23.8.2018

– Deployments and technological evolution5G Test Network Finland (5GTNF) results seminar | 28.08.2020

Dr. Tech. Jarno Niemelä, Head of Mobile Access Technologies, Elisa

Agenda

• 5G network status

• 5G performance benchmark as

of today

• Technological and architectural

evolution

2

3

January 2014Population coverage 60%

December 2017Population coverage 99%

Elisa 4G network 2014-2017 and 5G cities5G network is expected to expand similarly to 4G

4G network

population

coverage

today

>99.9%

Elisa 5G network > 30 city centers so far and

population coverage > 20 %

Technology transition will always take some time

5G launch

4

5G will boost network traffic and complexity further

Private mobile networks

5G cities

and good MBB coverage

Cellular-IoT

Few Gbps top

speeds

Typically > 100

Mbps

10 yearsbattery lifetime

Inexpensive

IoT devices

10-100 Xmore devices

Excellent network

coverage

Millisec level

delays

Very

reliable

Enhanced mobile

broadband (eMBB)

Massive machine

type communications

(mMTC)

Ultrareliable and

low latency

communications

(URLLC)

5

6

Continuous traffic increaseEnhanced MBB and new 5G services will boost the network utilization further

0

200

400

600

800

1 000

1 200

1 400

1 600

1 800

4Q

05

4Q

06

4Q

07

4Q

08

4Q

09

4Q

10

4Q

11

4Q

12

4Q

13

4Q

14

4Q

15

4Q

16

4Q

17

4Q

18

4Q

19

4Q

20

4Q

21

4Q

22

4Q

23

4Q

24

4Q

25

TOTAL

5G

LTE

Example of 5G/NR only performanceExpected initial cell capacities around 500 Mbps

7

Dow

nlin

k p

hysic

alsh

are

dch

an

ne

l th

rou

gh

pu

t [M

bp

s]

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Median

Q3 (75th percentile)

Q1 (25th percentile)

IQR

Q3 + 1.5*IQR

Q1 - 1.5*IQR

Outliers

Outliers

IQR = Interquartile Range

Background:

- 5G/NR only

at 3.5 GHz

- 100 MHz BW

- No load, no

interference

- Drive tests

- Single site

Static 5G/4G indoor performance measurementsLower frequencies and/or indoor coverage solutions needed

8

• Measurement results showed

better user experience for 5G

• However, with roughly 10 dB

higher attenuation on 3.5 GHz

compared to 4G 1800/2100

MHz, 5G performance will• suffer from poorer absolute

coverage levels, and

• gain mostly from EN-DC (4G)

bitrates in poor coverage

locations

• Sub-3GHz are essential for 5G

standalone (SA) coverage

performance

Averages:

5G 625 Mbps

4G 250 Mbps

23.8.2018

Growing amount of radios in the site More radios require clear improvements to energy-efficiency

Sub-3 GHz are essential

to 4G with smooth

evolution to 5G with

DSS and/or pure 5G

3.5 GHz is essentially

the 5G base frequency

with good performance

and limited coverage

properties

26 GHz will provide

several Gbps user

experience, but will be

heavily limited by

coverage

700MHz

800MHz

2600 MHz

2100 MHz

1800 MHz

900MHz

9

2.6 GHz TDD provides

good addition to 4G

capacity and smooth

evolution to 5G

23.8.2018

• Virtualized platforms bring

flexibility and efficiency to

radio access

• Open, standardized interfaces

enables easier market entry

for new players

• Increased burden of test and

integrations models

• Additional investments on

fronthaul solutions

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Open RAN work has been ongoing for some timeSmall pilots and live installation already today

Source: ORAN alliance

23.8.2018

Radio access network evolutionBaseband processing to centralized mobile aggregation sites

5G AAU

Legacy radios

Legacy

baseband

Transmission (backhaul)

5G baseband

6x25G 3x10G

1G eth10G eth

Current radio base station

site structure

Towards transport and

core network (10G)

Anten

na

5G AAU

Legacy radios

Legacy

baseband

Fronthaul aggregation (site level)

6x25G

3x10G

1G eth

Towards

transport and

core network

(10G)

Anten

na

Future centralized/virtualized/open

radio bases station structure

Fronthaul

aggregation

(cluster

level)

Centralized

& virtualized

baseband

e.g., 4x100G

Multi-

edge

computing

(MEC)

Evolution towards

centralized, virtualized and

eventually open RAN will

boost technological and

service innovations!

Operator/Far-edge site

Radio siteRadio site

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23.8.2018

Sub 3 GHz

3 to 10 GHz

“Mid-bands”Coverage &

Capacity Layer

“Low-band” Coverage Layer

Above 24 GHz

“High-bands”Super Data Layer

eMBB, URLLC, mMTC

eMBB,

URLLC,

mMTC

eMBB, URLLC, mMTC

Towards higher frequencies

26 GHz

3500 MHz

2600 MHz

2100 MHz

1800 MHz

800 MHz

700 MHz

TDD2600 MHz

600 MHz

40

G

H

z

6000 MHz

~ 1 Gbps

~ 10 Gbps

~ 100 Gbps

1

T

H

z~ 1000 Gbps

26 GHz as first mmW frequency will essentially drive the

change of the network planning paradigm

900 MHz

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5G is already here to continue

mobile data capacity evolution, but

coverage and energy-efficiency

requires further innovations

5G status and evolution

Evolution of radio access towards

more open architecture with open

RAN would boost 5G technological

and service innovations

Reaching higher frequencies requires

paradigm change to mobile network planning

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