A few newer tools in the 5G toolbox that will be implemented this year and beyond will help enable the rollout of 5G networks include Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) and Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN).

IAB will enable nodes to act as the backhaul instead of fiber in hard to reach places or where it is too expensive to deploy fiber. It will not replace fiber but be used in cases where wireless backhaul is more cost effective. Both AT&T and Verizon said late last year they were planning on using IAB starting this year.

According to an article from FierceWireless, 5G Americas President Chris Pearson said it’s a good tool when operators are densifying their networks, and he expects operators to look at it very closely and could be a very efficient way of helping you to deploy more small cells. It should improve capacity and coverage in some outdoor cases and provide indoor coverage by using an access point on top of a building or similar situation. IAB is more relevant for mmWave because lower frequency spectrum may be too valuable to use for backhauling and the higher bandwidth of mmWaves has the capacity to move large amounts of data.

For DDS, we recently published an article authored by R&S covering this topic. While the first phase of 5G NR is primarily based on time-division duplex (TDD) and uses unpaired frequency bands (typically in the 3.5 GHz frequency range), the second phase of 5G NR network deployments will use frequency-division duplex (FDD) mode, as almost 90 percent of the spectrum below 8 GHz is organized as paired frequency bands, where downlink and uplink use different frequencies. Most of the targeted frequency bands, however, are already in use by 4G LTE. So, by adding spectrum sharing capabilities to the 5G NR standard, this spectrum can be accessed while in use, enabling coexistence between 4G LTE and 5G NR.

The sharing of the spectrum allows network operators a smooth transition from LTE to 5G without the need for spectrum re-farming. While this has been it the 5G NR specifications, the second generation of handset ICs are needed before this feature can be utilized so will probably start being implemented later this year.

According to the O-RAN Alliance, “future RANs will be built on a foundation of virtualized network elements, white-box hardware and standardized interfaces that fully embrace O-RAN’s core principles of intelligence and openness. An ecosystem of innovative new products is already emerging that will form the underpinnings of the multi-vendor, interoperable, autonomous, RAN, envisioned by many in the past, but only now enabled by the global industry-wide vision, commitment and leadership of O-RAN Alliance members and contributors.” O-RAN seems to be catching on lately especially in the US, Europe and Japan while not as much in China. With the vendor community for cellular complete infrastructure systems limited to about 5 or 6 companies, which can limit a network operator’s agility and flexibility to adapt to new applications. But with 5G being software driven, it opens up the change to have a common set of standardized hardware that is interchangeable among suppliers giving the operators flexibility and ability to quickly change the network via software.

In August of last year, Nokia claimed the world’s first commercially deployed 5G cloud RAN. According to an RCRWireless article, Mark Atkinson, head of 5G and small cells business unit at Nokia’s Mobile Networks Business Group, said, “Cloud RAN is key to achieving higher scalability and a more agile business. As service providers deploy 5G, they will face the need to extend their subscriber base and offer new types of services to address the enterprise market, particularly those in the industrial sectors, where performance and reliability is key.”

Just last week at Qualcomm’s virtual MWC press conference, Japan’s Rakuten Mobile announced it has launched the world’s first end-to-end fully virtualized cloud-native 5G mobile network. They also are teaming up with mobile operator TPG to test 5G open RAN solutions in Singapore. The 5G technology collaboration aligns with Rakuten’s open, multivendor network approach, and aims to accelerate the adoption of next-generation networks built on open interfaces.

There are many new aspects of 5G NR that are in the current and planned release, but these are a few that are taking the forefront in deployments this year and next as we realize the power of 5G.