The demand for data has been increasing for many years. It continues to grow sharply, fueled by several factors including greater video consumption, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the ongoing pandemic – which itself has required a vast new range of mobile and remote applications.
One of the key benefits of 5G is that it can handle faster throughput than LTE. This is crucial as we begin to see mobile data traffic—and the devices used to access that data—grow at a rapid rate, ultimately stretching the limits of current networks. In the enterprise space, factories are expanding the use of IoT and new industrial automation applications, while hospitals struggle with large imaging files and constant updates from wearable devices. Networks are also being pushed by applications on smart devices that run in the background, communicating continuously with the cloud, and subscribers who share more of their lives with friends and family, uploading pictures and videos.
To help keep up with data demands, network operators are using multiple strategies to stay ahead, such as introducing new spectrum, implementing advanced technologies, and adding additional sites. Here are some details on these and other key strategies network operators can take to lead in a high-data, bandwidth-stretched world.
• Leveraging Spectrum is key to increasing traffic—specifically by gaining and using more of it. Auctions regularly take place in various countries to dole out this finite resource to mobile network operators and, with some of the newly available spectrum, to private enterprises.
• New and Improved Technologies provide operators with increased throughput in their networks. The use of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS), beamforming, carrier aggregation (CA), Massive MIMO, and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO) have all significantly contributed to the increase in data rates. Methodologies such as network slicing and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) help deliver more data to specific recipients.
• Densifying the Network, or adding more cell sites to a given area, is another way network operators help their subscribers get data to and from their devices more quickly. With low bands, signals traveled further, meaning fewer sites were necessary. With the mid-band frequencies, the signal drops quickly and is more prone to interference, hence more locations are required to achieve equivalent coverage. With high-band, signals travel faster but they span short distances and it can be hard for them to penetrate buildings.
In addition to these strategies, a key element of network optimization comes through virtualizing the network. This transforms functionality from hardware-dependent to software-run resources independent of specific hardware. The conversion is underway with network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN). With NFV, functions that previously ran on proprietary hardware are implemented as software on standard servers, reducing hardware costs for operators.
The next step in virtualizing the network comes with the traditional hardware-based Radio Access Network (RAN). The RAN must handle immense data traffic in 5G networks. With MIMO antennas, radios, other new technologies and larger data channels, the amount of data transferred from the RAN to the core is significantly higher than in previous generations of wireless technology. The interactions between a 64T64R Massive MIMO radio – the most advanced on the market today – and the RAN are astounding, as the RAN must handle 64 times the traffic in the same amount of time as a non-MIMO radio.
In the past, when it was time to upgrade a network to provide increased throughput or new functionality, it meant hardware conversions, as new hardware was necessary to perform the tasks now needed by the network. With virtualization, functionality is software, and upgrades are simply a matter of updating the software. Samsung is redefining the network by offering a fully-virtualized, software-based RAN that runs on COTS servers, offering features and performance equivalent to traditional hardware-based equipment.
Samsung’s virtualized RAN (vRAN) splits baseband functions into new components called the virtualized distributed unit (vDU) and the virtualized centralized unit (vCU). The vDU is often placed directly on-site with a radio, handling real-time processing functions. The vCU can manage multiple vDUs from a central location, taking care of non-real-time processing and enabling easier and faster deployment.
Samsung’s vRAN also delivers network performance equivalent to traditional, hardware-based RANs. It can be repurposed to handle new data rates and applications more easily than a rip-and-replace upgrade method, enabling faster time-to-market and implementing new services cost-effectively. The vRAN allows operators to manage their networks in a unified and straightforward manner.
Today, Samsung is the only major equipment manufacturer with vRAN deployments with Tier One operators in the U.S., Japan, and U.K. Samsung is redefining networks virtualization to meet operator needs as they drive towards innovation and reliability. Moreover, operators are seeking solutions to meet the exponential demands for connectivity and meet next-generation network technology requirements. As a world leader offering innovative 5G solutions in chipsets, radios, vRAN, and the core network, Samsung is committed to helping our operator customers move forward to the next generation of network innovation.
To learn more, visit us at Samsung Networks.