Although little known, the United Nations actually plays a role in 5G broadband technology.
It’s called the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and it literally sets the rules for radio spectrum usage.
The U.N.’s first 5G contribution dates back to 2012 when it launched “IMT for 2020 and beyond” (IMT-202).
The “IMT-2020” report outlined 15 goals and standards for 5G, such as:
- Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) – This was about consumers needing faster and more reliable mobile broadband guaranteeing data transmission rates of 100Mbps – even when signals were weak.
- Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) – This was about 5G having latency low enough to support real-time emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles.
- Massive Machine-Type Communications (mMTC) — This use case is characterized by a large number of low cost connected devices typically transmitting a relatively low volume of non-delay-sensitive data. Devices were also to have a very long battery life.
Clearly, the IMT for 2020 and beyond report paved the way for the 3GPP — a partnership of seven telecommunications standard development organizations — to start creating actual standards for 5G.
3GPP published its Non-Standalone Specifications in December 2017 and its Standalone Specifications in June 2018.
The only real difference between the two standards is how they deliver 5G.
Non-Standalone 5G can run on the spare bandwidth of existing LTE 4G networks This is a slower version of 5G that operates in the low-band sub 1GHz spectrum.
Standalone 5G uses a totally new specifically-designed infrastructure in the high-band spectrum of millimeter waves (mmW). This is the 5G commonly associated with ultrafast speeds.
The 3GPP group also developed 5G standards (5G NR), such as:
- Mobile users should expect reliable connections capable of delivering 100 Mbps download speeds and 50 Mbps uploads.
- There should be 20 gigabits (Gbps) per second transfer rate at base stations.
- It should take no-more than four milliseconds for data to travel from one point to another in good condition.
With 5G broadband finally rolling out across the U.S., consumers will soon see how close mobile carriers get to the plethora of standards set forth for 5G.
Want to know as much as you can about 5G? Tonex offers the 5G Wireless Crash Course, a 4-day class that’s perfect for individuals or organizations that need a lot of training in a short time. 5G Wireless Crash Course, covers all aspects of 5G wireless vision, concepts, application, use cases, technologies and standards.
For more information, questions, comments, contact us.