International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security (IJCSIS),

Vol. 18, No. 1, January 2020

5G Technology Architecture:
Network Implementation, Challenges and Visibility

Robert James Casillas1, Bennett Touchette1, Lo’ai Tawalbeh1, and Fadi Muheidat2

1
Department of Computing and Cyber Security,
Texas A&M University-San Antonio, TX, USA.
Email: ltawalbeh@tamusa.edu

2
Computer Science and Enginerring
California State University, San Bernardino
San Bernardino, CA, United States
fadi.muheidat@csusub.edu

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Abstract: Wireless personal communication devices which, a single generation ago, seemed an incredible
technology application found only in science fiction have now become an absolute necessity for how many
Americans engineer daily life; equally indispensable in all aspects of human functionality and enabling
man’s virtually effortless ability to manipulate his immediate environment, limitless access to information
and entertainment, performance of professional applications, and providing the ability to immediately
engage in personal communications no matter the distance between sender and receiver. Despite
increasingly extensive dependence, the feature on cellular devices with the most future impact is not
currently subject to widespread availability. Advances associated with 5G boast lowered latency, seamless
coverage and the improved ability to support a greater number of devices. This paper explores the
obstacles involved with upgrading to 5G implementation including challenges of infrastructure support,
increased energy consumption, exploration of tower usage, positioning and beamforming, and hardware
and software upgrades regarding timing and compatibility.

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Introduction

Advances in technology have changed the culture of the United States. What are a people without

communication? Modern society is incredibly affected by the fact that relationships are equally accessible

whether the receiver is in the same town or a hemisphere away. America has entered the age of apps. Apps

are as varied as the population and utilization is not limited to needs already acknowledged, but are as broad

in scope and marketability as potential platforms yet to be envisioned. The use of smart devices in today’s

society has become an increasingly prevalent phenomenon in which virtually no demographic is left

unaffected. Users of Android and Apple phones engage in debates over the best operating system with the

same heat and fervor historically reserved for considerations of politics and religion. For many, personal

tech is a way of life, the beginning and end to each day. Users often take care in the selection of their smart

devices based on traits and features including, but not limited to: camera quality, screen resolution and size,

processing speed, coverage, hardware capabilities, and social regard. It is the most forward-thinking

consumer who considers the feature with the most significant future impact: 5G, offering lower latency and

larger capacity than the current 4G standard. Smartphone users are becoming more and more intent on

increasing their ability to access data quickly, reliably, and efficiently for tasks such as browsing, using

social media, playing games, and streaming videos and other Online services. (Sanou, 2018) The

smartphone industry has become a race to determine who can provide the best, most reliable and widespread

service. As of recent, most service providers are running off of 4G data communications, the replacement

for the 3G service. Currently 5G is in the process of becoming a viable replacement to 4G, but transitioning

is not without challenges and obstacles for consideration.

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5G Technology Architecture: Network Implementation, Challenges and Visibility

In today’s world of modern technology, it is not only the elite, but the vast majority of the nation’s

population with access to the network known as the World Wide Web. Even populations that formerly may

have been unable to afford advanced tech or typically never owned a computer workstation, now, more

often than not, own a portable personal computing device in the smallest form; a cell phone. Carrier network

speed is becoming a crucial factor when choosing a phone and data plan because emphasis is being placed

on having a better, faster, and more reliable network; a slogan echoed by the many phone ads shown across

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the globe. Since being launched in 2007, the fastest commonly available cellular data connection is 4G.

This was a huge leap past the previously utilized 3G network. With the rapid growth of the smartphone

industry and increasing demands for improved products and service, companies are in the process of

replacing their 4G networks with 5G. This future upgrade will provide necessary momentum towards huge

breakthroughs in the progress of available network speed on smart devices connecting to each other

throughout the network. When the inevitable upgrades are completed and 5G becomes fully implemented,

there will be an immense impact on communication for all customers. Companies specializing in

telecommunications are presently exhibiting 5G to their select customers; the first component in the process

of replacing 4G with 5G. However, 5G’s full implementation is projected for late 2020. (“5: The chance to

lead for a decade,” 2018)

Seeking 5G and Opportunity

Before examining the implementation of 5G, it is imperative to understand exactly what 5G is.

Essentially and simply put, 5G is the fifth generation of wireless telecommunication speed. (Mcgarry, 2019)

It promises to deliver improved applications and features through high-end speed. In pragmatic terms, that

means offering time and convenience: Users will be able to download movies in seconds rather than minutes

as per standard on 4G and 3G networks, respectively. A higher rate of reliability is promised by 5G,

resulting in fewer disruptions on the network, bringing about a better and more productive business model

for companies. The transition to 5G also boasts solutions to resolve bandwidth issues. It is believed that 5G

acts as a beacon to a new era of wireless mobile networks and offers a plethora of improvements upon

existing technology. With the addition of these new features, new ways to implement networks will present

themselves. New technology, however, will not be capable of spontaneously replacing 4G. Just as the

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crossover from 3G to 4G, regarding new technology, it’s implementation will require an output of time,

money and resources. The ultimatum from the standpoint of the consumer will be replacing 4G with 5G,

congruent with the forward momentum of improved efficiency and capability. The consumer is not

burdened with the logistics of the upgrade to 5G, though ultimately the consumer will be burdened with the

cost involved in with the upgrade process. Initially, it is the carriers and the manufacturers of equipment

who propel the transition.

T is for Transition

Presently, telecommunications companies are turning their focus towards the implementation of

5G, increasing 5G visibility, and overcoming the challenges preventing the universal release of 5G. With

new technology on the rise, the obligation to implement the initiation of new standards to be used for

devices such as new phones, Internet of Things devices that will be compatible with 5G and new cell towers

will become an imperative prerequisite. When a network upgrade such as 5G is disclosed to the mainstream

public, typically there is a period of transition as consumers upgrade personal devices. Eventually, there

will become a crucial juncture when consumer expectations must be met and the actual tech and carrier

network will need to live up to its expectations. The public’s apprehension and eventual acceptance of the

possible increase in network speed, efficiency in connectivity with other devices, and the amplification of

range will all play a factor in 5G’s visibility. With the implementation of 5G currently in progress there

will be many challenges to overcome. It was the year 2018 when the concept of 5G networks and the

possibility of replacing 4G began to make a debut in public circles. 5G offered a means to bring about faster

download rates and more efficient ways of connectivity between devices. Upgrading to 5G provides the

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potential to usher in a new era of mobile technology and will offer a revolutionary impact for the consumers

of the world.

The Trouble With Towers

There are some telecommunications companies that are currently in the process of replacing 4G

cellular towers to retain the upgrades needed to operate a 5G network. However, when an improvement in

technology is introduced there exists a disparity between it’s creation and it’s release as a widely available

commodity. It takes time for a new technology and the infrastructure needed to support it to be

implemented. 5G, is not a technology that can simply just be used to override 4G by upgrading cell phones.

Carriers must also upgrade the cell towers which were built to meet the standards and specifications needed

for 4G networks. The towers were developed well before the conceptualization of 5G and therefore cannot

provide support for the upcoming 5G without modification. In order for the reality of mainstream use of

5G networks to come to fruition in terms of capability, one of two things must happen; Existing towers

must be upgraded with the functionality needed to support 5G or an entirely new set of towers must be

built. Either option will be costly and pose obstacles for immediate implementation. When it comes to

adding new cellular towers, developers must calculate the most beneficial position with the goal of

maximising the usage of towers and thus expanding their range. (Hossain and Hasan, 2015) Tower

implementation for 5G could vastly differ from the implementation of 4G. Newer towers may require being

set at higher elevations to necessitate full speed capability and data reach. Also, the new 5G cell towers will

be required to handle a denser network in order to be able to support the increase in network traffic. Current

towers and cell phones aren’t compatible with 5G. Transitioning will require the creation of new cell towers

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and new cell phones to support 5G which takes time and resources, but there are other factors that may

affect consumers.

MIMO is Not a Meme and Subarrays are Significant

Throughout the United States the vast majority of phone users are on a 4G cellular network with

sparse populations still using 3G cellular network. Before 5G can become an alternative to the networks in

use, there must be some changes to be able to utilize or even connect to a 5G network. Where standards of

technology exist, there will always be an availability driven market. For example, there is a large amount

of cellular towers and phones around the globe capable of delivering and receiving 4G network connection

and therefore there is a large consumer group making use of those 4G capabilities. As a result, in order for

5G to become a reality, devices and towers alike must conform to a new set of standards because 4G

technology is unable to operate with 5G support. Wireless connections are comprised of waves that are

discharged from cell towers across the airspace to give the cellular devices connection to a proprietary

network. (Panzer, et al., 2014) The waves that will be used for the transmission of 5G are referred to as

massive MIMO waves. The benefit in using MIMO waves is they contain the functionality to both transmit

and receive multiple data sets simultaneously, resulting in a faster rate for 5G users because 5G uses four

sets of MIMO signals and receivers.. An additional benefit to the MIMO waves is support of network

protocol 802.11n, which offers the best speed out of all available protocols. This is a substantial innovation

for companies using wireless LANs, and provides for the possibility of a more productive work

environment due to higher rates of data transmission. These MIMO rays connect to an antenna and by

strategically placing higher-end antennae, beamforming significantly reduces cost. (Panzer, et al., 2014)

Additionally, the utilization of the hybrid beamforming strategy provides the foundation for a subarray

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strategy. (Cotanis, 2019) As for the large-scale antennae, they are in control of the smaller subarrays. Since

beamforming supports subarrays, that brings the discussion to the next implementation strategy: Mutually

Coupled Subarrays.

Bring on Beamforming and Go Green

There have been arrays designed to support new 5G technologies and these designs require

advanced antennae which conform to the new demands. 5G MIMO makes use of four sets of transmitters

and receivers to send any given set of data. The challenge posed by these configurations lies in the demand

for space to accommodate antennae in a given area as well as an increase in power needed. According to

Alnoman and Anpalagan (2016) devices utilizing 5G will need 10 times the battery life to compensate. A

solution to power usage is beamforming, by strategically placing towers and angling waves less energy will

be used to maintain 5G networks. One solution to the problem for dense antenna placement is referred to

as mutual coupling. While this new concept is to bring new technologies together for 5G such as arrays and

signals, the role taken by mutually coupled subarrays is reduction of space for new large-scale antenna

along with the ability to process the procedure of beamforming. Mutual coupling is a marriage of the new

technologies required to allow a 5G network to operate at optimum levels with fast streaming service. Next,

there is a third strategy for 5G implementation called the calibration procedure.

Calibration Can be Complex

Calibration procedures involve two operations: single direction calibration and exploits channel

reciprocity. Single direction calibration is strictly used for TX and RX for multiuse for new antennae.

(Panzer, et al., 2014) Single direction calibration controls the timing in relation to alignment along with the

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amplitude for new antenna ports. Exploits channel reciprocity requires the exact same types of TX/RX RF

paths to catch a full alignment without any errors occurring. Each calibration procedure must perform

efficiently to enable successful beamforming so there can exist an uplink to the sound channel in order to

produce better alignment. Finally, there is a last implementation for 5G known as ADC performance

predictions for 2020.Over previous years, performance for cellular data has changed considerably. Each

upgraded generation creates a new experience followed by a change in expectations by users for

performance with much focus on two aspects: speed and reliability. Consumers using 2G would barely

recognize today’s standard. From 2G to LTE there were significant changes in cellular data and how it was

used. Improvements were need-driven and required the improved upgrade from one network to the next. In

order to transition to 5G operating with greatest efficiency, it is beneficial to have a foundational

understanding for why certain technologies were used for network generations. Making great strides

moving forward sometimes requires us to look back to the past.

Benefits of Bandwidth

One factor developers cannot ignore is bandwidth, essentially the amount of data that can be

transmitted in a fixed amount of time. Bandwidth a key calculation used with cellular data and can be

affected by various technologies. For phone connectivity to function properly, sufficient bandwidth is an

absolute requirement. With the impending upgrade to 5G, consumers will hold expectations for stronger

bandwidth and further distances. Developers must consider which frequencies will be needed for 5G

networks to run significantly faster than previous generations, rectifying the cost for the upgrade. With the

rapidly approaching turn-of-the-year to 2020, a year ‘baby boomers’ have long anticipated with

expectations for mythically futuristic advances in technology, technicians are predicting that ADCs are to

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be used for the more robust 5G, improving speed up to 5.2 GSPS and producing a bandwidth of 2.6 GHz

with a 12-bit resolution. If set to maximum potential, ADC samples operate at a bandwidth of 5.2 GHz

succeeding at 10.4 GSPS. (“Industry’s Fastest 12-Bit ADC for 5G T&M and Defence Applications,” 2019)

If the complex schematics for 5G operates the way proponents predict, 5G is set to become the fastest

cellular network developed thus far. With this new technology moving from theory into development and

actualization, consumers can anticipate a spectacular impact, both personally and professionally. As with

any conversion, a smooth transition relies on smooth integration of involved components.

Safety Isn’t Expensive, It’s Priceless

Currently, most of the United States population operate cellular devices on 4G and LTE networks.

Most cell towers are only configured for 4G, not for 5G. Even if there already existed the required 5G

cellular towers, 4G users don’t already possess the internal configuration requirements to connect to 5G.

The reason is the same with cell towers, the cell phones are programmed to connect only to a 4G network.

For example, if the owner of a computer from the early 2000s wanted to update the internal processor, a

new processor would not work on the old motherboard. The configuration between the two is not

compatible. A knowledgeable technician would have to search for a new motherboard that would be

compatible with the new processor. Likewise, in order for a 4G user to connect to a 5G network, a phone

that is compatible with the new 5G technologies would be essential. Another significant factor to consider

is safety. Having cell towers located at each corner of a neighborhood could provide faster internet speed

without any interruptions in the network, (Snyder, 2016) however there have been reports which, if true,

could negate these benefits. Suggestions have been made that a correlation exists between the presence of

certain frequencies or signals inside someone’s house and adverse effects on health and well-being, even

linked to the presence of cancer, suggesting humans can be exposed to too many or certain frequencies

which are dangerous. Certain frequencies are proven to have an effect on the human brain and how it

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functions. It is yet unknown whether a significant increase in towers and subsequent increase in MIMO

waves in the immediate environment could pose a health risk for people.

Carriers Profit on Consumer Charges

Another drawback is that customers will be charged much more than they are paying for using

regular 4G data. Because 5G is a new technology in development, new types of equipment must be used

and as a result companies will charge much higher prices for monthly fees in order to retain profitability.

Along with the implementation of the new towers, new cell phones will have to be designed, fabricated. An

expensive upgrade, while initially may be bad news for consumers, for manufacturers the bottom line

translates to more sales revenue on hardware. New smartphones will have to be developed with

compatibility capabilities for 5G networks. New configurations will necessitate programming into these

phones and new technology will be requisite to handle the standards of 5G networks. Some

telecommunications companies are already in the process of switching over to 5G and have released phones

that are capable of utilizing the 5G towers. Even though companies like Verizon offer devices and are

already using 5G, operating completely in a 5G network won’t be realized until late 2020 or beyond. For

success, it will be compulsory for 5G to support an exponential increase in the number of connections due

to connection density. Growth rate projections are currently from 140 thousand connections per square

kilometer to six million. (Alnoman and Anpalagan, 2016) Developers will also have to be ready for possible

errors that could potentially cause a delay in the arrival of 5G including errors in groundwork, design and

arrangement.

Vision and Visibility

Visibility is a highly sought facet of networking, provided it doesn’t overload the network or

adversely affect cost efficiency because it allows for the management of increased complexity, additional

interfaces, and the dissociation between user plane and control. (Crawshaw, 2019) It is only through a wider

realization by the public that a service provider is able to grow and support the addition of new technology

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to be used to provide service. Without the realization of new technologies it is not possible to support the

infrastructure. Consider one such instance of this paradigm; only through unanimously accepted

networking policies the world wide web able to be created and maintained. It would be limiting and

counterproductive if each company and brand were to use an individualistic set of policies and

specifications, making the internet an inconceivable impossibility. The possibilities of a visible 5G network

offer access to further advance technology. The elimination of the limiting factor of network speed could

potentially result in possibilities of a more reliable network with low latency, expanded scalability and

capacity for internet of things, and superior throughput.(Doiron, 2019)

The Conclusion for Phasing Out: A 4G Funeral

According to Doiron (2019) one of the biggest challenges to overcome in the implementation of

5G networks is what will happen to 4G. 4G is currently the leading network format, but as 4G is replaced

by 5G it will either have become irrelevant, or will metamorphosize, becoming part of 5G. With full

coverage not yet fully implemented, 5G currently exists with only a very limited range of use, therefore 4G

remains in effect. Our opinion, in accordance with those of the authors, is that the switch to 5G is in not a

matter of ‘IF” but rather a matter of “When..” Changes with technology can often be uncomfortable, but

eventually when hurdles are overcome and time has passed, discomfort becomes all but a distant memory

and is ultimately overshadowed by the new experiences and opportunities offered as a result.

Acknowledgment
This research is supported by Texas A&M University-San Antonio through Research Council Grants.

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