Keeping up with all the developments and lexicon of terms associated with the new 5G wireless network can be challenging.
One of those terms bandied about is 5G NR (New Radio). This is the name of the non-compulsory standard that the wireless industry has promised to follow as they build out their 5G networks.
The 5G NR standard is the product of the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a standards organization that develops protocols for mobile telephony. 3GPP is a consortium with seven regional telecommunication associations as primary members (“organizational partners”) and a variety of other organizations as associate members (“market representation partners”). The 3GPP organizes its work into three different streams: Radio Access Networks, Services and Systems Aspects, and Core Network and Terminals. The 3GPP has also set standards for 2G, 3G and 4G including LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro.
Like 4G’s LTE (long term evolution), 5G’s New Radio describes a group of technologies that enable a range of speeds and capacities. The first 5G NR specifications were part of 3GPP’s RAN Evolution of LTE documented in Release 14, begun in June 2016.
They were fast-tracked two years ago to enable non-standalone technologies to begin operating as soon as possible. This meant that major improvements in existing 4G networks, such as LTE Advanced and LTE Advanced Pro, will support sub-6 GHz 5G, and faster, more reliable, and scalable networks will begin delivering services as soon as carriers deployed them.
3GPP defines three broad areas of use for 5G NR:
- Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) for intensive applications like HD streaming video, gaming and other streaming uses.
- Ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (uRLLC) for critical applications like command and control functions in autonomous vehicles and remote control in healthcare and manufacturing services.
- Massive machine type communications (mMTC) supporting massive IoT, connecting millions of new, low-powered devices at a huge scale.
While large-scale, commercial 5G networks are only just now beginning to go live, major telecom players have begun to make serious strides toward NR-based deployments.
Want to know more about 5G NR? Tonex offers 5G NR Training | 5G New Radio (NR), a 2-day technical course covering all aspects of 5G New Radio (NR) air interface, protocols, operations and procedures.
Additionally, Tonex offers 20 other courses in 5G Wireless. Contact us for more information, questions, comments.