Feature: Industry 4.0
Unlocking the full potential
of 5G By Hamish White, Founder and CEO, Mobilise
just a network. It has three subsystems: enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC) and massive machine-type communication (mMTC), each using different features of 5G to offer specific services. For example, eMBB is used where high data rates are required. This system builds on the applications that 4G already covers, like high-speed mobile connectivity for consumers, for example. Since eMBB doesn’t typically add new features but improves existing ones, it’s possible to port these applications on an NSA network with 4G LTE core. In contrast, 5G’s other two facets –
URLLC and mMTC – mainly intended for enterprise-focused applications that will require an SA network. SA networks are completely 5G – from the core to the radio air network (RAN) and the end device. SA 5G networks unlock URLLC applications that cater for latency- sensitive connected devices. 5G provides sub-millisecond latency and error rates lower than one packet loss in 100,000, making it over 99.999% reliable. This is a huge upgrade from 4G, with latency of about 50ms, creating the opportunity for a new set of 5G URLLC-enabled business models. Any application where data must be
T
elcos and consumers both require the high-capacity, low-latency, high-speed connectivity of 5G. To unlock even greater value from communications
networks – increased reliability, speed and coverage – 5G standalone (SA) technology is the way to go. In effect we are seeing the emergence
of two types of networks, non- standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA),
34 June 2022
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
with the key difference being in their infrastructure: NSA networks build on the existing 4G network infrastructure, namely the 4G long-term evolution (LTE) core; whereas the SA network benefits directly from a 5G core. NSA unlocks some 5G capabilities, but with limited potential.
The 5G system It’s important to look at 5G as a technology platform, rather than
processed in real time will benefit from 5G URLLC: In smart factories, machine- to-machine (M2M) communication needs to be instant for seamless automation; in augmented reality (AR) scenarios, robots must perform operations exactly as tasked; and, in automotive, autonomous vehicles must react immediately to their surroundings. It is here that sub- ms-latency 5G can deliver safety and commercial gains.
One-million-device capacity Another key aspect of 5G unlocked by SA networks is mMTC, which connects low- power IoT devices in the thousands: 5G mMTC supports connection densities to one million devices per square kilometre – ten times greater than 4G. Such increased capacity enables infrastructure required for smart cities, for example,
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
