We have covered various topics in our blog posts on millimeter wave spectrum and even going beyond 52.6 GHz in FR2. A Qualcomm webinar from back in January expands on many of the topics that I looked superficially in various posts (links at the bottom).
The following is edited from the Qualcomm blog post:
5G NR in unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) was standardized in Release 16 and it is a key enabler for the 5G expansion to new use cases and verticals, providing expanded spectrum access to mobile operators, service providers, and industry players. At the same time, we are starting to push the mmWave boundary to even higher bands toward the sub-Terahertz (i.e., >100 GHz) range. Expected in Release 17, 5G NR will support spectrum bands up to 71 GHz, leveraging the 5G NR Release 15 scalable numerology and flexible framework. This opens up 5G to operate in the globally unlicensed 60 GHz band, which can fuel a broad range of new applications and deployments.
One daunting challenge that mobile operators will face when expanding 5G mmWave network coverage is the cost of deploying additional base stations for mmWave, which usually requires new fiber optics backhaul installations. Release 16-defined IAB allows a base station to not just provide wireless access for its user devices (e.g., smartphones) but also the ability to backhaul wirelessly via neighboring base stations using the same mmWave spectrum. IAB opens the door to more flexible densification strategies, allowing mobile operators to quickly add new base stations to their networks before having to install new fiber to increase backhaul capacity.
Release 16 established foundational IAB capabilities, such as dynamic topology adaptation for load balancing and blockage mitigation, and Release 17+ will further enhance IAB by bringing new features like full-duplex operation, topology redundancy, and ML-based network management.
Beyond IAB, there is a rich roadmap of other new features that can further improve 5G mmWave system performance and efficiency. The webinar embedded below is presented by Ozge Koymen, Senior Director, Technology, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. It covers the following topics:
- Qualcomm's vision for 5G mmWave and the new opportunities it poises to bring for the broader ecosystem
- mmWave capabilities and enhancements coming in Release -16 and beyond
- Qualcomm’s role in mobilizing and democratizing 5G mmWave to usher in new experiences
- Latest update on the global commercial rollout of 5G mmWave networks and devices
Slides of the presentation are available here.
Related Posts:
- Free 6G Training: Spectrum for 5G, Beyond 5G and 6G research
- The 3G4G Blog: A mmWave Special Cell in Open RAN Environment
- The 3G4G Blog: Spectrum for 5G NR beyond 52.6 GHz
- The 3G4G Blog: 5G Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) Enhancements in Rel-17
- The 3G4G Blog: Carrier Aggregation (CA) and Dual Connectivity (DC)
- The 3G4G Blog: The Politics of Standalone vs Non-Standalone 5G & 4G Speeds
I may have to dig up all the old Slides from MNO along with finding any update. But unless something has significantly changed in the past 12 months the slides from Qualcomm are.... wishful thinking.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing fundamentally new with mmWave and IAB purposed or shown in the slides, they are just small / nano cell whatever terminology they want to use. The use case they shown in Italy, where Italy is actually planning to use mmWave as residential usage. Not mobile phone. And I am not aware of any other countries other than US that has full plan to roll our mmWave for Mobile Phones. They are at best a small trial and at worst a demonstration.
The problem was never really technical. but economical. Who is paying for the additional IAB? Even if we ignore the cost of IAB equipment and installation itself, you still have to pay power, network and most importantly rent. Even in places like EU where mobile data cost are far cheaper than in US, they have problem making a good case for these investment.
Do I want unlimited coverage with IAB ? Yes. But unless government allow installation of these IAB in public property ( which is a whole political drama in itself ) I dont see how they can be done within the current economic and business model.