Here are some 5G trends for year 2020:
It looked like 5G and wireless dominated the airways in 2019. It seems that year 2020 will be a real test for 5G if it will really take on or fails to full-fill the big expectations. It seems that 5G networks are available at some place here and there from many operators, but 5G end user devices are not yet widely available or desired. New year will bring more 5G base stations.
5G: How Much is Real vs. Marketing? Is 5G ready for prime time? Breaking down the marketing hype versus what’s really going on in the industry. Marketing claims 5G is pervasive. The question is when: 2020 or is it 2025?
First, let’s define 5G also known as 5G New Radio, or 5G NR:
There is sub-6-GHz 5G for the cellphone protocol that requires LTE: 5G NSA.
There is sub-6-GHz standalone 5G: 5G SA.
There is 20- to 60-GHz 5G: 5G mmWave.
It seems that 2020 will be the real test for 5G devices as the 5G device mass market has not yet really started. Samsung says it shipped 6.7M+ Galaxy 5G phones globally in 2019, accounting for 53.9% of the 5G phone market (Galaxy S10 5G and the Galaxy Note 10 Plus 5G). 2020 is expected to be an interesting year for 5G growth across the smartphone market. Increased 5G rollouts by carriers means that customers will presumably be more interested in actually buying 5G devices. One June 2019 forecast made by Canalys has global 5G smartphone shipments crossing 4G smartphone shipments in 2023.
5G will be integrated to some PCs. Dell debuts a new Latitude 9510 laptop with built-in 5G, to launch March 26.
Ericsson says they are now 5G networks leader according to Ericsson ylitti odotukset kirkkaasti: ”Olemme 5g-johtaja” article. Nokia has cut its outlook for this year and next because of the need to step up its investments in 5G but ‘We don’t have a 5G problem,’ says Nokia’s head of software.
5G will be a good growing market for test device manufacturers as engineers will once again need to sharpen their skill sets and adopt new design and testing techniques. A lot of 5G Component Characterization and Test will be needed.Delivering 5G Devices to Market Will Bank on OTA Testing.
Network side needs also testing equipment. One approach being adopted to gain ground in the race to 5G involves the rapid prototyping and testing of network architectures. There is need for programmable RF devices. Industry seems to want their own private networks.
5G components are available from many sources already. The typical RF component suppliers are all providing 5G solutions: Avago/Broadcom, Huawei, MediaTek, Murata/pSemi (previously known as Peregrine), Qualcomm, Qorvo, Samsung, and Skyworks.
Challenges: Even the sub-6-GHz versions have technical issues in that the 5G target “air time” latency is 1 to 4 ms. Typical RF component manufacturers appear to be providing components that focus only on the sub-6-GHz frequency bands. The geopolitical situation relative to 5G also adds confusion to the 5G timeline.
There are many technical issues must be considered in the utilization of mmWave: mmWave frequencies travel relatively small distances. the mmWave transmitters consume a considerable amount of transmit power, providing additional challenges for battery-operated devices.
5G in automotive: The automobile industry is experiencing exponential growth of self-driving features, and this trend is expected to continue. 5G network connections are expected to have a major influence on the development of self-driving cars making them faster, smarter, and safer. Where is car technology going in 2020?
As 5G work has started for many installers and marketers, the the researchers are already thinking about the nest step Beyond 5G chips. They are already planning technologies that could enable high-speed wireless devices beyond the 5G standard.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
In 2023, Look for Cellular Providers to Continue Their 5G Transformations
Jan. 23, 2023
Densification, automation, scaling up of private networks, and a push for monetization are among the trends Spirent sees for 5G in the coming year.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/article/21258560/spirent-communications-in-2023-look-for-cellular-providers-to-continue-their-5g-transformations?utm_source=EG+ED+Connected+Solutions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230119100&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
The telecommunications industry has been talking about 5G for so long, it can be easy to forget that we’re still in the early days of the technology. After the COVID disruptions that began in 2020, rollouts proceeded at a brisk pace in 2022, and millions of subscribers gained access to 5G services. This year, communication service providers (CSPs) in every market will take the next step. Based on our work helping mobile operators test new technologies and validate their networks, here are the biggest 5G trends we’re anticipating for 2023.
Operators Look to Densification, Core Evolution
5G has already brought more change to telecom networks than any previous cellular generation, and CSPs are still undergoing transformation. In 2023, most mobile operators will continue focusing on expanding 5G mid-band macro coverage. Some, however, will embark on the next big step in 5G rollouts: densification. We should see early production deployments using small cells and massive MIMO arrays this year.
2023 will also see CSPs push ahead with 5G standalone (SA) core migration—albeit slowly. The biggest challenge remains the complexity of operating and securing multi-vendor, cloud-native 5G SA environments. Operators will also need to weigh migration trade-offs as they work to guarantee performance and optimally align early deployments with their spectrum portfolios.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Every Block Covered: Noise and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in a 26 GHz 5G Front-End
https://blog.minicircuits.com/every-block-covered-noise-and-signal-to-noise-ratio-snr-in-a-26-ghz-5g-front-end/?utm_source=mwrf&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=personif-display-every-block-covered-snr&utm_campaign=02-23-display-ad
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wideband Connectorized Amplifiers Support Over-The-Air (OTA) Transmitter & Receiver Testing for 5G FR2 Bands
https://blog.minicircuits.com/wideband-connectorized-amplifiers-for-mmwave-over-the-air-ota-transmitter-receiver-testing/?utm_source=mwrf&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=personif-display-wideband-connectorized-amplifiers-ota&utm_campaign=02-23-display-ad
The advent of 5G networks has already begun ushering in a whole new generation of wireless devices and applications, and device manufacturers are racing to be the first to market. In order to meet the 5G standard for commercial wireless communication, device manufacturers need to develop powerful transmitters and receivers that operate in the millimeter wave range. This comes with a number of challenges, one of which is testing and qualification. Due to the wireless nature of these devices, manufacturers need to conduct testing in real-world conditions, which isn’t possible using the conventional approach of connecting devices under test (DUTs) to instruments with coaxial cables. Over-the-air (OTA) testing allows engineers to more realistically simulate real-world device performance in the lab environment.
OTA testing uses antennas instead of cables to transmit and receive RF channel power. It is often conducted in anechoic chambers where designers can introduce different conditions such as interfering signals and monitor any effects on performance. Since most communication devices include both transmit and receive capabilities, both the transmit power and receive sensitivity need to be tested. Each path requires a different setup, but both cases require the use of suitable wideband amplifiers, either to drive power to the antenna on the transmit side or to amplify small signals on the receive side. Emerging applications in the 5G New Radio FR2 frequency bands (n257, n258, n259, n260, n261) necessitate high-performance amplifiers with specific noise figure and output power specifications over wide bandwidths up to 40 GHz and higher.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Japan’s NTT Docomo uses invisibility cloak tech to fix 5G reception
Giving windows a transmissive metasurface can improve coverage from a single base station
https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/01/ntt_docomo_window_radio_tech/
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is Open RAN?
https://www.redhat.com/architect/what-open-ran
Learn about the effort to open up radio access network (RAN) interfaces to eliminate vendor lock-in and the organizations defining the standards around Open RAN.
In our first two articles in this series, The road to cloud RAN from 1G to 5G and 20 radio access network (RAN) terms to know, we talked about Cloud RAN, which is a subset of virtualized RAN (vRAN) that uses cloud-native RAN components. Open RAN, the focus of this article, is an ecosystem that uses radio access network (RAN) components with open interfaces, thus allowing vendor interoperability across the RAN.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ericsson kutisti sisätilojen 5G-tukiaseman
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14585-ericsson-kutisti-sisaetilojen-5g-tukiaseman
Ericsson on esitellyt uusia sisätilojen 5G-verkkojen laiteratkaisuja. Esimerkiksi uusi radioyksikkö 8850 (kuvassa) sopii suurempiin toteutuksiin, kuten lentokentille ja toimistorakennuksiin. Edeltäjiin verrattuna se vie 80 prosenttia vähemmän tilaa.
Pienemmän koon lisäksi uusi radioyksikkö tuo nelinkertaisen 5G-kapasiteetin edeltäjäänsä verrattuna. Se voi palvella keskitetysti jopa kahdeksaa sisätilaa, kunhan ne ovat vähintään 8 kilometrin kuituyhteyden päässä.
Toinen uutuus on pienempien tilojen ratkaisu, jota Ericsson kutsuu nimellä Indoor Fusion Unit. Plug-and-play -tyyppinen radioyksikkö voi toimia esimerkiksi suuren kahvilan 5G-verkkona ja siihen voi yhdistää neljä Ericsson dot-antennipistettä.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vodafone has announced a prototype small-cell 5G network, powered by an SDR board and a Raspberry Pi, which aims to make mobile private networks easier and more affordable to deploy.
Vodafone Demos a Small-Cell 5G Base Station Built Atop a Raspberry Pi 4, Lime Microsystems SDR
https://www.hackster.io/news/vodafone-demos-a-small-cell-5g-base-station-built-atop-a-raspberry-pi-4-lime-microsystems-sdr-43bd5f22fa5e
“What Raspberry Pi did for computing,” says Vodafone’s Santiago Tenorio, “we wanted to do the same with 5G.”
Cellular provider Vodafone has announced a prototype small-cell 5G network, powered by a software-defined radio (SDR) board and a Raspberry Pi single-board computer, which aims to make mobile private networks (MPNs) easier and more affordable to deploy.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The small-cell base station, which is to be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona later this month, is designed to adhere to Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) standards, meaning that while it’s a Vodafone project it is applicable to any cellular network which has also adopted the same standards. The SDR board, meanwhile, is compatible with devices beyond the Raspberry Pi range — providing potential for building bigger and more powerful versions in the future.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/02/24/5g-tekniikka-tuo-tarkan-laitepaikannuksen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Integrated Emulation Suite Takes on End-to-End O-RAN Test and Validation
Feb. 14, 2023
Spirent’s integrated emulation suite purports to conquer the end-to-end test difficulties posed by O-RAN’s disaggregated architecture.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21260049/microwaves-rf-integrated-emulation-suite-takes-on-endtoend-oran-performance-test-and-validation?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230217088&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Spirent Communications is now offering end-to-end, open distributed-unit (O-DU), and RAN intelligence controller (RIC) testing, completing its Open RAN (O-RAN) test solution portfolio. By building on its previously available open central-unit (O-CU) and open radio-unit (O-RU) test solutions, the company offers robust and realistic O-RAN testing, which will both accelerate widespread O-RAN adoption and ensure O-RAN functionality, interoperability, and field-ready performance.
Spirent has identified four key customer groups that can benefit from its end-to-end O-RAN testing:
Chipset makers who have DU/RU components in development can gain from test capabilities that go beyond incremental testing and show how the devices will perform in the full network context.
Network equipment and software makers who must evaluate products at a level that transcends standard 3GPP test requirements.
Network operators who must shoulder more of the test responsibility as they adopt O-RAN architectures.
System integrators who work with network operators to deploy O-RAN architectures.
Spirent’s unique O-RAN portfolio provides the following:
Comprehensive multi-vendor interoperability and advanced performance testing using real-time emulation: The company offers thorough, reliable, and realistic testing using comprehensive test portfolios and real-time (bidirectional) emulation, which most accurately reflects a live, real-world O‑RAN environment.
Automation: Spirent’s O-RAN solutions provide pre-built test libraries across performance, resiliency, security, compliance, and more via a fully integrated system with open APIs. In addition, the solution is designed to plug-and-play seamlessly into any automation pipeline.
Single user experience: O-RAN testing requires a variety of testing and emulation approaches, which the company integrated into a system managed through a single user experience, regardless of the testing type being executed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14640-nokia-esitteli-uuden-radion-ja-logon
5G-tukiasemista pitää tulla pienempiä ja kevyempiä, mutta silti niiden täytyy olla yhä suorituskykyisempiä. Nokia vastaa haasteeseen Barcelonan Mobile World Congresissa esitellyllä Habrok-radiolla. Airscale-perheen uusin laite tukee sekä 32 että 64 antennin MIMO-yhteyksiä.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G-tekniikka tuo tarkan laitepaikannuksen
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/02/24/5g-tekniikka-tuo-tarkan-laitepaikannuksen/
Nopeasti yleistyvät 5G-verkot mahdollistavat nopeamman tietoliikenneyhteyden lisäksi mahdollisuuden tarkkaan laitepaikannukseen satelliittipaikannuksen kannalta haastavissa ympäristöissä. Tampereen yliopistolla perjantaina 3.3. väittelevä DI Mike Koivisto on tutkinut tarkkaa paikannusta juuri 5G-verkkojen radiosignaaleja käyttäen.
Vaikka satelliittipohjainen paikannus on varteenotettava vaihtoehto avoimilla ulkoalueilla käytettäville paikkariippuvaisille sovelluksille, ei satelliittipohjainen paikannus ole optimaalinen vaihtoehto kaikkialla. Esimerkiksi suurten kaupunkien keskustoissa tai sisätiloissa satelliittien lähettämien radiosignaalien vääristymien tai estymisten takia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AMD Touts New RFSoCs, Test Lab, and Adaptive Computing Products
Feb. 24, 2023
At MWC 2023, AMD announces RFSoC digital front ends, the formation with Viavi of a test lab for ecosystem partners, and a cloud-server collaboration with Nokia.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/semiconductors/article/21260652/microwaves-rf-amd-touts-new-rfsocs-test-lab-and-adaptive-computing-products?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230224083&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
AMD brings a spate of news to its presence at Mobile World Congress 2023—more support for its 5G partner ecosystem from core to radio-access-network (RAN) applications, new test capabilities, and new 5G products.
Telco Solutions Testing Lab
With the formation of its Telco Solutions testing lab, AMD provides critical resources for operators and telco solution providers to test, validate, and scale computing resources to deliver on the ever-increasing demands from RAN and edge-to-core. The testing lab supports validation of end-to-end solutions, including both hardware and software to leverage the performance and power efficiencies of the latest AMD processors, adaptive SoCs, SmartNICs, FPGAs, and DPUs.
AMD chose the Viavi end-to-end testing suite to analyze, develop, and validate the impact of real-life conditions across an entire telco network. The Telco Solutions testing lab will enable traffic simulation and generation across core, CU/DU, edge, and RAN using both current and future AMD technologies. It will allow for full functional and performance testing that meets current and future generation ecosystem requirements. Based in Santa Clara, Calif., the Telco Solutions testing lab will bring in its first 5G ecosystem partners beginning Q2 of 2023.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Review of RF Sampling vs. Zero-IF Radio Architectures
Feb. 23, 2023
A deep dive into two common radio architectures compares the tradeoffs on how each solves the unique challenge of growing co-location issues.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/article/21260673/analog-devices-a-review-of-rf-sampling-vs-zeroif-radio-architectures?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230224083&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
The choice of an RF architecture impacts how a radio will handle co-location issues.
Numerous tradeoffs are associated with both architectures.
For optimized cost, weight, and size, the zero-IF architecture wins on multiple accounts.
A Growing Challenge—New Wireless Neighbors
When the wireless revolution began some 30 years ago, only a handful of bands existed—confined mostly below 900 MHz—and typically there was one band per country. As demand for wireless services ramped up, new bands were steadily added. Currently, 49 bands1 are globally assigned to 5G NR alone, not counting mmWave allocations. Most of the newer spectrum is above 2.1 GHz, with bands covering 500 MHz (n78), 775 MHz (n46), 900 MHz (n77), and as high as 1200 MHz (n96).
As these new bands come online, one of the biggest challenges is how to ensure adequate receiver performance in the presence of blockers in these legacy bands. This comes mainly from the co-location requirements where they’re deployed, with bands 2, 4, and 7 in the U.S., and their counterparts, bands 1 and 3, in other regions. This is particularly critical for wideband radios servicing applications in n48 (CBRS) and any portion of n77 or n78.
Wireless demands will continue to grow in the future, and the issues with co-location and interference are always present.
Radio Designs and RF Protection and Selectivity
One of the key challenges for a receiver design is protection from signals that aren’t of interest. From the beginning, radio engineers have sought different ways to accomplish this, initially with brute-force filtering and later employing various heterodyning techniques with distributed filtering.
Over the years, three key architectures have been developed to solve these challenges: direct conversion (zero-IF), super-heterodyne (IF), and direct RF sampling. While IF sampling is popular, it will not be the focus of this article. Instead, we’ll center on comparing RF sampling and zero-IF, since these are currently the most progressive implementations in the wireless domain.
Each technique introduces different engineering tradeoffs and varying impact on the surrounding circuits and their requirements.
The challenge with RF sampling is the requirement to drive a largely capacitive input (sampling capacitor) at both high frequency and at relatively high voltage (~1 V). By contrast, a zero-IF input presents a well-behaved 50-Ω (or 100-Ω) impedance to the summing node of a baseband amplifier, which provides gain, eliminates and isolates the sample node from the RF signal, and reduces the RF drive required by the amount of gain it delivers.
That has a profound impact on power consumed in the linear RF section: It reduces the total RF dissipation by 25% to 50% in favor of zero-IF architectures by eliminating a third RF gain stage and the lower standing currents needed for baseband vs. RF amplification.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wideband Connectorized Amplifiers Support Over-The-Air (OTA) Transmitter & Receiver Testing for 5G FR2 Bands
https://blog.minicircuits.com/wideband-connectorized-amplifiers-for-mmwave-over-the-air-ota-transmitter-receiver-testing/?utm_source=mwrf&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=personif-display-wideband-connectorized-amplifiers-ota&utm_campaign=02-23-display-ad
The advent of 5G networks has already begun ushering in a whole new generation of wireless devices and applications, and device manufacturers are racing to be the first to market. In order to meet the 5G standard for commercial wireless communication, device manufacturers need to develop powerful transmitters and receivers that operate in the millimeter wave range. This comes with a number of challenges, one of which is testing and qualification. Due to the wireless nature of these devices, manufacturers need to conduct testing in real-world conditions, which isn’t possible using the conventional approach of connecting devices under test (DUTs) to instruments with coaxial cables. Over-the-air (OTA) testing allows engineers to more realistically simulate real-world device performance in the lab environment.
OTA testing uses antennas instead of cables to transmit and receive RF channel power. It is often conducted in anechoic chambers where designers can introduce different conditions such as interfering signals and monitor any effects on performance. Since most communication devices include both transmit and receive capabilities, both the transmit power and receive sensitivity need to be tested. Each path requires a different setup, but both cases require the use of suitable wideband amplifiers, either to drive power to the antenna on the transmit side or to amplify small signals on the receive side. Emerging applications in the 5G New Radio FR2 frequency bands (n257, n258, n259, n260, n261) necessitate high-performance amplifiers with specific noise figure and output power specifications over wide bandwidths up to 40 GHz and higher.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.minicircuits.com/filter-technologies/?utm_source=mwrf&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=personif-display-filter-technologies&utm_campaign=02-23-display-ad
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2023/02/21/3d-printing-antennas-with-dielectric-resin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia kiihdytti Barcelonassa yli 4 gigabittiin sekunnissa
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14653-nokia-kiihdytti-barcelonassa-yli-4-gigabittiin-sekunnissa
Yksi merkittävimpiä tapoja lisätä mobiiliyhteyden kapasiteettia on yhdistää useita kantoaaltoja samaan linkkiin. Tätä kutsutaan nimellä carrier aggregation. Barcelonassa Nokia onnistui yhdessä Qualcommin ja T-Mobilen kanssa yhdistämään ensimmäistä kertaa viisi kantoaaltoa samaan linkkiin alle 6 gigahertsissä.
Tekniikalla yllettiin yli viiden gigabitin tiedonsiirtonopeuksiin. Ratkaisu hyödynsi 5G-standalone -verkkoa, jossa käytettiin Nokian kaupallista 5G AirScale -tukiasemaa. Mobiilitestilaitteessa oli Qualcommin uusi Snapdragon X75 -modeemipiirisarja.
Onnistuneessa kokeilussa yhdistettiin 2 FDD- ja 3 TDD-kaistaa, minkä ansiosta huippunopeudet ylsivät 4,2 gigabittiin sekunnissa. Snapdragon X75 on markkinoiden ensimmäinen modeemipiirisarja, joka tukee viiden kantoaallon 5CC-yhdistämistä.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia päässyt lähes kokonaan eroon FPGA-piireistä
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14654-nokia-paeaessyt-laehes-kokonaan-eroon-fpga-piireistae
Pari vuotta sitten Nokia oli suurissa vaikeuksissa kannattavuutensa kanssa. Yksi suurimmista syistä tähän oli epäonnistuminen Intelin kanssa energiatehokkaiden tukiasemaprosessorien kehityksessä. Nokia joutui turvautumaan FPGA-piireihin, mikä söi kannattavuutta. Nyt nämä ajat alkavat olla takanapäin.
Esimerkiksi tutkimuslaitosten Omdia ja Dell´Oro mukaan Nokian tukiasemista enää kolme prosenttia perustui Xilinxin FPGA-piireihin. Näin ollen valtaosa laitteista lähti operaattoreille Nokian omalla ReefShark-piirisarjalla varustettuna.
Koko ReefShark-projekti on ollut oikeastaan hämmästyttävän nopea ja onnistunut. Toki se on vaatinut uuden henkilöstön palkkaamista ja tutkimus- ja tuotekehitysmenojen kasvattamista. Viime vuonna Nokian t&k-kulut olivat 4,4 miljardia euroa eli lähes 10 prosenttia suuremmat kuin edellisvuonna.
Satsaus on kannattanut. Nokian katteet ovat parantuneet mobiiliverkoissa selvästi. Tutkimuslaitosten mukaan kannattavuus on jo lähellä Ericssonin lukemia. Seuraavaksi edessä on markkinaosuuden kasvattaminen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nyt alkaa sertifiointi, joka tuo 5G:n ranteeseen
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14655-nyt-alkaa-sertifiointi-joka-tuo-5g-n-ranteeseen
Global Certification Forum eli GCF ilmoitti lisänneensä laitteiden sertifiointiohjelmaansa tuen 5G NR Reduced Capability -tekniikalle, joka tunnetaan myös nimellä 5G NR-Light tai 5G RedCap. Käytännössä tämä tarkoittaa, että jo ensi vuonna markkinoille tulee pieniä laitteita, joista löytyy 5G-yhteys.
RedCap tuotiin mukaan 5G-standardeihin osana 3GPP:n Release 17 -määrityksiä. Kyse on käytännössä tekniikasta, jonka myötä IoT lunastaa lupauksensa 5G-mobiiliverkoissa. RedCap on tarkoitettu LTE-verkkojen 4-kategorian yhteyksien korvaamiseen ja tarjoaa jopa 50-100 megabitin datanopeudet. Merkittävin ero LTE-laitteisiin verrattuna on, että NR-Light vaatii vain yhden antennin.
RedCap eli NR-Light tarvitsee vain 20 megahertsin kanavan ja silti datanopeus voi olla jopa yli 150 megabittiä. Linkki toimii niin aika- kuin taajuusjakoisesti. Aiemmin on arvioitu, että kaupalliset RedCap-moduulit tulisivat tarjolle vuonna 2024, mutta GCF:n sertifiointiohjelman alkaminen tarkoittaa tämän aikataulun nopeutumista.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/03/02/raspberry-pi-pikkukortti-5g-tukiasemaan/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Collaboration to Provide Open RAN Ecosystem Test Solutions
Feb. 24, 2023
The joint effort will play a key role in helping equipment vendors, carriers, system integrators, cloud service providers, and others to configure an Open RAN ecosystem.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/test-measurement/article/21260712/microwaves-rf-collaboration-to-provide-open-ran-ecosystem-test-solutions?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230224086&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
What you’ll learn:
The size and scope of the Open RAN 5G market.
Issues in Open RAN test procedures.
How this collaboration addresses these issues.
Advanced wireless connectivity is essential to the next generation of cloud-enabled functionality and communications. The devices and related infrastructures involved in the 5G deployment are actively moving from the computer screen to the production floor as they grow and expand our wireless ecosystems.
Thus, it’s critical to fully develop the underlying network capabilities of the devices and support systems to achieve these goals, using the latest advances in available technologies. Telecom operators and vendors are working to migrate previously integrated network solutions and platforms into independent and interoperable hardware, middleware, operating systems, and software.
Tomi Engdahl says:
After a Rebrand, Arctic Semi Ships Its First 5G Chipset
Feb. 21, 2023
The company changed its name from SiTune as it tunes its focus sharply onto 5G RF devices.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/semiconductors/article/21260482/microwaves-rf-after-a-rebrand-arctic-semi-ships-its-first-5g-chipset?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230224086&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
After executing a rebranding from its former name, SiTune, Arctic Semiconductor is now shipping its first 5G silicon chipset, IceWings, in mass production.
Who Needs It & Why?
Telecommunications and IT consume from 5% to 9% of the world’s electricity supply. According to the Datacenter Forum, the shift to 5G will increase these sectors’ energy consumption 160% by 2023. It becomes imperative, then, to lower energy consumption and efficiently manage thermals to reduce infrastructure costs for 5G network equipment and end-user devices.
To that end, the IceWings RF chipset delivers excellent signal quality and low power consumption to equipment manufacturers building 5G radios for applications ranging from small cells, private networks, and fixed wireless access to macro base stations and massive-MIMO platforms.
Under the Hood
The IceWings chipset comprises an RF transceiver with four integrated transmitters and receivers. It supports multiple standards in signal frequencies below 7.2 GHz and enables mmWave applications via intermediate to baseband conversion. Thanks to the chipset’s flexibility and integration, claims the company, designers are able to create more reliable platforms, with better yield, lower power consumption, and at a lower cost. The chips streamline the production of 5G equipment, allowing customers to utilize the same hardware design with minor updates across a diverse set of use cases.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia and Bosch set a new bar for 5G positioning and look ahead to 6G #MWC23
https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/02/21/nokia-and-bosch-set-a-new-bar-for-5g-positioning-and-look-ahead-to-6g-mwc23/
Nokia and Bosch set a new bar for 5G positioning and look ahead to 6G #MWC23
Proof-of-concept network in Germany demonstrated accuracy within 50 cm
Nokia and Bosch are continuing their joint research in 6G, exploring the integration of sensing technologies in future 6G systems
Espoo, Finland – Nokia and Bosch today announced that they have jointly developed 5G-based precision positioning technology intended for new Industry 4.0 use cases. The two have deployed the proof of concept in a Bosch production plant in Germany, where extensive tests under realistic manufacturing conditions have shown an accuracy within 50 cm in 90 percent of the factory footprint.
The positioning technology tracks mobile and portable devices connected to the 5G network, accurately determining their positions where no global navigation satellite service coverage is available, for instance in factories, warehouses or underground facilities. As part of the factory test, an enhanced private 5G network was able to determine the precise position of assets such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs), mobile robots and mobile control panels – tracking their movements throughout the plant in real time.
Traditionally, 5G positioning works by measuring the time it takes for mobile signals to travel from a mobile device to different base stations and anchor nodes in the network. As signals take longer to reach nodes that are further away, the positioning system can triangulate its source. Nokia and Bosch have built upon that foundation by equipping 5G nodes with multiple receive antennas, which enable the network to detect the incoming angles of signals. Advanced Nokia Bell Labs algorithms interpret this time-delay and angle-of-arrival information to determine the most probable position of the mobile device. Their proof-of-concept achieves a level of accuracy well beyond the current cellular position state-of-the-art, providing a sneak peek at what 5G networks, both public and private, will be capable of in the future.
Peter Vetter, President of Bell Labs Core Research at Nokia, said: “Bosch and Nokia Bell Labs foresee a future where networks do far more than communicate. Soon, 5G will track connected devices more precisely than satellites, in places satellites can’t reach. In the next decade, 6G will be capable of sensing all objects in their coverage areas regardless of whether they contain active radios. We are creating networks that will endow humans with a digital 6th sense.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Snapdragon X35: World’s first NR-Light Modem-RF [+video]
Fueling the connected intelligent edge with NR-Light
Feb 8, 2023
https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2023/02/snapdragon-x35-worlds-first-nr-light-modem-rf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawein 5G-tukiasema arvioitiin parhaaksi
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14668-huawein-5g-tukiasema-arvioitiin-parhaaksi
Tomi Engdahl says:
2023 GLOMO Award Winners Announced at MWC Barcelona 2023
https://www.gsma.com/newsroom/press-release/2023-glomo-award-winners-announced-at-mwc-barcelona-2023/
Wednesday 1 March 2023, Barcelona: The GSMA has announced the winners of the 2023 Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards, live on the Industry City and Ministerial stages at MWC Barcelona. The awards celebrate the companies, individuals and governments who have driven the greatest innovation in mobile and adjacent industries.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia vähentää omaa tuotantoaan
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14666-nokia-vaehentaeae-omaa-tuotantoaan
Nokian on julkistanut vuosittaisen raporttinsa Yhdysvaltain arvopaperiviranomaisille ja tuttuun tapaan 20-F-raportti pitää sisällään mielenkiintoisia uutisia. Raportista selviää esimerkiksi, että Nokia on luopumassa osasta omaa tuotantoaan. Muutokset ovat merkittäviä.
Viime vuoden lopulla Nokialla oli tuotantoa kymmenessä eri maassa.
Nokian mukaan sen tuotannosta 23 prosenttia tapahtuu omissa tehtaissa. Kiinassa valmistetaan 32 prosenttia Nokian laitteista. Tämäkin kertoo, että Nokia nojaa valmistuksessaan vahvasti sopimusvalmistajiin.
Nokian luvuista selviää myös Kiinan ongelmallinen tilanne. Yhtiöllä on maassa 11 400 työntekijää, mutta liikevaihtoa sieltä on kertynyt viime vuosina noin puolitoista miljardia euroa. Nokian suurin markkina-alue on Pohjois-Amerikka, josta liikevaihtoa kertyi viime vuonna 8,4 miljardia euroa. Tämä on lähes tarkalleen kolmasosa Nokian 24,9 miljardin euron liikevaihdosta.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/02/23/wind-riverin-pilviratkaisu-elisan-5g-verkkoon/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14668-huawein-5g-tukiasema-arvioitiin-parhaaksi
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wideband Connectorized Amplifiers Support Over-The-Air (OTA) Transmitter & Receiver Testing for 5G FR2 Bands
https://blog.minicircuits.com/wideband-connectorized-amplifiers-for-mmwave-over-the-air-ota-transmitter-receiver-testing/?utm_source=mwrf&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=personif-display-wideband-connectorized-amplifiers-ota&utm_campaign=02-23-display-ad
Tomi Engdahl says:
German 5G network ban said to loom for Huawei and ZTE https://www.theregister.com/2023/03/07/huawei_germany/
“The German federal government plans to forbid mobile operators from installing key components from Huawei and ZTE into their 5G networks, according to local reports. The ban will extend to already installed equipment, requiring companies to rip and replace components made by the two Chinese suppliers.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile World Congress 2023
https://www.electronicdesign.com/magazine/51502
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/03/13/korkeiden-taajuuksien-monikoaksiaaliliitin-5g-verkkoihin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Road to Wireless TSN: Its Capabilities and KPIs
March 13, 2023
A wireless time-sensitive-networking ecosystem will be best served by a coordinated approach that allows multiple application protocols to share wired and wireless links through interoperable devices.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/communications/article/21261895/avnu-alliance-the-road-to-wireless-tsn-its-capabilities-and-kpis
What you’ll learn:
The benefits time-sensitive networking (TSN) can bring to wireless networks.
The similarities among use cases that will pave the way for faster innovation and WTSN market growth.
There’s no question that time-sensitive-networking (TSN) capabilities will come to wireless networks. IEEE and 3GPP already have the standards infrastructure to deliver time-sensitive traffic over both Wi-Fi and 5G networks well underway. The market demand also is certainly evident, coming from a diverse set of use cases.
In industrial use cases, wireless TSN (WTSN) will enable more nimble, efficient production, with reconfigurable factory floors, mobile robots, and automated guided vehicles. In live media, WTSN will replace miles of cable that must be painstakingly redeployed, tested, and troubleshot on a nightly basis at every stop of a tour. In extended reality (XR), WTSN will finally un-tether all of the components of immersive XR systems, giving users true freedom of movement while preventing the latency and jitter issues that can lead to nausea and prevent sustained engagement. Each of these applications needs WTSN to reach its fullest potential.
The question is, therefore, not whether or not implement WTSN, but how. Even without the added challenge of a wireless physical layer, TSN is a varied toolbox with lots of optional features. We don’t anticipate that they will all simultaneously arrive as wireless capabilities. Nor do we think WTSN will necessarily roll out the same way across all industries—factories and live performances have very different networking priorities and market demands.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Accelleran Expands its 5G Open RAN Solution for Private Networks
March 3, 2023
In this video, Stan Claes, CEO of Accelleran, shares his thoughts on where Open RAN fits today in the 5G private-network space, Accelleran’s MWC presence, and the emerging trends he expects to find at the show.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/video/21261184/microwaves-rf-accelleran-expands-its-5g-open-ran-solution-for-private-networks?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Today&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230303087&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
Items of Interest from Mobile World Congress 2023
March 3, 2023
The GSMA wrapped up MWC Barcelona 2023, the world’s largest connectivity event, with more than 88,500 attendees. Here are a few items of interest from the event.
https://www.mwrf.com/technologies/systems/media-gallery/21261216/microwaves-rf-items-of-interest-from-mobile-world-congress-2023?utm_source=RF+MWRF+Wireless+for+Consumers&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS230303097&o_eid=7211D2691390C9R&rdx.identpull=omeda|7211D2691390C9R&oly_enc_id=7211D2691390C9R
Tomi Engdahl says:
Siemens Xcelerator can help you integrate and test 5G equipment. https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/xcelerator/2022/10/03/5-questions-about-5g-technology/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=xcelerator%20brand%20rep&spr_cid=120_1400&spr_ppid=64138e3d5ab5db0e84f7f9ab
Tomi Engdahl says:
Editors Choice:
Neural Network DPD for Aggrandizing SM-VCSEL-SSMF-Based Radio over Fiber Link Performance
by Muhammad Usman Hadi et al.
Available for free:
https://bit.ly/3XcRtKJ
Tomi Engdahl says:
Neural Network DPD for Aggrandizing SM-VCSEL-SSMF-Based Radio over Fiber Link Performance
https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6732/8/1/19?utm_campaign=journnews_ccbj_photonics&utm_medium=social_journ&utm_source=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ericsson kiihdytti 5G:n lähes 6 gigabittiin Färsaarilla
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14773-ericsson-kiihdytti-5g-n-laehes-6-gigabittiin-faersaarilla
Fär-saarten teleoperaattori Faroese Telecom ja Ericsson ovat yltäneet jopa 6 gigabitin sekuntinopeuksiin 5G-datansiirrossa millimetriaalloissa. Lukema on tähän mennessä nopein mitattu nopeus suorassa liveverkossa Euroopassa.
Tätä usean gigabitin mmWave-teknologiaa otetaan käyttöön kaikilla itsehallinnollisen valtion 18 saarella, ja se tarjoaa suuren kapasiteetin ja usean gigabitin mobiililaajakaistan esikaupunki- ja maaseutualueilla.
Pohjois-Atlantin valtamerellä sijaitsevat Färsaaret ovat osa Tanskan kuningaskuntaa. Saariston pinta-ala on 1400 neliökilometriä maata ja siellä on 54 000 asukasta. Sen 18 saarta on enimmäkseen yhdistetty silloilla, merenalaisilla tunneleilla ja lautoilla.
Sen jälkeen, kun 5G otettiin käyttöön Färsaarilla viime vuodesta alkaen, operaattorin RAN-verkkoa on rakennettu 100-prosenttisen maantieteellisen peiton saavuttamiseksi. Lisäksi verkko yltää merelle 120 kilometriä joka suuntaan.
Faroese Telecomin tavoitteena on saada gigabittiluokan nopeus kaikkialla saarilla – niin kaupungeissa kuin pienissä kylissä, teillä, tunneleissa, vuorenhuipuilla ja jopa merellä. Vuodesta 2021 lähtien Ericsson on ollut 5G-radioverkon ja Core-verkon ainoa toimittaja, ja se on vastannut myös saarten 4G-verkon modernisoinnista.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14787-nokia-leikkaa-tukiaseman-virrankulutusta-koodilla
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/xcelerator/2022/10/03/5-questions-about-5g-technology/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Delivering RF signal processing solutions to the edge with MOSA
https://www.mrcy.com/company/blogs/delivering-rf-signal-processing-solutions-edge-mosa?utm_campaign=pla_mixed_signal&utm_medium=print&utm_source=collateral&utm_term=MAE_ED_MRF_personify&utm_content=Delivering-RF-signal-processing-solutions-to-the-edge-with-MOSA
Today’s pace of technology development means the traditional approach of custom-designed modules and subsystems is too slow, but Modular Open System Architecture (MOSA) approaches can deliver on system demands without sacrificing performance or scalability.
Customers are trying to acquire and to generate signals in the range of 2 GHz to 18 GHz and do that with an instantaneous bandwidth throughout that range of 2 GHz. They also need to perform signal processing on the received signal before it gets sent out as a transmit signal. Usually that’s done in an FPGA. The time it takes between the input and the output has to be extremely short, which means low latency.
Distributed processing at the edge: Mercury talks RF at the 2022 International Microwave Symposium
https://www.mrcy.com/company/blogs/distributed-processing-edge-mercury-talks-rf?utm_campaign=pla_mixed_signal&utm_medium=print&utm_source=collateral&utm_term=MAE_ED_MRF_personify&utm_content=Distributed-processing-at-the-edge:-Mercury-talks-RF
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kännykkämyynti eteni tutusti – Nokia mukana vain yhdellä peruspuhelimella
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/04/03/kannykkamyynti-eteni-tutusti-nokia-mukana-vain-yhdella-peruspuhelimella/
Kännykkämyynti oli maaliskuussa tasainen kisa Applen, Samsungin ja OnePlussan kesken. Poikkeuksena olivat vain muutamat Xiaomin mallit sekä Nokia, jolta listoilla oli yksi puhelinmalli. Kaikilla operaattoreilla oli 5G-mallien lisäksi tarjolla joitakin LTE/4G-malleja.
Koko alkuvuoden myynnin yhdistävä tekijä on ollut sekä yritysten että kuluttajien listoilla on 5G, mutta myös muutamat edullisemmat LTE-mallit yli tuhannet euron Applen ja Samsungin premium-mallien lisäksi.
Yritysasiakkaiden puhelinvalinnoissa korostuvat yhä enemmän tietoturvanäkökulmat. Elisan mukaan heidän yritysasiakkaiden listalla ovat nousussa puhelinmallit, joihin valmistaja lupaa tietoturvapäivitykset vähintään neljäksi vuodeksi sekä tarjoavat tietohallinnolle työkalut helpottamaan laitteiden käyttöönottoa ja turvallista hallintaa.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14810-konsertti-vaelittyi-5g-n-yli-tampereelta-helsinkiin-virtuaalilaseihin
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14823-mediatekin-5g-piiri-on-nyt-android-leirin-tehokkain
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2023/04/05/nopea-millimetri-5g-verkko-toi-konsertista-suoraa-virtuaalikuvaa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14837-6-gigahertsiin-yltaevae-5g-testeri-kulkee-kainalossa
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/14853-mediatek-tuo-uusimman-5g-tekniikan-autoihin