Preferred 5G network options to take into major UK Test Bed trials Stephen Temple, Visiting Professor, 5GIC

1. Prof Stephen Temple CBE
Technical Secretary to SAB (5G IC)
Survey Results –
Preferred 5G Options of UK Network Providers for up-grading the
5G IC Test Bed based on the value to their 2020 road maps

2. NEW TECHNOLOGIES
GLOBAL STANDARD
LAUNCH DATE
What makes for a successful mobile revolution?
Basic
Ingredients
Good
Coupling
(3G PP)
Poor
Coupling
TEST
BED
TRIALS
Pre Operational
& Operational
Deployments
from 2020

3. CAPACITY
COVERAGE
>99.9%
>10
Gb/s
3.4 – 3.8 GHz
700 MHz
5 GHz
24 – 33 GHz
60 GHz
900
2.1 GHz
5G is stretching out the capacity v coverage choice with
“spectrum choice” dictating 5G network outcomes
Note: Curve purely illustrative

4. CAPACITY
COVERAGE
>99.9%
>10
Gb/s
3.4 – 3.8 GHz
700 MHz
5 GHz
24 – 33 GHz
60 GHz
900
2.1 GHz
Coupling spectrum opportunities with technology
opportunities creates the 5G network choices
Band Outcome
700 Reliable Coverage LTE +20dB
900 NB IoT 3G PP
2.1 GHz Not defined
3.6 GHz Urban Gb/s mobile 3G PP
5 GHz WiFi IEEE
33 GHz 10’s Gb/s nomadic 3G PP
60 GHz WiGig IEEE

5. UK Operator 1st Preference 2nd Preference 3rd Preference
NP1 D A B
NP2 D A F
NP3 G D F
NP4 D F G
NP5 D E F
A 700 Reliable coverage 5G underlay
B 900 NB IoT – national coverage
C 2.1 GHz Not specified
D 3.6 GHz Urban Gb/s “on the move”
E 5 GHz Higher capacity WiFi
F 24 or 33 GHz 10’s Gb/s “nomadic”
G 60 GHz WiGig short range links
Q. Rank the top three 5G network options for up-grading the 5G IC Test Bed in
order of preference that would appear most valuable to your company based on
what you see as the commercial challenges likely to be facing your company in
the market in 2020...
See Annex
for detailed
descriptions
used in
survey
All UK
Fixed &
Mobile
Network
Providers

6. APPENDIX
Description of infrastructure Options used
in the Survey

7. Excellent national coverage prospects and good indoor penetration
but only moderate data speeds and capacity possible.
A. 700 MHz
• Connected car
• The many IoT verticals needing national coverage
• Video in moderation
• Universal control plane or 5G connectivity underlay
LTE with radical re-engineering of radio link (to put extra 20 dB
in link-budget) for reach, reliability & resilience to provide the
connectivity underlay for 5G

8. Very high reliability and very good national coverage possible but
with only very low data speeds and capacity possible. .
B. 900 MHz
• Connected car
• Many IoT verticals needing national coverage
• Fast deployment
The NB-IoT concept is MNO’s able to fit a new 5G narrow band
technology into a single ex-GSM 200 kHz RF channel.

9. 10-20 MHz FDD per MNO plus passive infrastructure in place for
near national coverage
C. 2.1 GHz (Re-farmed 3G)
• No plans
Spectrum opportunity that nobody is coupling with new
technology opportunity.

10. Very high density of small cells providing 1-3 Gb/s data speeds
with semi-contiguous coverage over dense urban areas
D. 3.4-3.6 GHz or 3.6 – 3.8 GHz
• Gb/s on the move
• Connected urban transport
• Smart Cities
• Security
• Strong video/games mobile access network
Critical issue is access to wide RF channels (>100 MHz) for 5G to
perform better than LTE (and WiFi). Note: This could extend
interest to up to 4.2 GHz to test even wider RF channels)

11. Private indoor connectivity plus Public densification of high data
speed WiFi cells
E. 5 GHz
• Improved capacity of WiFi public access points
WiFi at 5 GHz offers an alternative to 3.4 GHz 5G small cells but
greater limitations eg less favourable propagation and a lack of
control of QoS that comes with unlicensed spectrum

12. Enormous data rates of up to 10 Gb/s but line of site limitations -
coverage small “hot spots or hot zones”.
F. 24 or 33 GHz
Good as “venue” infrastructure eg football stadiums and other
zones of high footfall
Good for apps needing very low latency eg factory automation
Wireless Local loop with external antennas
Very strong global research push. RF channels widths greater
than 500 MHz needed.

13. Private indoor connectivity plus Public densification of short range
line-of-sight high data speed WiFi cells or links
G. 60 GHz
• Public and private Wifi with data rates of up to 4.6 Gb/s but
much reduced coverage and range than lower bands WiFi
• Short radio links (backhaul?)
WiGig at 60 GHz may compete with the mmWave 5G