According to a study by Ericsson, 15 percent of the world’s population will use the new 5G mobile standard by 2020, and the number of 5G subscriptions will break the 500 million mark in 2022. Forecasts also suggest that more than 1 million new mobile broadband subscribers will be added every day within the next six years – thus adding 2.6 billion subscribers by the end of 2022.

Figure 1 – The connected vehicle as part of the IoT environment

Those figures hint at 5G’s incredible market potential, especially considering that the study does not include the Internet of Things (IoT) or connected cars. Yet they are a key target group for 5G devices – after all, the new standard pursues the goal of integrating “machines” optimally in mobile communications for the first time. 5G is therefore not just an issue for the telecommunications sector, but for other branches of industry as well. The automotive industry, for example, sees it as a means of achieving future visions – such as the connected car for self-driving – in the best possible way. That’s a task that will require overcoming a number of obstacles ranging from the standardization of 5G guidelines to the implementation of security features in the connected car, to challenges like antenna alignment. This white paper addresses these 5G implementation questions, deals with challenges in relation to the development of powerful 5G antennas, and discusses the introduction of security standards in the connected car. Finally, it illustrates the possibilities that 5G offers the connected car and the economy.

Figure 2 – Mobile subscriptions by technologies (in billions)

Current status and application areas of 5G

The introduction of the new 5G mobile standard is currently being prepared. The requirements for the standard have been set initially and now its detailed definition and subsequent implementation are being launched. The successor to the current mobile standard LTE (4G) is intended to improve latencies, deliver higher bandwidth, and create the foundation for new possible applications thanks to its enhanced performance. There will be several development levels or “releases.” Standardization of the first 5G Release 15 is expected for the fall of 2018 and will mainly set the specifications for the 5G new radio (NR) interface. Integration of higher frequency bands will be enabled, among other things, in the second release planned for 2020.

Experts currently see huge potential for 5G in three application areas:

The first application area regards the consumer sector (enhanced mobile broadband – eMBB), in which greater traffic and lower network power consumption are expected to enable a large number of devices to be used simultaneously without network losses. That willmainlyenhance user convenience and quality of experience (QoE). For instance, when there are large crowds like at concerts or sporting events where many private devices are used concurrently, network capacity must be adequate for these concentrated numbers. 

A second application area is massive machine type communication (mMTC), an issue that is becoming relevant especially in relation to networking of all types of device as part of the IoT. The objective will be to enable communication of up to one million connected devices per square kilometer.

However, it is especially the third potential application that has aroused the automotive industry’s interesting 5G: ultra reliable low latency (URLL), which ensures reliable connections and short transmission times. This is vital to progressing self-driving vehicle technology. Since 5G optimizes the integration of machines and cars in mobile communications, several stakeholders are involved in defining the 5G standards. 

Whereas the big players in the communications industry defined the existing standards, such as UMTS and LTE, new players are getting into the act with 5G. For this purpose, the automotive industry has established the 5GAA, a body for defining requirements for 5G standardization. A common definition is important so that efficient communication between devices from different manufacturers is possible — for instance in road traffic.

MOLEX AS A 5G ANTENNA MANUFACTURER

Molex is a global leader in the field of radio frequency (RF) technology – from development and production to life-long system support. The company is uniquely positioned to help customers protect and network their products, components and systems so as to enable the Enterprise Internet of Things (EIoT). Molex is currently the only tier 1 vendor that can unite expertise in antenna design with experience in vehicle communication devices. Enhanced mobile broadband is crucial for Molex: 5G will use new frequencies that are based on mmWaves and use the 28 GHz band — which is 10 times broader than the LTE band. That is vital to the development of smart antennas, which Molex is steadily driving forward.