5G Wireless: Is it the future?
Introduction

Ever since the early part of the 70s decade, the mobile wireless sector has been creating technology, in addition to engaging in technological development and reform. During the last many years, mobile wireless technology has undergone four to five generations of change and progress. Further, the past few years have witnessed a giant leap in telecommunication services across the globe, with roughly six billion cellphone owners worldwide. This paper will delve into the many cellular system generations, namely: 1G – 1st generation, 2G – 2nd generation, 3G – 3rd generation, 4G – 4th generation, and 5G – 5th generation (Kachhavay & Thakare, 2014). Taking into account the swift transformation and acceptance of web connectivity systems, the paper will also attempt at ascertaining whether or not 5G Wireless proves inevitable in our future.

The swift advancement of smartphones and mobile internet has caused exponential growth of existing mobile communication systems’ network traffic. 5G’s associated benefits and drawbacks have been increasingly garnering focus from every societal segment. Network traffic has been unprecedentedly growing, and this growing demand is anticipated to be fulfilled by 5G technologies, in the future (Zhang et al., 2018). Several technologies critical to 5G may offer superior data rates for meeting long- term capacity demands. Novel challenges are linked to 5G- associated field deployment and standardization, including software- outlined wireless network design, internet of things and big data within 5G, resource management, interference mitigation, energy efficiency, spectral efficiency, etc. For supporting 5G and wireless networks of the future, there is a need to study the above technologies in more detail.

Evolution of mobile technologies

Mobile communications have grown in popularity during the past few years on account of swift mobile technology revolution, which, in turn, is on account of an explosion in telecom service users.

i. First Generation (1G)

This concept was first introduced during the 80s, and encompasses analog system (widely recognized as cellphones). 1G entails mobile technologies like MTS (mobile telephone system), Advanced MTS (AMTS), PTT (push- to- talk), and Improved MTS (IMTS) (Patel, Purohit & Shah, 2018). Analog radio signals of 150 MHz frequency are utilized, with modulation of voice calls performed with the aid of the FDMA (frequency division multiple access) method. The drawbacks of 1G include inadequate capacity, bad voice links, absolutely no security, and unreliable handoff, as radio towers played back voice calls, thus rendering them vulnerable to being overheard by unwelcome third parties (Khan and Barman, 2015).

ii. Second Generation (2G)

The same decade (i.e., the latter part of the 80s) also witnessed the introduction of 2G, characterized by 64 kbps speed, 30- 200 KHz bandwidth, and Short Message Service (SMS) capability. 2G employed digital signals to transmit voice. A more advanced version, 2.5G, utilized circuit- and packet- switched domain, offering as much as 144 kbps of data rate (for instance, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Enhanced Data for Global Evolution (EDGE), and General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)) (Khan and Barman, 2015).

iii. Third Generation (3G)

3G banks on Wide Brand Wireless Network for improving clarity. Information is transmitted using packet switching technology, while circuit switching facilitates interpretation of voice calls. In addition to voice calls, 3G encompasses data services, video/ TV access, Global Roaming and other novel services (Patel et al., 2018). 3G’s operational range is 2100 MHz frequency with 15- 20 MHz bandwidth, for speedy internet and video chatting. Its Wide Band Voice Channel capability implies the creation of a global village, as individuals are able to interact with and forward messages to other individuals residing anywhere across the globe.

iv. Fourth Generation (4G)

4G is characterized by 100 Mbps download speeds. Besides offering the same features offered by 3G, 4G also offers services such as MultiMedia Newspapers, increased TV video clarity, and extremely high data transfer speeds (when compared with earlier generations). Long Term Evolution or LTE also comes under 4G technology. It is being improved upon, for the accommodation of rate and Quality of Service requirements for future application, such as improved video chatting, MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), wireless broadband access, data and voice services, mobile TV, DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) high- definition TV (HDTV) content, and similar bandwidth- utilizing services (Patel et al., 2018; Khan & Barman, 2015).

v. Fifth Generation (5G)

5G Technology has transformed cellphone usage with its extremely high bandwidth. This unprecedented- value technology encompasses every kind of sophisticated feature that will render it so highly powerful and sought- after in the coming days (Khan and Barman, 2015). 5G users may avail themselves of superfast internet speeds on their desktop or laptop computers by connecting the 5G mobile device to it. 5G technology covers audio/ MP3 playing, camera, video recording, huge phone memory, and superior dialing speeds, among other things. Piconets and Bluetooth technology targeted at the younger generation also come under 5G technologies.

5G Networks

5G networks are extremely quick and dependable. The mobile device sector will experience never- before- seen revolution after 5G’s widespread introduction, with every application and service (e.g., phone calls, gaming, multimedia applications, etc.) to be accessible using a single Internet Protocol. Since this is no novel concept – several million individuals worldwide have wireless technology/ service access – they will not hesitate to jump to 5G networks. Rather, they will eagerly seek an affordable 5G data pack (Khan and Barman, 2015). User trust must be won by telecom and technology companies for developing a long- run, positive relationship and reinforcing their market position. For effectively competing with, and replacing, the older wireless technologies that are currently circulating the market, it is imperative for 5G to offer ‘something more’ or ‘something different’. Most new 4G smartphones are incorporating advanced mp3 player, camera, and telephony features. 5G will work to better the features of phone gallery, multimedia apps, and messenger already offered by 4G technologies.

The need for 5G technology

Certain shortcomings and the lack of a few functions within the extant system give rise to the need to develop a...…IP (IPv6), in which a visiting c/o cellphone IP address gets assigned based on connected network and location.

1. Universal networks that offer universal computing: 5G users may be linked to a number of wireless access technologies at the same time, besides transitioning between them without any glitches; such access technologies may include 2.5 G, 3G, 4G/5G networks, Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN), Wi-Fi, or other future access technologies (Patzold, 2019). Within the 5G domain, this idea can be built upon further into numerous simultaneous information transfer paths.

1. Smart radio or cognitive radio technologies: Such technologies facilitate efficient sharing of a single spectrum by a number of radio technologies, through the adaptive discovery of unused spectra and adaptation of transmission plan to technology requirements the spectrum shares at present. Such dynamic management of radio resources is attained dispersedly, and is reliant upon software described radio (Kachhavay & Thakare, 2014; Patzold, 2019).

1. HAPS (high altitude stratospheric platform station) systems. 5G communications systems’ radio interface has been suggested by a Korea- based R&D (research and development) initiative whose basis is supposed to be cooperative group relay methods and BDMA (beam division multiple access) technique.

Conclusion

To sum up, the 5G networks of the future are anticipated to help satisfy the divergent quality of service requirements of diverse users. The network slicing technology shows potential when it comes to helping 5G networks offer services that are customized for different users’ special quality of service needs. Spurred by the immense growth in wireless information traffic from a number of application settings, effective plans for resource allocation ought to be implemented for achieving improvements in network resource allotment flexibility as well as 5G networks’ capacity, on the basis of network slicing. On account of 5G application conditions’ diversity, there is a dire need for novel mobility management plans which help ensure smooth and hassle- free handover within network- slicing- grounded 5G systems. It is concluded that the 4G technology-based 5G networks are exceedingly rapid and dependable. They constitute a real wireless domain that will be supported using the following: Large Area Synchronized- Code Division Multiple Access (LAS- CDMA), Multi- Carrier Code Division Multiple Access (MCCDMA), Network- Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS), IPv6, Orthogonal frequency- division multiplexing (OFDM), and Ultra- Wide Band (UWB). 5G technologies provide immense data capabilities, in addition to limitless information broadcast and call volume, concurrently in the newest mobile operating systems. They ought to contribute significantly to the cellphone domain across the globe through its additional features and services. 5G ought to be a more intelligent form of technology which boundlessly connects the whole world. This realm of ubiquitous, uninterrupted communication, data and entertainment access will serve to open novel dimensions to our life, thereby significantly altering our way of living. Hence, 5G Wireless undoubtedly makes up the future of mobile technologies in the world.

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