Evolution Toward 5G Mobile Networks – A Survey on Enabling Technologies

Abstract

Abstract. In this paper, an extensive review has been carried out on the trends of existing as well as proposed potential enabling technologies that are expected to shape the fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless networks. Based on the classification of the trends, we develop a 5G network architectural evolution framework that comprises three evolutionary directions, namely, (1) radio access network node and performance enabler, (2) network control programming platform, and (3) backhaul network platform and synchronization. In (1), we discuss node classification including low power nodes in emerging machine-type communications, and network capacity enablers, e.g., millimeter wave communications and massive multiple-input multiple-output. In (2), both logically distributed cell/device-centric platforms, and logically centralized conventional/wireless software defined networking control programming approaches are discussed. In (3), backhaul networks and network synchronization are discussed. A comparative analysis for each direction as well as future evolutionary directions and challenges toward 5G networks are discussed. This survey will be helpful for further research exploitations and network operators for a smooth evolution of their existing networks toward 5G networks.

IoT’s Tiny Steps towards 5G: Telco’s Perspective

“…Review paper [1,2,10,12, Technical paper [8, Research effectiveness [3][4][5][6][7]9,[11][12][13]29,52, (a) (b) Phase II included the analysis and comparison of papers related to the category of IoT in 5G service classification. Papers were first sorted according to the existing classification criteria of IoT applications in order to underline their deficiencies from telco's perspective.…”

“…Data rate is the most important evaluation factor for generations of wireless communication networks [6]. It is contemplated in two ways: (1) peak data rate-defined as the maximum achievable data rate by the user; and (2) minimum guaranteed user data rate-defined as the minimum experience data rate by the user [16].…”

“…5G networks should enable "zero latency" [103] represented by the millisecond level of E2E latency [16,26,27,213] through significant enhancements and new technology in architecture aspects [6,28,214], such as device-to-device (D2D) communication [5]. The IoT applications associated with uMTC monitoring and managing/controlling activities require low latency, as they tend to be real time.…”

“…This paper focuses on the technical challenges since connectivity and performance requirements of IoT objects/things cannot be fulfilled using existing cellular networks that limit numerous IoT applications. In order to overcome issues associated with the current cellular networks, new types of technologies are being introduced leading towards the fifth generation (5G) network [5][6][7].…”

A Novel Approach for Centralized 3D Radio Resource Allocation and Scheduling in Dense HetNets for 5G Control-/User-plane Separation Architectures

“…Further, in contrast to traditional coupled control-plane and user plane (C-/U-plane) network, C-/Uplane separation architectures (CUSAs), also termed as device centric networks [13], have been considered as a potential solution for 5G, and an extensive research is ongoing on CUSA [14][15][16] either by considering routing control-plane (C-plane) traffic of a SC with the SCBS itself [14] or the macrocell BS (MCBS) [15][16]. Though the CUSA has been considered as one of the enabling technologies to address prospective features of 5G (e.g., a high indoor data rate, resource utilization, and energy efficiency), to our best knowledge, no existing works addressed the issue of a centralized allocation and scheduling of 3D radio resources, namely time, frequency, and power, in CUSA based 5G, which we aim to address in this paper.…”