Where, When, and How mmWave is Used in 5G and Beyond

TLDR

Millimeter‑wave (mmWave) deployment in 5G and beyond is a key question, as the next‑generation network integrates vertical markets and diverse applications, making answers scenario‑dependent. This paper presents four chronological 5G mmWave deployment examples, outlining their scenarios, use cases, system architectures, and hardware prototypes. The examples include 28 GHz outdoor backhauling for fixed wireless access and moving hotspots (PyeongChang 2018), 60 GHz unlicensed indoor access with MEC at Tokyo‑Narita for ultra‑high‑speed low‑latency content, mmWave mesh µ‑RAN backhauling small‑cell base stations in dense urban areas, and mmWave V2V/V2X for automated driving exchanging high‑definition maps between vehicles and roadside units. For 5G and beyond, mmWave and MEC will be essential for applications demanding ultra‑high data rates and low latency.

Abstract

Wireless engineers and business planners commonly raise the question on where, when, and how millimeter-wave (mmWave) will be used in 5G and beyond. Since the next generation network is not just a new radio access standard, but also an integration of networks for vertical markets with diverse applications, answers to the question depend on scenarios and use cases to be deployed. This paper gives four 5G mmWave deployment examples and describes in chronological order the scenarios and use cases of their probable deployment, including expected system architectures and hardware prototypes. The first example is a 28 GHz outdoor backhauling for fixed wireless access and moving hotspots, which will be demonstrated at the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in 2018. The second deployment example is a 60 GHz unlicensed indoor access system at the Tokyo-Narita airport, which is combined with Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) to enable ultra-high speed content download with low latency. The third example is mmWave mesh network to be used as a micro Radio Access Network (µ-RAN), for cost-effective backhauling of small-cell Base Stations (BSs) in dense urban scenarios. The last example is mmWave based Vehicular-to-Vehicular (V2V) and Vehicular-to-Everything (V2X) communications system, which enables automated driving by exchanging High Definition (HD) dynamic map information between cars and Roadside Units (RSUs). For 5G and beyond, mmWave and MEC will play important roles for a diverse set of applications that require both ultra-high data rate and low latency communications.