Major Changes in 5G Architecture and Related Expectations

Abstract

5G has brought about major changes to the radio interface, which are directly experienced by end‐users through increased speed and lower latency. But 5G also brings about dramatic changes to the underlying system and network architecture, aiming at the many promises for 5G, most notably flexibility in addressing the many vertical industries seen entering the 5G space and efficiency in accommodating those new use cases and industries at sustainable costs. In this article, we outline the main trends and concepts that drive those changes in 5G architecture and how we see them coming together to fulfill the expectations in 5G deployments foreseen in the next years.