5G will bring a significant improvement in the data rates over 4G, it will more importantly address the field of Machine-type communications (MTC), called MTC. It is mainly about machine-to-machine communication . MTC can be divided into two categories: massive Machine-Type Communication (mMTC) and ultra-reliable MTC (uMTC) which is also called mission critical MTC. In the following video we provide a short overview of the MTC concept in 5G.
The history of the book
Our book “5G Mobile and Wireless Communications Technology” has just been published by Cambridge. This is where you will find a full overview of the 5th generation of mobile communications (5G), including use-cases, spectrum aspects and technologies. Let me share with you the story of this book, which mirrors the journey of 5G to date.
If you are a mobile network operator, a regulator, an industry ICT/IoT technology strategist, or an ICT/IoT researcher, this book will hopefully equip you with an insight into the impact and opportunities of 5G.
Back in April 2011, initiated by Ericsson, a small group of people from the top four mobile infrastructure vendors started to ponder the successor to 4G. Our collaboration materialized into the METIS project – Mobile and wireless communications enablers for the twenty-twenty (2020) Information Society – which included 25 companies, universities and research institutes. I was honored to be the first project manager of the METIS project, which can truly be seen as the beginning of the 5G journey. At that time, we did not know what 5G would be like, and we speculated that 5G could be operational in 2020.
We quickly realized that mobile communications are not only crucial for the telecom industry, but they will be a vital engine for change and economic growth across all sectors of industry and society.
Today, after 5 years of research and collaboration, we can state with more certainty that with the 5th generation, the currently human-dominated wireless communications will be extended to support an all connected world of humans and objects. In essence, it will make the Internet of Things an integral part of our economy. In particular, 5G will bring:
- Connectivity as the norm for people and things
- Critical and massive machine connectivity
- Mobility and security as network functions
- Integration of content distribution via the Internet
- Processing and storage at the network edge
- Full leverage of Software defined networking and network function virtualization
Today, we have come a long way on that 5G journey. Not only has global consensus been reached about the use cases and the requirements, but many 5G building blocks are now clear, for example machine-type communications, device-to-device communication, millimeter-wave, and massive MIMO.
With around 60 experts, we tell the 5G story, we put it in the context of the 5G system building blocks – as illustrated in the below figure – and in particular we:
- Summarize the 5G use cases, requirements and 5G main building blocks
- Demystify the relation between IoT, machine-type communications, and cyber physical systems, and describe the impact of 5G on sectors such as automotive, building, and energy
- Deal with the 5G radio access, as well the role of legacy systems like LTE
- Cover briefly system architecture, core network, and cloud (including network function virtualization)
The book is published by Cambridge University Press. I hope it will provide clarity about 5G, and am looking forward to your feedback and comments! We – the authors – would be happy to interact with you on social media.
5G Book 