Advanced 5G – 3GPP Release 18
3GPP Release 18 is known as "Advanced 5G" as it introduces several new features and enhancements to the existing 5G network standard, which will significantly improve the performance, efficiency, and capabilities of 5G networks.
3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) is responsible for developing and standardizing 5G technology. 5G technology was introduced in the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) release 15. It defined the non-standalone (NSA) 5G New Radio (NR) standard, allowing the 5G network to work with existing 4G LTE networks. 3GPP Release 18 is the latest 5G mobile network standard specifications developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
One of the key differences between 5G Advanced and 5G basics is the use of advanced antenna technologies such as Massive MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) and beamforming. These technologies allow for more efficient use of the available radio spectrum, higher data rates, and improved network coverage. While these technologies are also used in 5G basics, they are more advanced and refined in 5G Advanced.
Another difference between 5G Advanced and 5G basics is advanced modulation techniques such as higher-order QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and LDPC (Low-Density Parity-Check) coding. These techniques allow for higher data rates and improved spectral efficiency, making it possible to support more users and devices simultaneously. In addition to these technical differences, 5G Advanced includes new use cases and applications requiring higher data rates, lower latency, and improved reliability. These include:
Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB):
eMBB is a key use case for 5G Advanced that involves the delivery of high-bandwidth services such as video streaming, online gaming, and virtual reality. 5G Advanced supports these services with wider bandwidths, higher-order modulation, and advanced error correction techniques.
The key enhancements in release 18 towards eMBB include:
1) Higher data rates: Release 18 enhancements to the 5G New Radio (NR) technology enable higher data rates, up to 100 Gbps in some cases. These enhancements include improvements to the modulation schemes, such as 256-QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation), The higher order of modulation enables more data to be transmitted in each symbol, increasing the overall data rate.
Enhancements to multiple antenna technologies, such as massive MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple Output), enable more efficient use of the available spectrum and improved signal quality. Massive MIMO uses multiple antennas at both transmitter and receiver to improve the spatial diversity and reduce interference, enabling higher data rates.
Enhancements to support higher bandwidths up to 400 MHz, which enables more data to be transmitted in each time slot. The wider bandwidths are achieved through carrier aggregation, which allows multiple carriers to be combined to create a wider channel.
Enhancements to beamforming, which enables more efficient use of the available spectrum and improved signal quality. Beamforming uses directional antennas to focus the signal in a specific direction, reducing interference and improving the signal-to-noise ratio.
2) Improved network capacity: There are several enhancements in release 18 to the 5G NR technology to improve the network capacity and efficiency, enabling more users and devices to be connected to the network simultaneously. These enhancements include improvements to traffic steering, load balancing, and network slicing support, enabling operators to allocate network resources on a per-application or per-service basis.
In Release 18 new algorithms are introduced for traffic steering, which enables more efficient use of available network resources. Traffic steering enables operators to direct traffic to specific parts of the network based on network congestion, signal strength, and quality of service (QoS).
Enhancements to load balancing enable efficient distribution of traffic across the network. Load balancing ensures that the network resources are utilized evenly, preventing congestion and improving the overall network performance.
Network slicing improvements enable operators to allocate resources on a per-application or per-service basis.
New QoS mechanisms introduced in release 18 enable operators to prioritize traffic based on the type of service and the requirements of the application. QoS ensures that critical applications, such as emergency services, are given priority over less critical applications, such as video streaming.
3) Lower Latency: Release 18 includes enhancements to the 5G NR technology that enables lower latency, down to less than 0.5 ms in some cases. These enhancements include improvements to the scheduling algorithms and support for low-latency services such as ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC).
4) Improved energy efficiency: Release 18 includes enhancements to the 5G NR technology that improves energy efficiency, enabling longer battery life for devices and reducing the environmental impact of 5G networks. These enhancements include improvements to the power amplifier design and support.
Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC)
URLLC is another key use case for 5G Advanced that involves the delivery of real-time services such as autonomous driving, industrial automation, and remote surgery. These services need high reliability, low latency, and high availability for mission-critical applications. 5G Advanced uses advanced network slicing techniques, dedicated network resources, and low-latency transmission protocols to support these services. These enhancements are critical for healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing industries.
The key enhancements in release 18 towards URLLC include:
Advanced network slicing: Release 18 enhancements to support advanced network slicing, including the ability to create customized network slices with specific quality of service (QoS) parameters and traffic routing policies, which can improve the performance and reliability of URLLC applications.
Improved latency: The enhancements to reduce latency include support for shorter TTI (Transmission Time Interval), optimized scheduling, and improved radio resource management. These enhancements are expected to reduce the end-to-end latency for URLLC applications.
Multi-connectivity: The ability for devices to simultaneously connect to multiple base stations or different networks, such as Wi-Fi or satellite networks, is the enhancement introduced in release 18 for multi-connectivity. This can improve the reliability and availability of URLLC applications, especially in areas with poor cellular coverage.
Industrial IoT support: Release 18 includes enhancements to support industrial Internet of Things (IoT) use cases, which require high reliability, low latency, and high availability. This includes support for time-sensitive networking (TSN) and other technologies that can improve the performance and reliability of industrial IoT applications.
Massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC)
MTC is a use case for 5G Advanced that involves the connection of a large number of low-power devices to the network. To support these devices, 5G Advanced uses narrowband transmission, advanced power-saving techniques, and dedicated network resources. The enhancements for mMTC are aimed at improving the scalability, efficiency, and reliability of these types of applications, which are critical for a wide range of use cases, including smart cities, smart homes and industrial IoT.
Some of the key mMTC enhancements in Release 18 are:
Improved coverage: Release 18 includes enhancements to improve the coverage of mMTC applications, especially in areas with poor cellular coverage. This includes support for low-power transmission modes and advanced receiver techniques.
Advanced network slicing: Release 18 enhancements to support advanced network slicing for mMTC applications. This includes the ability to create customized network slices with specific quality of service (QoS) parameters and traffic routing policies, which can improve the performance and efficiency of mMTC applications.
Reduced signaling overhead: Release 18 includes enhancements to reduce the signaling overhead of mMTC applications, which can be critical for devices with limited processing and battery resources. This includes support for optimized control plane procedures and signaling reduction techniques.
Improved energy efficiency: Release 18 includes enhancements to improve the energy efficiency of mMTC applications, which can be critical for devices that operate on battery power. This includes support for low-power transmission modes and efficient resource allocation techniques.
Improved security: Release 18 includes enhancements to improve the security of mMTC applications, which can be critical for applications that handle sensitive or private data. This includes support for secure communication protocols and authentication procedures.
Fig.1. 3GPP Release-18 features
The key 3GPP Release-18 features that will further enhance 5G performance
The reasons why Release 18 is considered an advanced version of 5G:
Network Slicing Enhancements: 5G Release 18 network slicing enhancements are designed to build on the capabilities of the existing network slicing technologies and improve their flexibility and scalability. Key enhancements include Multi-domain and multi-provider slicing.
Non-Terrestrial Networks: Release 18 introduces support for non-terrestrial networks, such as satellite communications, which will enable 5G services in remote and rural areas where traditional terrestrial networks may not be feasible.
Enhanced AI and Automation: Release 18 aims to improve the efficiency and performance of 5G networks by introducing more advanced AI and automation features. This includes the use of machine learning algorithms to optimize network performance and automate network management tasks.
Mission-Critical Services: Release 18 introduces new features that improve the reliability and performance of mission-critical communication services, such as public safety communications and emergency response.
Improved Energy Efficiency: Release 18 includes features that aim to improve the energy efficiency of 5G networks, reducing the environmental impact of these networks and lowering operating costs for operators.
Overall, 3GPP Release 18 is known as Advanced 5G because it introduces several new features and enhancements that significantly improve the capabilities of 5G networks and enable new use cases and services. 3GPP standardization in 5G Advanced includes several key differences compared to 5G basics, including advanced antenna technologies, modulation techniques, and new use cases and applications. These differences enable higher data rates, improved network efficiency, lower latency, and improved reliability, making supporting next-generation applications and services possible. As 5G Advanced continues to evolve, we expect to see even more advanced features and capabilities that will further enhance the user experience and drive innovation in the telecom industry.
Key patents for 5G technology
According to recent reports, the number of declared 5G patent families has increased tenfold between 2017 and 2023, reaching over 60,000. In Fig.2. Huawei leads the pack in declared 5G patents, outpacing its rivals by a significant margin. They filed the most patent families at ETSI, surpassing second-place LG by 12% and Qualcomm by 25%. Interestingly, ZTE also comes out ahead of established players like Nokia and Ericsson in terms of overall global filings. The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has also published a report on patenting activity by companies developing 5G networks.
Fig.2. 5G-declared patent families.
Fig.2 (B) Triadic patent families, a stricter measure of patent value, significantly reduces the number of active 5G patent players compared to worldwide filings. While Qualcomm tops the triadic list, followed by Samsung, LG, and Huawei, stark differences emerge. Notably, Huawei declared far fewer triadic families than its global total, while Qualcomm maintained a strong presence in both categories. Despite a moderate global count, ZTE, filing very few triadic families, stands out. This highlights the importance of considering both perspectives - global filings and triadic families - when evaluating 5G patenting activity, as triadic families likely hold greater value and reveal diverse company strategies.
In terms of recent developments, 3GPP Release 18 is expected to trigger a paradigm shift in future wireless networks and will embrace artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to provide data-driven, intelligent network solutions. The release will also introduce necessary changes to NR (New Radio) to support various new use cases and improve 5G performance. (Source)
Author
Anusuya Poonja
Senior Technology Consultant at Lumenci
Anusuya has over 15 years of experience in dealing with technologies related to Wireless Cellular Networks, Wireless Switch and Access Point(802.11a|b|g), Networking Protocols, VoIP protocols (SIP/SCTP), Content Engines, and Web Caching Applications, Cloud Computing, Machine Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. She is a BE in Electronics and Communication from Mangalore University.