates in and promotes the relevant work of various forums and standardization organizations of CBRS around the world. As the world's leading SAS server provider, CommScope is also the only SAS manufacturer authorized by the two major operators in the United States.

Seize the opportunity of "overtaking on the curve"

In summary, 5G technology brings operators an opportunity to improve network efficiency in many aspects, and to improve network profitability by optimizing network efficiency to the maximum extent. Therefore, in the early stages of network construction, operators should rationally plan how to efficiently implement and build 5G networks based on the characteristics of their own networks and business goals. Only in this way can we seize the opportunity to "overtake on the curve" at the critical moment of the evolution of the new generation of technology.