Promise of 5G will become apparent in LTE evolution
In a wide-ranging conversation with RCR Wireless News during Mobile World Congress 2016, AT&T SVP of wireless network architecture and design Tom Keathley looked at the long-term vision of “5G,” as well as the incremental advancements and benchmarks between now and standardization, expected around 2019 or 2020.
“It is talking about very high speeds, but the [Internet of Things] aspect of it is very high connection density, so, I think you’re right that when you think about what the possibility is, it really is limited only by your imagination,” Keathley said. “If you look at the path to get there, though, a lot of things have to happen. The standards work has to be done first.”
So, what’s the next big benchmark?
“I guess I would say the trial work that we’re doing,” Keathley said “So, in order to make sure we get the standards right, we announced … that we were going to start doing some trials,” looking at centimeter and millimeter wave. “We can use all of those learnings to plow into the standards work. That’s probably the next benchmark is real life trials, and then the application of those trials and the learnings from those into the standards.”
Keathley also said on the way to 5G, consumers would see improvement of services at the LTE-Advanced Pro standard makes its way to live networks.
“You’re going to see things launched. Even though we talk a lot about 5G, a lot of the promise of that you’re going to see beginnings of it in what we do with LTE,” Keathley said. “I don’t think it’s going to be a really jagged jump. You’re going to see lots of evolution and performance improvement along the way.”
AT&T filed paperwork with the Federal Communications Commission seeking an experimental license to conduct 5G technology trials using spectrum in the 3.4-3.6 GHz, 3.7-4.2 GHz, 14.5-15.35 GHz and 27.5-28.5 GHz bands in Austin, Texas. The carrier said the testing would be used to test “experimental equipment” in support of “potential (5G) multi-gigabyte per second applications for fixed and mobile wireless communication networks at higher transmission rates and lower latency than is currently available,” and supporting voice, video and data.
“Applicant’s proposed experiments would involve base stations that would transmit signals to and receive signals from experimental equipment located onboard mobile vehicles and on fixed stations in and within 5 kilometers of the Austin area,” the filing requests. The license request is for a three-year period, with expectations of 5G standards to be set by 2019.
AT&T earlier this year announced its roadmap for 5G including partnerships with Ericsson and Intel.
