5G ecosystem

Context:

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has today issued a Consultation Paper on “Digital Transformation through 5G Ecosystem”.

Key Details – 5G Technology

What is 5G?

• 5G is the 5^th generation mobile network and is a global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.

When was it launched in India?

• 5G services were 1^st launched in India on October 2022.

What does it deliver?

• Higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds
• Ultra-low latency
• More reliability
• Massive network capacity
• Increased availability
• Uniform user experience for users

Differences between 3G, 4G, 5G and 6G:

	Deployment	Bandwidth	Latency	Average Speed
3G	2004-06	2 mbps	100-150 millisecond	144 kbps
4G	2006-10	200 mbps	20-30 millisecond	25 mbps
5G	2020	> 1 gbps	< 10 millisecond	200-400 mbps
6G	2028-30 (tentative)	1 tbps	< 1 microsecond	About 50-100 times faster than 5G

Types of 5G Spectrum:

Types	Features
Low Band Spectrum	Lower than 1 GHz on the spectrum chart.Wider coverage but limited improvement in speed and latency. For thinly populated areas and provides indoor coverage in built-up areas.
Mid Band Spectrum	1 GHz-6 GHz range.Ideal for 5G because it can carry plenty of data while also traveling significant distances.
High Band Spectrum	24 GHz band and higher. (Millimetre-Wave band)It delivers super-fast speeds High-band over short distances.

The essential component of 5G architecture:

• Network slicing has become an essential component of the overall 5G architectural landscape.
• Network slicing is a network configuration that allows multiple networks (virtualized and independent) to be created on top of a common physical infrastructure.
• Each “slice” or portion of the network can be allocated based on the specific needs of the application, use case or customer.

What technologies does it include?

• Massive multi-user MIMO (Multiple input multiple output) enabled network.
• Small cell stations to connect the base stations and users seamlessly.
• Mobile Edge Computing that brings cloud computing closer to the user.
• Beam forcing a laser beam between transmitting entity and the user.

Applications of 5G:

• Healthcare: Remotely operated robotic surgeries; track patient’s vitals, detect faults in medical devices etc.
• Agriculture: Spraying fertilizers; enable precision farming by analysing data on soil, weather, crops, and livestock etc.
• Energy: Enhanced grid management by reducing transmission and distribution losses etc.
• Education: Eliminate language barrier, saves teachers from tremendous paperwork, keep track of enrolments etc.
• Manufacturing: Enable virtual prototyping, training, assembly and collaboration; maintain equipment using virtual reality headsets.

Terms to Know

Fiberisation:

• Process of connecting radio towers with each other via optical fiber cables.
• Connects core of network to edge facilitating large amounts of data used in 5G services.
• Provides additional bandwidth and stronger backhaul support.

In India, currently only 33% of the towers are fiberised, compared to 65%-70% in South Korea and 80%-90% in the U.S., Japan and China, according to a 2021 report by India Infrastructure Research.

Source: PIB

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Previous Year Question

With reference to communication technologies, what is/are the difference/differences between LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and VoLTE (Voice over Long-Term Evolution)?
1. LTE is commonly marketed as 3G and VoLTE is commonly marketed as advanced 3G.
2. LTE is data-only technology and VoLTE is voice-only technology.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2019 Prelims]

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d)
Explanation:
LTE or Long Term Evolution is a series of 4G network standards that were agreed in 2008. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
Under LTE, the infrastructure of telecom players only allows transmission of data while voice calls are routed to their older 2G or 3G networks. VoLTE is both data and voice technology. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

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