Tag: Ericsson

What is the Significance of Advanced Traffic Steering in 5G Networks?

5G networks operate on multiple frequency bands, including low, mid, and high-band, with each band having different capacity and coverage characteristics. As the number of user equipment (UE) connected to the 5G network grows, the network must adapt to accommodate their diverse needs. While the majority of devices on 5G networks are personal devices like cell phones, more businesses and industrial applications are also utilizing these networks.

Each user and device has distinct demands that evolve constantly throughout the day. For instance, a person may require different services while walking their dog early in the morning, during rush hour, and at night. As people and traffic change, the network must respond rapidly and seamlessly by reallocating resources to satisfy the needs of different users and devices.

To achieve this, Ericsson’s new radio (NR) Multi-Layer Coordination solution coordinates the network deployment, cell configurations, UE capabilities, and cell load to optimize the network for the services used. In essence, 5G networks use traffic steering to optimize spectrum assets and provide a satisfactory user experience.

What is Traffic Steering?

Traffic steering involves shifting a device between different frequency layers within a specific geographic area to achieve a specific objective, typically maximizing user throughput. It may also serve other objectives, such as enabling a particular service that is only available through certain carriers.

In contrast, mobility pertains to maintaining device connectivity, preventing dropped calls, and ensuring continuous coverage while moving across different geographic areas, such as walking a dog while on a phone call. Traffic steering optimizes the user experience in such scenarios.

Notably, traffic steering is a vendor-specific solution without any standardization defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), allowing vendors to employ creative techniques to enhance the user experience. While traffic steering is present in 4G networks, its implementation in 5G is more intricate, driven by several factors.

5G standalone (SA) networks offer higher speeds, lower latency, and greater reliability than their non-standalone counterparts. However, the full potential of 5G SA can only be realized with advanced traffic steering capabilities.

How can advanced traffic steering improve network performance and user experience?

Essentially, advanced traffic steering allows the network to dynamically allocate radio resources to different users and applications based on their specific needs. This is done by using intelligent algorithms that take into account various factors such as network congestion, user location, and application requirements. For instance, it can be used to prioritize critical applications such as emergency services, or to ensure that high-bandwidth applications like video streaming receive the necessary resources to provide a smooth viewing experience.

The Complications of Advanced Traffic Steering

Optimizing 5G network performance and spectrum utilization is complicated due to the diversity of cells, devices, and services. The frequency bands in 5G networks are diverse, making it necessary to select the most appropriate cells for each user equipment (UE) based on multiple cells or sets of cells. Additionally, UEs and services have different requirements, with some needing higher capacity and throughput while others prioritize low latency and energy consumption. 

The rise of Fixed Wireless Access and emerging technologies like augmented and virtual reality further complicates matters. Carrier aggregation allows for combining primary and secondary cells to increase capacity or coverage. However, finding the best UE configuration for each network deployment can be complex due to the many possible combinations. Load distribution is also important to ensure balanced cell utilization and improve device throughput. Ultimately, flexible and agile traffic steering is necessary to address the constantly changing needs of 5G networks.

Ericsson’s Traffic Steering Solution

Ericsson’s solution, called NR Multi-Layer Coordination for 5G Standalone (SA), will be used to address the complexities of 5G networks as discussed earlier. The solution includes an advanced Traffic Steering function that optimizes network performance and spectrum utilization. It is built upon an advanced selection algorithm that considers input parameters and optimization objectives to deliver the best possible UE configuration. The process involves three steps:

Step 1: Initial Input Parameters

The solution considers four initial input parameters – UE capabilities, UE group, network topology, and load. Coverage information is also considered where possible to exclude cells that are not in coverage. With the Ericsson framework, communications service providers (CSPs) can define different UE groups. They can also apply different traffic steering behaviors to observe the results of each group. For instance, they can specify which frequencies a device is allowed to use for different services such as FWA or Voice over NR.

Step 2: Optimization Objective

The selection algorithm quickly selects a cell set (PCell and one or more SCell(s)) that maximizes the optimization objective. The algorithm strikes a balance between speed and precision to offer the best outcome, considering the complexity of the vast number of possible combinations of frequencies and cells to choose from. The whole cell set (PCell and SCell(s)) is considered to avoid steering the UE to a PCell that offers few SCell possibilities and poor total throughput for the device.

Step 3: Resulting Action

Once the best cell set is provided, it is evaluated, and only if it is significantly better than the current cell set, it is configured to avoid unnecessary interruptions due to reconfiguration. The resulting action could be a handover (HO) from a PCell to another or a reselection of SCell(s). The UE is kept in place for the next session, using cell reselection priorities when it goes to idle or inactive mode.

Advanced Traffic Steering Benefits Everyone

Delivering a satisfactory user experience has always been a top priority for CSPs. Though there are many factors that make this difficult. The complexity of more frequencies in 5G, diverse devices with different capabilities, and service requirements add to their challenge. This requires a capable traffic steering solution.

Ericsson’s Advanced Multi-Layer Coordination optimizes for maximum throughput, which is what everyone wants. The company is constantly in conversation with CSPs to understand their needs and expectations. From these conversations they develop solutions that will lead to new service requirements and performance expectations.

With Ericsson Advanced Multi-Layer Coordination, service providers can make the most out of their spectrum investments. All while achieving 5G service differentiation, supporting energy savings and keeping 5G Standalone networks future-proof.

For more on the topic of Advanced Traffic Steering and Ericsson’s solution, check out their blog post.

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How Important is Latency to 5G Users?

According to Ericsson, user experience is all about “time-to-content” – in other words, how fast does my video start or my webpage load after I click to open it? Based on a study the company recently conducted, they found that latency is rarely a factor when it comes to user satisfaction. 

Reiner Ludwig, Strategic Product Manager in the Business Area Networks at Ericsson wrote a blog on just this – “Latency hardly impacts smartphone user experience in advanced 5G and 4G networks.”

In describing the study, Ludwig says they used high-end smartphones in a controlled environment. These were all requesting popular content (YouTube, Instagram, Amazon, eBay, Uber, etc) in an automated way. 

“For the latency measurements, we have ensured that sufficient up- and download speeds were available to the devices at all times: an uplink throughput “at click” of at least 1 Mbps and a downlink throughput “at click” of at least 20 Mbps,” he said. 

Tools and guidelines for the study were provided by Google on web.dev. This allowed them to see the relationship between time-to-content and latency, and time-to-content and up- and download speeds.

What is Latency?

Ludwig describes latency as the time it takes for a device to send one small ‘echo’ packet to the serving content server and the corresponding ‘echo-reply’ packet to return to the device. This period of time is also called the round-trip time. 

What isn’t latency? It’s NOT the same as time-to-content. This is where many people tend to misunderstand. 

Where is Low Latency Most Helpful? 

While low latency is important to online gamers, it’s more crucial for machines. 

“Machines, not humans, can benefit from the ultra-low and ultra-reliable latencies that only 5G can provide. For example, think about video-controlled high-precision robots in a smart factory. Here, you might see latencies below 10 ms, i.e., ultra-low, and without latency spikes exceeding 10 ms, i.e., ultra-reliable. Meeting these tough requirements is one of the key drivers behind Ericsson’s launch of a new product offering targeted at Time-Critical Communication,” says Ludwig.

Surprisingly, us humans are hardly able to tell the difference between 30 and 50ms of latency. Ludwig explains that 5G and 4G latency in the U.S. is usually less than 50 ms. This came from a 6 month analysis of Ookla’s speed test results, which were gathered from all across the U.S.

The takeaway here is that 5G (human) user experience is determined by speed, not much by latency. However, Ludwig admits, “Once 5G use cases such as virtual and augmented reality become mainstream, some aspects might need to be revisited.”

To view Ludwig’s blog in its entirety, see here.

 

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What Alternatives Can Be Used to Expand 5G Coverage

Qualcomm Technologies, Ericsson and French aerospace company Thales announced this week that they would be starting work together. Their intention is to make 5G connections available everywhere through the use of space. The partnership formed within months of 3GPP having been approved for satellite-driven 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (5G NTNs). This global effort will be accomplished through the use of combined satellite and terrestrial connectivity.

“For 5G to fulfill the promise of ubiquitous connectivity, it is imperative that it can also deliver network coverage in areas where terrestrial cellular networks do not exist, whether that be over oceans or in remote areas,” said John Smee, senior vice president of engineering at Qualcomm. “Our planned research with Ericsson and Thales will kick off an important step in making this vital technology a reality. We are looking forward to what this collaboration can accomplish.”

The goal of the three companies is to assist with global network coverage, including in areas that currently do not have terrestrial network capabilities. They’ll use a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite, which will allow coverage to be expanded to areas previously not able to receive service. This includes extreme terrain, as well as across seas and oceans. Additionally, the group is hoping that in the event of an emergency, satellite connectivity could be used in place of or as a backup to terrestrial networks.

“This testing and validation cooperation between Ericsson, Thales and Qualcomm Technologies will be a major milestone in the history of communications,” said Erik Ekudden, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Ericsson. “The ultimate result could effectively mean that no matter where you are on Earth – in the middle of an ocean or the remotest forest – high-end, secure and cost-effective connectivity will be available through collaborative 5G satellite and terrestrial connectivity.”

Smartphone focused testing is in the works in an emulated space environment in France. Validation of 5G NTN began with 3GPP’s announcement back in March. The tests are designed to allow the teams to discover what components are needed to enable 5G connectivity between smartphones, satellites and terrestrial 5G network segments. Ideally, they will ensure that 5G NTN can be supported through use of a network-enabled smartphone.

Each company has its own role to play. Qualcomm is providing the smartphones that will verify if 5G NTN can be accessed by 5G enabled devices. Ericsson will work with part of the testing phase and will handle the 5G virtual RAN stack that has been altered to handle radio waves through quick moving satellites. Thales’ responsibility will be to verify that the payload will be able to be distributed by the satellites themselves. 

“The deployment of 5G networks marks a step change for the telecoms industry. It is a game changer, not only in terms of business opportunities but also in the skills required to connect and protect billions of people and things,” said Philippe Keryer, executive vice president of strategy, research and technology at Thales. “Thales is deeply involved in it through the different activities of the Group. The research collaboration with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies will demonstrate the belief of our companies that 5G non-terrestrial networks will contribute to this revolution and will take network resiliency and security to the next level.”

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Verizon’s sneak peek of pre-commercial C-band in LA

Amidst the concerns over 5G’s C-Band spectrum, and cold weather, journalists and analysts went to the streets to test. They received a sneak peek of Verizon’s pre-commercial C-band 5G service in downtown Los Angeles, complete with handsets tuned to the C-band. 

Among these testers was Bill Ho, a principal analyst at 556 Ventures. He later posted on Twitter that he was able to get download speeds of 649 Mbps, with upload of 63 Mbps.

The tests were conducted at an ice-rink within the LA Live entertainment district of downtown and detailed in this article. This is a well trafficked area of LA, a few blocks wide, where they set up a few devices to access the network.

Infrastructure in the area was supplied by Ericsson, and only available to these supplied devices (i.e. Samsung S21, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13).  C-band nodes were often a half a mile away from the test area and still provided broadband speed and performance. Some reporters also used their own phones which would have had access to LTE and mmWave, but not C-band.

Verizon’s intent was to show off the unique power of C-band – specifically on 60Mhz – where on an unencumbered network with few users the speed and capacity are compatible with millimeter wave (mmWave). Though the 3.7 GHz C-band has much farther range. 

Verizon hasn’t provided an exact time for when the commercial C-band service will launch, but reiterated its commitment to cover 100 million people by the end of March. “We’re confident we’ll do that,” a spokesperson said on Friday. 

Now, the real question is whether Verizon can catch up to T-Mobile in mid-band 5G in a way that’s fast enough, and effective enough, so that T-Mobile’s advantage doesn’t significantly hurt Verizon’s business. 

“T-Mobile is building out simply because they’ve got it and they know that they want to extend the competitive gap,” Ho said. From Verizon’s standpoint, they’re moving very fast – and from AT&T’s standpoint, “they’re doing it too, but maybe not as telegraphed as much as Verizon – and that is to limit the gap, or minimize the gap” that T-Mobile has created.

That, in part, is because “in my opinion, everybody is going after enterprise,” Ho added. That said, there are a lot of 5G growth sectors, such as fixed wireless access (FWA) and enterprise, both areas where T-Mobile intends to grow. Verizon has a huge enterprise base, so they need to bring that up to show and minimize any competitive gaps. T-Mobile says they’re two years ahead,” and that’s a snapshot in time.

Once Verizon turns on that C-band, “they kind of minimize that whole argument,” leading to questions as to whether or not T-Mobile’s head-start is indeed two years, Ho added. “It’s really the marketing message that T-Mobile has been saying for a while,” he said. “If Verizon gets it done fast, then they can minimize that marketing message totally.”

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