what exactly is 5G

The first question you may be asking is: What exactly is 5G? The second question may be: How is it architected differently to deliver speed, low latency, capacity, and numerous other benefits?

In this article, we will tackle the 5G architecture question. We will look at some of the capabilities made possible by 5G network architecture and how connected applications can benefit from it. You can find more resources in the links throughout this article and in the related resources in the footer. For a good basic 5G introduction, see the article, What Is 5G, Part 1. Our 5G overview continues in Part 2, Who Will Adopt 5G Technology, and When?

One thing is certain: Our connected world is changing. 5G, with its next-generation network architecture, has the potential to support thousands of new applications in both the consumer and industrial segments. The possibilities for 5G seem almost limitless when speed and throughput are exponentially higher than current networks.

These advanced capabilities will enable applications across vertical markets such as manufacturing, healthcare, and transportation, where 5G will play a major role in everything from advanced manufacturing automation to fully autonomous vehicles. In order to develop profitable business use cases and applications for 5G, it helps to have at least a general understanding of the 5G network architecture that lies at the heart of all these new applications.

5G has received an enormous amount of attention, and more than a little hype. While the potential is enormous, it’s important to know that the industry is still in its early stages of adoption. The process of deploying the 5G network started many years ago and involved building out the new infrastructure, most of which is funded by the major wireless carriers.

Full 5G deployment will take time, rolling out in major cities long before it can reach less populated areas. Digi supports our customers in preparing for 5G, with communications on migration planning and next generation products. While Digi is not directly involved in developing the 5G new radio (NR) core and 5G radio access network (RAN), Digi devices will be an integral part of the 5G vision and their use in a myriad of 5G applications.

So – what exactly is 5G and how does 5G network technology architecture differ from previous “G’s”?

The 3GPP standards behind 5G network architecture were introduced by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), the organization that develops international standards for all mobile communications. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and its partners define the requirements and timeline for mobile communication systems, defining a new generation approximately every decade. The 3GPP develops specifications for those requirements in a series of releases.

The “G” in 5G stands for “generation.” 5G technology architecture presents significant advances beyond 4G LTE (long-term evolution) technology, which comes on the heels of 3G and 2G. As we describe in our related resource, The Journey to 5G, there is always a time period during which multiple network generations exist at once. Like its predecessors, 5G must co-exist with previous networks for two important reasons:

Developing and deploying new network technologies takes an enormous amount of time, investment and collaboration of major entities and carriers.

Early adopters will always want to get their hands on new technologies as quickly as possible, whereas those who have made major investments in large deployments with existing network technologies, such as 2G, 3G and 4G LTE, want to make use of those investments for as long as possible, and certainly until the new network is fully viable. (Note that 2G and 3G networks are being sunset to make room for 5G deployment. See our blog post 2G, 3G, 4G Network Shutdown Updates.)

The network architecture of 5g mobile technology improves vastly upon past architectures. Large cell-dense networks enable massive leaps in performance. And in addition, the architecture of 5G networks offers better security compared to today's 4G LTE networks.

In summary, 5G technology offers three principle advantages:

Faster data transmission speed, up to multi-Gigabit/s speeds.

Greater capacity, fueling a massive amount of IoT devices per square kilometer.

Lower latency, down to single-digit milliseconds, which is critically important in applications such as connected vehicles in ITS applications and autonomous vehicles, where near instantaneous response is necessary.

Does this mean that 5G is fully ready today? And does it mean 5G architecture is right for all applications? Read on to see how the new technology supports key applications, and which applications are more suited to 4G LTE.