Page 97 - Kaleidoscope Academic Conference Proceedings 2020

Industry-driven digital transformation

Table 1 – Different Paths for Nationwide 5G/E5G Deployment
Path Main Factors and Features Considerations for Network Operators
• 5G early deployment with minimum CapEx • There is a need to estimate 5G early customers
• Ideal when 4G is widely available and the aim is to smoothly reach SA 5G before E5G/6G
• 5G eMBB services can be provisioned
1→ 3→7→4/2 • 5G devices are available to support Options 3/3A/3X • Not recommended when the aim is fast provisioning of 5G services to vertical customers
• 4G is utilized for longer periods • Suitable when the aim is to smoothly prepare for 5GC, NFV, and SDN
• Suitable for Tier 2/3 operators
• 5G early deployment with minimum CapEx • Switching from NSA to SA is costly
• 4G spectrum can be re-farmed after Phase 1
1→3→4/2 • 4G facilities can be leveraged • Recommended for rapid growth of 5G traffic and customers (after 2022)
to start and gradually expand 5G • Recommended for Tier 1 operators and rapid expansion of 5G
• 5G full-scale deployment • High CapEx
• Long TTM • Need mature SDN, NFV, and E2E orchestrator in short time
1→4/2 • Provisioning all 5G services by enabling NS • Initial revenue may not be satisfactory
• NR works in SA mode and CN is 5GC (all modified • Forward compatibility with Rel. 16-17 should be considered
from 4G) • Recommended for special use cases (e.g., delay-sensitive applications) and hotspots
• High CapEx
• Supports both 5GC/EPC NAS in initial deployment • Suitable when 4G coverage is extensive with high traffic
1→7→4/2 • Offers 5GC and NR capabilities • Suitable when NFV and SDN are implemented
• Utilizes 4G RAN and its spectrum in initial phase
• Not recommended when the aim is quick 5G deployment
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
Carrier
Carrier
Carrier
Choices Frequency BW Frequency BW Frequency BW Characteristics
mmWave 1 GHz
Phase 1: Provisioning 5G data rates to end-users
Low band (e.g., 800 Phase 2: Provisioning 5G services in deep areas
Choice 1 3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz 100 MHz MHz) 20 MHz Phase 3: Provisioning all 5G services reliably (including data rate hungry
3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz
100 MHz
services and in deep areas)
mmWave 1 GHz Phase 1: Provisioning 5G data rates to end-users
Choice 2 3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz 100 MHz Low band (e.g., 800 3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz 100 MHz Phase 2: Provisioning all 5G services reliably (including data rate hungry
services and in deep areas)
MHz) 20 MHz Phase 3: Increasing 5G capacity and coverage
mmWave 1 GHz Phase 1: Provisioning 5G data rates to end-users
Phase 2: Provisioning 5G services in deep areas (e.g., for IoT devices/sensors
in blind spots)
Choice 3 2.6 (2.496-2.69) GHZ 100 MHz 3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz 100 MHz Low band (e.g., 800 Phase 3: Provisioning all 5G services reliably (including data rate hungry
MHz) 20 MHz services and in deep areas)
Although 2.6 GHz is an important band in 4G, it can be used for 5G when 3.5
GHz band is not available.
mmWave 1 GHz Phase 1: Provisioning 5G data rates to end-users
Phase 2: Provisioning all 5G services reliably (including data rate hungry
Choice 4 2.6 (2.496-2.69) GHZ 100 MHz Low band (e.g., 800 3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz 100 MHz services and in deep areas)
Phase 3: Increasing 5G capacity and coverage
MHz) 20 MHz Although 2.6 GHz is an important band in 4G, it can be used for 5G when 3.5
GHz band is not available
mmWave 1 GHz
Phase 1: Provisioning 5G services in hotspots and deep areas
Choice 5 Low band (e.g., 800 3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz 100 MHz 3.5 (3.3-4.2) GHz 100 MHz Phase 2: Provisioning 5G broadband services to end-users
MHz) 20 MHz Phase 3: Increasing 5G capacity and coverage
Figure 2 – Different choices for 5G spectrum
3. RADIO ACCESS NETWORK DEPLOYMENT to as FR2 [12]. Although in mmWave bands, path loss is
considerable and propagation is not omnidirectional, but high
As stated in Section 2, the initial deployment of 5G RAN is bandwidth in excess of 400 MHz is available [12].
in the NSA mode, followed by the SA mode. For 5G RAN In order to deploy eMBB, as per GSMA and 3GPP, 80-100
deployment, one needs to consider the spectrum available for MHz in mid-band (3.5 GHz) and 1 GHz in mmWave bands
5G, the geographical coverage of 5G, as well as 5G RAN are needed. Continuous bandwidth is preferred as less power
architecture and technologies. In what follows, we discuss is consumed and less guard band is wasted. When mid-band
different choices/aspects pertaining to the above points. is not available, 80 MHz can be freed via refarming or DSS
or by acquiring more spectrum in the lower 2.6 GHz band.
3.1 5G and E5G Spectrum Depending on the traffic in 2G, 3G, and 4G networks,
operators can use DSS between different generations to
Some important points pertaining to 5G spectrum are the provide spectrum for 5G in low-band and mid-band. DSS
market size, service affordability, carrier aggregation (CA), implementation is simple and requires only a software
end-user device availability, and regulatory and licensing upgrade in LTE network [10, 13]. The bands for frequency
requirements. Spectrum for 5G and E5G includes: 1) below division multiplexing (FDD) in legacy networks (e.g., 800 and
1 GHz for services that require long range or deep coverage, 900 MHz) can be shared with 5G via DSS for fast roll-out of
e.g., IoT services, 2) 1 − 6 GHz for services that require high 5G. In 5G, as in previous generations, higher bands are used
data rates or medium coverage, and 3) above 6 GHz (including in small cells and lower bands in macro cells. DSS between
mmWaves) for very high data rates. The frequency spectrum gNBs and eNBs is discussed in [10], and Figure 2 shows
below 6 GHz is denoted by FR1, and above 6 GHz is referred different choices for 5G/E5G spectrum.

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