Latest update from 3GPP meeting regarding 5G acceleration
Acceleration is a vector quantity that is defined as the rate at which an object changes its velocity...let's see how fast this gets through (hint - not as fast as the marketing department)
2. 2â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This week we are attending the RAN#75 Plenary in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Given the importance of
this meeting w.r.t. the advancement of 5G/NR (New Radio) and outside interest in at least one
multi-company proposal, we decided to issue a very quick Signals Flash!, based on where things
stand at this time. Following the completion of the entire Plenary, we will publish a far more
detailed synopsis in our Signals Ahead series of reports.
As always, unlike our subscription-based Signals Ahead reports, you may forward this Signals
Flash! report to whomever you want.
â€â€ 5G Ahead. Although the idea of completing the NSA (Non-Standalone) implementation of 5G/
NR (eMBB only) has been around since June 2016, it recently garnered a lot of media attention,
thanks to a well-timed press release by many of its sponsors. This time around, the proposal
made its way through 3GPP.
â€â€ 5G â Itâs Official. Prior to this plenary, 3GPP reached consensus regarding the terminology/
marketing term for the next-generation technology currently being defined within the stan-
dards body. It is now known as 5G â surprise.
â€â€ What is in and What is Out. The big decisions for this plenary involve what is in and what is
out of Release 15 (work items), not to mention Release 16 study items. The dust hasnât quite
settled on near-term 5G/NG-RAN functionality, but the writing is on the wall for a least a few
key features that we earlier suggested probably wouldnât make the cut. Spectrum prioritization
is another hot topic.
â
3. 3â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
Unlike our more in-depth Signals Ahead research reports, there are not any restrictions associ-
ated with the redistribution of this document. Recipients of Signals Flash! may share this docu-
ment both internally within their organization and externally with reckless abandon. In fact,
we encourage it! In addition to providing near-real-time commentary and analysis of industry
noteworthy events, Signals Flash! provides readers with a summary of past and planned research
reports that we offer through our subscription-based Signals Ahead research product. We have
also taken the opportunity to promote a couple of our most recent and futuristic reports for
readers of this Signals Flash! who donât subscribe to Signals Ahead.
5G AHEAD (NSA OPTION 3)
Just prior to MWC, a consortium of companies issued a press release which advocated their
support for an accelerated 5G/NR timeline. In summary, the proposal (RP-170666) sought to
accelerate one of multiple network deployment options for the new air interface, specifically the
Non-Standalone (NSA) Option 3, which leverages the existing LTE core network (EPC) in combina-
tion with the new air interface and LTE (i.e., dual-connectivity). The accelerated timeline moves
the completion of Option 3 to December 2017 (ASN.1 done in March 2018) with the completion
of the Release 15 specification remaining unchanged, or June 2018 (ASN.1 done in September 2018).
In total, there were at one time as many as twelve different options, although 3GPP very quickly
determined that four of the options were irrelevant, although conversely some of the eight
remaining options have various permutations, meaning that there are really more than eight
options remaining. We refer Signals Ahead readers to our June 2016 report (SA 06/29/16, â5G
Standardization Update: When the Marketing Tail Wags the Technology Dogâ) for a complete
explanation of these various deployment options. We refer non-Signals Ahead subscribers to the
subscription page on the back page of this Signals Flash!
Many operators and vendors are interested in accelerating Option 3 because if vendors know the
Layer 1 and Layer 2 implementation then they can turn the FGPA-based solutions that we saw
at Mobile World Congress into silicon and start designing commercially-deployable solutions.
Although operators will eventually deploy a brand new 5G core network, in the interim they
will continue to use their existing LTE EPC. Therefore, by focusing on Option 3, which also has
a couple of variants, they will meet their deployment schedules, which canât wait for June 2018.
The interest in accelerating Option 3 isnât new and weâve been writing about it since last June
when Vodafone proposed it at an earlier RAN Plenary that we attended in South Korea. For
various reasons, both stated and unstated, some operators and vendors were opposed to the
idea. Long story short, 3GPP kept kicking the can down the road with the hope that one day the
member companies would approve the proposal. As we wrote at various times last year, there
really wasnât any need for 3GPP to make a decision until March 2017 so delaying the decision until
now really didnât have a big impact.
There was a fair amount of interest in the press and analyst community regarding the companies
who did and didnât publicly endorse the accelerated schedule in the press release. Ultimately, the
âreal listâ of endorsing companies â per the 3GPP submission â also includes Apple, Broadcom,
Cisco, Nokia, Samsung, and Verizon. Two of those names â Samsung and Verizon â are espe-
cially noteworthy since they were staunch opponents of the accelerated schedule. ZTEâs name
was included in the press release, but it was also against the accelerate schedule until now. We
explored the rationale behind each companyâs reluctance in earlier Signals Ahead reports.
The interest in accelerating
Option 3 isnât new and weâve
been writing about it since
last June when Vodafone
proposed it at an earlier RAN
Plenary.
4. 4â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
MediaTek, China Unicom, China Telecom, Telefonica, and others submitted a counter proposal
(RP-170675), which also proposed an accelerated schedule for Option 3. Many of the differences
between the two proposals seemed to be semantics, but ultimately the general concern from
all member companies is that the accelerated schedule for Option 3 (eMBB functionality only)
shouldnât result in a solution that is incompatible with the final Release 15 specification, which
also includes the Standalone mode (5G core network) and a litany of other features that 3GPP will
be deciding later this week. For example, with what could be interpreted as a humorous touch,
the MediaTek proposal used the term âslushâ to refer to the interim work on Option 3, which is
somewhat frozen, but subject to evolve into the full Release 15 specification, including SA mode.
Meanwhile, the counter proposal from Vodafone et. al. used the term âintermediate freeze.â
Hopefully, both sides recognize that when freezes turn into slush/partial freezes and then back
into freezes that you end up with pot holes.
After a bit of back and forth haggling on the text used in the joint proposal, everyone came
together and endorsed a way forward. One haggling point involved the matter of backward
compatibility â both sides wanted to allow for backward incompatible change requests (CRs)
post March 2018 without implying that there would likely be an incompatible version of Release
15 (NSA only) in December 2018. The second point of discussion involved the naming convention
for the version of Release 15 which includes the NSA only functionality with Option 3. Here, 3GPP
agreed to use âintermediate implementable version with frozen ASN.1â when referring to the
March 2018 status of the accelerated work.
Outside of 3GPP, the semantics of the final text in the 3GPP-endorsed proposal isnât relevant.
What is relevant is that 3GPP agreed to the new schedule, which leaves the overarching Release 15
schedule unchanged and which benefits operators and vendors who want 5G/NR sooner rather
than later. We personally donât see an immediate need for a new air interface. Mobile operators
in Japan and South Korea who have very advanced networks also have an abundance of capacity
given the densification of their networks. Operators in other parts of the world are generally
behind the curve when it comes to supporting advanced LTE functionality in their networks.
Giving them 5G functionality in 2018 might be nice for their marketing campaigns, but if they
were serious about their networks then most of these operators could do more with what they
already have or could have with LTE.
Accelerating certain aspects of Release 15 doesnât decrease the risks that the industry gets a new
technology that is sub-optimal. Conversely, it doesnât necessarily increase the risk either since
the Layer 1 and Layer 2 functionality required for NSA and SA options would need to be done in
December to meet the Release 15 completion date of June 2018. Put another way, the âacceler-
ated scheduleâ merely puts in writing the implied Release 15 schedule that was needed all along
to meet the full completion of the Release 15 specification in time.
Itâs Official â Itâs 5G!
As we have written in the past, although 3GPP has been working on 5G for quite some time,
it hasnât been working on 5G at all. By this statement, we mean that the term 5G was never an
officially endorsed term. Only the ITU can anoint the term 5G on a technology and it wonât be
able to do so in an official capacity until after 3GPP makes its Release 16 submission and the ITU
approves it as 5G. Nonetheless, 3GPP needed to assign some sort of name to all the work it is
doing so thus began the back and forth debate for the best name.
Hopefully, both sides
recognize that when freezes
turn into slush/partial
freezes and then back into
freezes that you end up with
pot holes.
The âaccelerated scheduleâ
merely puts in writing the
implied Release 15 schedule
that was needed all along.
5. 5â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
Engineers arenât marketers and marketers arenât engineers so that is why we have the term LTE.
Mobile WiMAX is actually a pretty good name and it appropriately defines the underlying basis
of the technology. Then again, Mobile WiMAX failed to achieve long-term marketing success, in
part due to technical (i.e., engineering) principles. As a side note, 3GPP never intended for LTE to
be labeled 4G but the marketing teams from various operators stole the show and awarded it the
moniker, along with HSPA+, HSDPA Cat 10, and pretty much any technology that was better than
3G. 3GPP intended for LTE-Advanced (Release 10) to become 4G, but some circles now consider
Release 10 to be 4.5G.
Of course, all of this labeling of technologies is really meaningless. A US operator is already
advertising its 5G solution, which it will launch later this year and which will support a whop-
ping 450 Mbps, or less than half the peak data speed possible in todayâs Telstra network. We
also recall that Broadcom temporarily used the term 5G to refer to 802.11ac several years ago.
Further, it is hard to explain why a Release 15 network, which only supports eMBB functionality
with an LTE core network deserves to be called 5G since by all accounts it fails to meet the
expectations of NGMN. Our personal preference is to continue to avoid using the term 3G, 4G,
etc. and to instead define the underlying capabilities of the network. An LTE-Advanced network
with 4-carrier CA, 4x4 MIMO and 256-QAM, not to mention uplink CA and uplink 64-QAM is
fundamentally different and a heck of a lot better than an LTE-Advanced network with 2-carrier
CA even though they both are entitled to be called 4G (or is that 4.5G or 4.9G J)?
Getting to the point of this section, 3GPP will now use 5G on all Release 15 and beyond specifica-
tions. The âbeyondâ point is noteworthy since it indicates 5G will extend well beyond Release 16,
just as 3G started with Release â99 and continues today with Release 14 and Release 15. Another
point, although a bit of a technicality, is that 3GPP also endorsed the term âNG-RANâ to refer to
a radio access network that connects to a 5G core network. This radio access network could be
either eLTE (LTE Release 15 and beyond) or based on the new 5G/NR air interface.
What is In and What is Out â Let the Food Fight Begin
Separate from the accelerated schedule for Option 3, there remains a lot of uncertainty
regarding the full functionality of Release 15, including LTE-Advanced Pro and HSPA+. Then there
is the selection of Release 16 study items â a key precursor to getting full 5G functionality that
is consistent with the NGMN requirements and the ITU guidelines for IMT-2020. There simply
isnât enough time in the day (and night) to include everything that everyone wants. We anticipate
3GPP will make a lot of important decisions later in the week while kicking the can down the road
regarding other proposals.
In addition to the basic technical features, there is also the matter of prioritizing which frequency
bands and frequency band combinations involving NR (New Radio) and LTE are included. We
already sense that 3GPP will move in the direction that we suggested it might do back in
November for one of the key 5G use cases. We also note that there are already indications that
LTE will be closely examined for supporting/partially supporting some of the use cases that are
traditionally considered to be 5G/NR use cases. Lastly, it also appears as if some of the vendor
demonstrations and slideware that we saw at MWC pertaining to NR and LTE coexistence will
remain off the table for Release 15, at least for the time being. Until next time, be on the lookout
for the next Signals AheadâŠ.
Engineers arenât marketers
and marketers arenât
engineers so that is why we
have the term LTE.
All of this labeling of
technologies is really
meaningless.
LTE will be closely examined
for supporting/partially
supporting some of the 5G/
NR use cases.
6. VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STARâŠ
âŠAnd then in release 9, 3GPP created eMBSD
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VIDEO KILLED
THE RADIO STARâŠ
âŠAND THEN IN RELEASE 9, 3GPP CREATED eMBMS
NOW AVAILABLE!
7. 7â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
COMING SOON!
646.2 DEGREES
OF TESTING
QUANTIFYING THE BENEFITS OF
3-CARRIER CA WITH SUPPORT
FOR UP TO 1 GBPS AND
THE WORLDâS FIRST
4-CARRIER CA NETWORK
646.2 DEGREES OF TESTING
Quantifying the benefits of 3-carrier CA with support
for up to 1 gbps and the worldâs first 4-carrier
CA network
Included with an annual subscription to Signals Ahead
CONTACT INFORMATION
To purchase, call +1 (510) 273-2439 or email information@
signalsresearch.com. Subscription information for Signals Ahead,
which includes these reports, can be found on the last page of this
report. You can also visit our website at www.signalsresearch.com
or write us at
Signals Research Group
5300 Painter Creek Green
Independence, MN 55359
8. 8â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
KEEPING UP WITH THE JETSONS
A benchmark study of how LTE networks enable the
command and control of drones
Included with an annual subscription to Signals Ahead
CONTACT INFORMATION
To purchase, call +1 (510) 273-2439 or email information@
signalsresearch.com. Subscription information for Signals Ahead,
which includes these reports, can be found on the last page of this
report. You can also visit our website at www.signalsresearch.com
or write us at
Signals Research Group
5300 Painter Creek Green
Independence, MN 55359
COMING SOON!
KEEPING UP WITH
THE JETSONS
A BENCHMARK STUDY OF HOW LTE
NETWORKS ENABLE THE COMMAND AND
CONTROL OF DRONES
9. EXPLORE THE
WORLD OF
5GWIRELESS
January 31, 2012, Vol. 8 No. 2January 31, 2012, Vol. 8 No. 2Redefining Research
J F M A M J J A O N D J F M A M J J A S O NS
December 8, 2015â Vol. 11, No. 10
EXPLORING THE WORLD OF WIRELESS
GET SMART[ER]
UNDERSTANDING THE INS AND OUTS OF THE 5G USE CASES
January 31, 2012, Vol. 8 NoJanuary 31, 2012, Vol. 8 NoRedefining Research
J F M A M J J A O N D J F M A M JS
December 8, 2015â Vol. 11, No
EXPLORING THE WORLD OF WIRELE
MORE 5G
January 31, 2012, Vol. 8 No. 2January 31, 2012, Vol. 8 No. 2Redefining Research
J F M A M J J A O N D J F M A M J J A S O NS
September 30, 2015â Vol. 11, No. 8
EXPLORING THE WORLD OF WIRELESS
LOOKING FURTHER
AHEAD TO 5.5G1
UPDATES ON THE 3GPP 5G STANDARDIZATION EFFORTS
1
Feel free to note the sarcasm
New subscribers to SIGNALS AHEAD will receive up to four
5G-related back issues FOR FREE with a paid subscription.
...with more
to come!
FOLLOW THE 5G STANDARDIZATION EFFORT AS IT HAPPENS
January 31, 2012, Vol. 8 No. 2December 8, 2015â Vol. 11, No. 10 PREVIEWJanuary 31, 2012, Vol. 8 No. 2January 31, 2012, Vol. 8 No. 2Redefining Research
J F M A M J J A O N D J F M A M J J A S O NS
December 22, 2015â Vol. 11, No. 11 PREVIEW
EXPLORING THE WORLD OF WIRELESS
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11. 11â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
SIGNALS AHEAD BACK ISSUES
†2/16/17 âVideo Killed the Radio StarâŠand then in
Release 9, 3GPP created eMBMSâ In this Signals Ahead
report we provide results from the industry's first and only inde-
pendent benchmark study of unicast and eMBMS, including both
video performance and the impact on the network. For this study
we used the Telstra commercial LTE network in Australia where
Ericsson is the infrastructure supplier.
Highlights of the Report include the following:
Our Thanks. This study could not have been done without the
support of Spirent Communications and Accuver Americas. These
companies provided us with the test equipment that we used to
evaluate the video delivery performance of eMBMS and unicast
(Spirent Communications â Chromatic test platform), as well as the
impact on the network (Accuver â XCAL and XCAP).
Our Approach. We tested simultaneously with two different
smartphones within a MBSFN Service Area located just outside of
Sydney (Band 28). The Galaxy S5 smartphone supported eMBMS
and the Galaxy S7 streamed a video using unicast, including direct
streaming via VLC for Android and YouTube.
The KPIs. For video performance we analyzed the observed frame
rate, including video freezes, video impairments, and A/V synchro-
nization. For the network analysis, we focused primarily on SINR/
SNR, resource block (RB) utilization, and sub-frame allocations.
The Jury is In. Although the eMBMS market has been slow to
develop, it has nothing to do with the technical merits of eMBMS.
We identified and quantified substantial differences between the
eMBMS SNR and the unicast SINR, thereby validating the merits of
SFN (single frequency network). Most importantly, we document
how the business case for eMBMS is justified with very, very few
broadcast subscribers in each cell within the MBSFN Service Area.
Barcelona and then Croatia. We are soon headed off to Barcelona
and a week at MWC. We then head to Croatia for RAN#75, where
5G should move from a study item to a work item.
†1/9/17 âFinding MIMO: Quantifying the Impact of 4x4
MIMO in a Commercial LTE Networkâ In this Signals Ahead
report we provide the results from the industry's first and only
independent performance analysis of 4x4 MIMO. For this study
we used the T-Mobile commercial LTE network in the Minneapolis
market where Nokia is the infrastructure supplier.
Highlights of the Report include the following:
Our Approach. We burned through more than 9 SIM cards (28 GB
each) while transferring data on Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphones.
We purchased one S7 from a T-Mobile store. This phone supported
4x4 MIMO, 256-QAM, and a 4-way receive antenna architecture, as
well as uplink 64-QAM. We also purchased an unlocked S7 from a
Best Buy store. This phone did not support any of these features.
We configured the phones so that they only operated in Band 4
to maximize the potential use of 4x4 MIMO. We used the Datum
application from Spirent Communications in order to generate the
downlink and uplink traffic.
The Tease. Over the course of all testing, including various
morphologies and clusters of 4x4 and 2x2 MIMO sites, we observed
that the median downlink data rate for the T-Mobile S7 was 55%
higher than the Best Buy S7.
The Detailed Analysis. In the main body of the report we analyze
the performance differences between the two smartphones in
excruciating detail. We quantify the incremental benefits of RI =
3/4 only, 256-QAM only, and mixed use of 256-QAM and RI = 3/4, as
well as the benefits of a 4-way receive antenna architecture.
What about Power? We quantify how the LTE-Advanced features
that we tested impacted battery life, including normalized results
which take into consideration differences in measured data speeds.
What about the Uplink? Following our major study of uplink
performance, based on testing in Seoul, South Korea, we revisit
the impact of uplink 64-QAM on the uplink performance with a
particular focus on the probability that the mobile device uses the
higher modulation scheme.The findings are surprising..
†11/29/16 âThe Politics of 5G Standardization: An
Eleventh Hour Kumbaya, or Rock-Paper-Scissorsâ We
recently attended the RAN working group meetings which were
jointly held, along with the SA2 working group, in Reno, NV. As
part of our series of reports on the 5G standardization process,
we provide an update on the recent activities pertaining to the
new air interface as well as discuss the overall 3GPP standardiza-
tion process.
Highlights of the Report include the following:
The Standardization Process. Despite 3GPP attendance at record
levels, very few people in the industry have actually attended a
meeting. Therefore, we provide some perspectives on how the
whole process works and how companies try to work together for
a common goal. Most of the time it works quite well while other
times it doesnât.
eMBB Channel Coding. 3GPP came to an agreement of sorts on a
way forward for eMBB channel coding (mMTC and URLLC channel
coding is TBD). We provide our perspectives on the decisions that
were made, why they were made, and what it might mean.
Channel Modeling Revisited. We earlier discussed our concerns
about the channel model (> 6 GHz) being used during the stan-
dardization process. Although we have no new insight to suggest
the model is or isnât flawed, we do have greater insight into its
importance and how inaccurate simulations could result in poor
decisions.
What about Power? The knock on these two features is that they
are perceived to have a big impact on the current consumption/
battery life. Therefore we provide results from several tests which
look into the power efficiency of uplink CA and uplink 64-QAM.
5G Lite? We question what, if any, incremental benefits 5G/NR
offers versus LTE-Advanced Pro in spectrum below 6 GHz. We also
question whether or not 3GPP should include URLLC in Release 15.
12. 12â | â Signals Flashâ March 7, 2017
ON THE HORIZON: POTENTIAL SIGNALS AHEAD/SIGNALS FLASH! TOPICS
We have identified a list of pending research topics that we are currently considering or presently working on completing.
The topics at the top of the list are definitive with many of them already in the works. The topics toward the bottom of
the page are a bit more speculative. Obviously, this list is subject to change based on various factors and market trends.
As always, we welcome suggestions from our readers.
5G Standardization
â€â€ 5G from a 3GPP Perspective (ongoing series of reports â published quarterly or as warranted)
Thematic Reports
â€â€ Mobile Edge Computing and the impact of data caching at the cell edge
â€â€ LTE and the Connected Car
â€â€ Cloud RAN
â€â€ LTE-Advanced Pro features, opportunities and challenges
Benchmark Studies
â€â€ HetNet/small cells performance benchmark study
â€â€ OTA Benchmark Study of smartphones, part II (TM2, etc.)
â€â€ 1 Gbps LTE
â€â€ VoLTE Part Seven â Impact of QCI=2 with video telephony and its impact on the user experience
â€â€ Carrier Aggregation with LAA/LTE-U/LWA
â€â€ Network impacts (to include signaling) of using various smartphone OS platforms and/or applications (video,
VoLTE, social networking, etc.)
â€â€ Uplink CoMP network benchmark study
â€â€ Chips and Salsa â LTE TDD chipset benchmark study
â€â€ MU-MIMO