5G Glossary

Shared spectrum is a way of using radio frequencies that allows multiple users to access the same spectrum. This can be done either by using spectrum sharing technologies, or by using spectrum that is already allocated to multiple users.

A WWAN uses cellular technology, such as 3G, 4G, or 5G, to create a wireless connection over a wide area. WWANs provide high-speed data connections over long distances. They are often used in areas where there is no wired internet connection available, such as in rural areas or when travelling.

Massive MIMO is a type of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology that uses a very large number of antennas to improve communication performance. It is sometimes referred to as large-scale MIMO or distributed MIMO.

Radio Access Network, or RAN, is a network of radio transmitters and receivers that are used to communicate with mobile devices, such as cell phones. RANs are typically designed to cover a large geographic area, such as a city or country.

V2X refers to the communication between vehicles and infrastructure, or "vehicle-to-everything" communication. This type of communication is designed to improve safety and efficiency on the road by allowing vehicles to share data with each other and with the infrastructure around them.

Sub 6 GHz is a term used to refer to the frequency range below 6 GHz in the radio spectrum. This frequency range is used to provide wireless services such as 4G, LTE, 5G and WiFi.

An antenna array is a collection of antennas that work together to focus radio waves in a particular direction. Antenna arrays are used in a variety of applications, including radar, communications, and navigation.

Network slicing is a technique that allows for the creation of multiple virtual networks on top of a single physical network. This allows for each virtual network to be customized for the specific needs of the applications that will be running on it.

An edge cloud is a type of cloud computing that brings data storage and compute resources closer to the edge of the network, where devices are located. By doing so, data and compute resources can be accessed more quickly and directly by devices, rather than having to travel all the way back to a centralized data center.

The 5G Technical Forum (5GTF) is an organization that promotes the development and adoption of 5G technology. The 5GTF was founded in 2015 by Verizon and a group of companies that are working on 5G technology, including Nokia, Qualcomm, and Samsung. The 5GTF's goal is to create a standards-based approach to 5G that will enable a smooth transition to the next generation of wireless technology.

5G New Radio (NR) is the new radio interface being developed by the 3GPP for 5G cellular networks. It is designed to provide speeds up to 10 Gbps, as well as reduced latency, improved spectrum efficiency, and increased capacity. It is the first 5G radio interface to be standardised, and is expected to be widely adopted in the near future.

Millimetre wave (mmWave) is a high-frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum. MMwave frequencies are typically between 30 GHz and 300 GHz. These frequencies are much higher than those used in cellular networks and Wi-Fi, which operate in the low- to mid-GHz range.

5G non-standalone mode is a technology that allows 5G networks to be deployed using existing 4G infrastructure. This technology allows carriers to provide 5G coverage in areas where they don’t yet have the necessary equipment in place to build out a fully-fledged 5G network.

Also known as eMTC (enhanced Machine Type Communications) or Cat-M1/M2, LTE-M is part of LTE IoT technologies. It offers up to 2.4 Mbps downlink speeds, years of battery-life, and extended coverage. This is suitable for latency sensitive IoT applications such as tracker, wearables, and for any use case that need voice and full mobility support.

A base station for a cellular network is typically composed of a tower and equipment hut, and is sometimes referred to as a cell site. The cell site usually has equipment that supports a number of different cell towers, each serving a different sector of the surrounding area. The term "eNodeB" refers to the base station equipment that handles the radio interface with the mobile devices.

Beamforming is a signal processing technique used in sensor arrays for directional signal transmission or reception. This process involves combining elements in an array in order to direct a wave in a desired direction or at a specific target. The main advantage of beamforming is that it helps to reduce interference from other sources and increases the overall signal-to-noise ratio.

C-band is a range of electromagnetic frequencies used for various telecommunications purposes, including fixed-satellite service. The name comes from the fact that the frequencies are in the "C" range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

NB-IoT is a new, cellular Internet of Things (IoT) technology standardized by 3GPP in Release 13. It builds upon existing LTE networks to enable low-power, wide-area (LPWA) connectivity for a variety of IoT devices and applications.

LTE Advanced is a mobile communication standard that builds upon the foundation set by the original LTE standard. LTE Advanced offers a number of enhancements over the original LTE standard, including higher data rates, higher system capacity, and lower latency.

Edge computing is a type of computing where data is processed at the edge of a network, close to the source of the data. This is in contrast to traditional centralized computing, where data is processed in a central location.

Carrier aggregation is a technique used in mobile networks to boost data speeds. It involves using multiple carriers simultaneously to create a wider channel for data transmission. This results in increased data throughput and reduced latency, allowing for a more efficient and responsive mobile network.

Baseband is a type of signal that consists of a single carrier wave with no modulation. This makes it different from other types of signals, such as amplitude modulation (AM) or frequency modulation (FM), which do have modulation. Baseband is used for a variety of purposes, including carrying digital data, carrying analog data, and providing a clock signal for synchronising other components in a system.

eMBB is a term used in the telecommunications industry to refer to "enhanced Mobile Broadband". It is a term used to describe networks and services that offer a significantly higher level of performance and speed than traditional mobile broadband services.

Customer premise equipment (CPE) is the telecommunications equipment that is installed at a customer's location, typically at their home or business. This equipment is used to connect the customer's premises to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) or other networks.

Fixed wireless access (FWA) is a type of broadband Internet access that uses radio waves to provide high-speed Internet services to users in fixed locations. FWA technology uses radio waves to communicate between a fixed base station and a user's premises, typically a home or office.

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is an international collaboration between seven telecommunications standard development organisations (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TSG, ITU, and TTA) that collaborate to create and maintain the technical specifications for 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-Advanced, and 5G mobile networks.

Massive IoT is a term used to describe the growing trend of connecting large numbers of devices to the Internet of Things (IoT). These devices can include everything from sensors and cameras to consumer electronics and industrial equipment.

Beam steering is a technique used in 5G networks to direct radio waves to a specific target, such as a user's device. By steering the beam, the 5G network can provide a more efficient and reliable connection.

5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology. It offers significantly faster speeds and lower latency than previous generations.

User equipment, or UE, is a term used in LTE, 4G, and 5G wireless communications to describe a mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or other type of wireless device that is used to access the network.

URLLC stands for Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications. It is a new type of communication that is being developed to meet the needs of Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things. URLLC will provide extremely high levels of reliability and low latency, making it possible to support critical applications such as autonomous vehicles and industrial control systems.

An edge node is a physical or virtual machine located at the edge of a network. Edge nodes act as gateways and bridges between local networks, such as in a home or office, and the outside world.

Edge AI is a term for AI applications that are deployed at the edge of a network, typically close to the data source. Edge AI is used to enable real-time decision making and improve the efficiency of data processing.

5G SA mode is a term used to describe the standalone operation of the 5G network. In this mode, the 5G network is not reliant on any other network infrastructure and can operate independently.

A gNB (gNodeB) is a node in a cellular network that provides connectivity between user equipment (UE) and the evolved packet core (EPC). A gNodeB is the functional equivalent of a base station in a traditional cellular network.

The CBRS band is 150 MHz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band that is being made available for shared use by the Federal government, commercial wireless service providers, and unlicensed users. The CBRS band is broken up into three tiers of access: General Authorized Access (GAA), Incumbent Access (IA), and Priority Access (PA).

The 802.11ax standard—officially known as IEEE 802.11ax-2019—is the latest generation of Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6). It builds upon the previous 802.11ac and 802.11n standards by adding numerous improvements that make it faster, more efficient, and more capable of handling dense networks.

WAN stands for Wide Area Network. A WAN is a computer network that covers a large geographic area, such as a city, state, country, or even the entire world. It can connect multiple local area networks (LANs) together, such as two LANs in different cities, or even two different countries. In this blog we will go over the purpose of WANs, how they work, and what the benefits of WANs are.