The evolution of 5G New Radio (NR) has progressed swiftly since the 3GPP standardized the first NR release (release 15) in mid-2018. Not only is release 16 nearly finalized but the scope of release 17 has also recently been approved.  3GPP plans to evolve 5G in three phases: Phase 1 – 3GPP Release 15 provided […]

In LTE Core Network, all data plane traffic must go through a single node type called Packet Data Network Gateway (P-GW). This centralized architecture is advantageous in terms of operation and management. Yet, it could potentially pose a severe limitation when there is a huge amount of backhaul traffics in 5G. The following figure illustrates […]

This is the last update for the 5G Commercial Live Network in the Middle East till 25th, May 2021 Let’s see the status of 5G Live Commercial Network in the Middle East Saudi Arabia: In June 2019, STC became the first operator to launch 5G commercial services in Saudi Arabia. Zain’s 5G network also went live […]

As we discussed in the last article, let’s Recap again What is DSS and why we need to use the DSS feature in 5G Roadmap deployment. Due to the occupation of its FDD-based spectrum assets, service providers are forced to choose between the acquisition of a new spectrum or refarm spectrum already in use. Both […]

Before start talking about DSS or Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, let’s address the problem first and how DSS can solve it. As we know that 5G can support newly released frequency bands for use – such as the C-band (3-5 GHz) and millimeter wave (mmWave) band (24-40 GHz) – are higher than the current 4G frequency […]

Open and virtualized RAN, Open vRAN refers to a disaggregated approach of deploying virtualized mobile networks by using open and interoperable protocols and interfaces, implemented over a common propose hardware in a multi-vendor software environment, allowing increased flexibility over traditional RAN architectures., aiming to provide OPEX and CAPEX savings while fostering innovation. Traditional RAN Protocol […]

Functional Split Options for 5G Networks As network architects work to meet the 5G challenges of increased traffic and data flows, a fundamental question is how much intelligence to put near the antenna versus at the DUs or CUs. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) as well as industry-standards groups, such as the 3GPP, IEEE, Telecom Infra […]

The main motive for the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) is to bring software-defined controllability to RAN to increase system performance as on the path towards 5G, with network densification, and availability of different types of spectrum bands, it is increasingly a more difficult task to optimally allocate radio resources, implement handovers, manage interference, balance load […]

The O-RAN Alliance is the main driver of the OpenRAN concept, especially the efforts to standardize interfaces, in addition to the TIP. Founded in 2018 by AT&T, China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, NTT DOCOMO, and Orange. The O-RAN Alliance’s goal is to foster the development of reference designs and standards such that current and future RANs […]

5G shouldn’t be seen simply as the next generation of mobile communications. It’s a smart ecosystem that’s ready to catch new innovations and highly customized services. 4G to 5G Interworking 4G LTE and the 5G networks will continue to interwork for a number of years. This is why it’s essential to:  Support a seamless handover […]

Why do MNOs struggle to shift to Open RAN? I know many MNOs are struggling to shift their RAN strategy to OpenRAN in their 5G Roadmap due to many reasons like they can not get away from their monolithic supply chain from the big vendors. Also, there’re some interfaces that are still NOT open even if these […]