Enhanced Mobile Broadband: The Continuing Evolution of LTE

LTE can already provide gigabit mobile broadband speeds in limited markets. However, more devices are connecting to networks worldwide. The need for greater bandwidth and connectivity and lower latency in critical applications has outstripped LTE's capacity.

5G's use of millimeter wave (mmWave) and sub-6 GHz will significantly enhance connectivity bandwidth and improve 5G capacity. However, sub-6 will remain the backbone of most deployments.

In addition to replacing cellular LTE and providing coverage in the low bands, it will surpass LTE performance levels with higher frequency and wider spectrum. mmWave opens spectrum on a new level. It may serve connectivity needs in dense urban environments, such as train stations, stadiums and shopping malls.

Major 5G Innovations

5G eMBB is the first of the three broad categories to bring 5G benefits to the wider public. It can deliver high-quality internet access in previously challenging or prohibitive conditions.

3GPP's other major service classes for 5G include ultrareliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and massive machine-type communications (mMTC). These serve use cases that require the lowest possible latency and extremely efficient operation. With all three classes covered, networks can even support massive IoT and mission-critical applications.

The goals set for 5G point toward seamless coverage with:

• A connection density of up to one million connections per square kilometer
• Peak data transfer rates in the tens of gigabits per second
• Latency of one millisecond

With these goals, LTE has struggled to meet the needs of use cases that 5G can now serve with ease, such as:

• Autonomous vehicles (AVs)
• Automated manufacturing
• Smart city infrastructure
• Streaming ultrahigh-definition (UHD) 8K video
• Augmented reality (AR)

Beyond performance improvements, 5G enables a smarter network. Virtualizing network functions allows for dynamic adjustment of back-end resource allocations and efficiencies based on real-time field events.

Users and devices can be allocated to specific network slices that match them to the right quality of service (QoS). This allocation helps orchestrate and manage a complete system that is tuned to:

• The number of end users and their locations
• Device capabilities
• Connectivity needs

This gives 5G the potential to unlock innovations and opportunities and accelerate digitalization.

5G Stand-Alone and eMBB

New standards have driven the industry since 5G's birth in 2020. These standards include 3GPP Releases (Rels) 15, 16 and 17, which also introduced RedCap to fill the mid-speed segment, strengthening the lower end of eMBB.

Another significant game-changer for 5G and eMBB especially was the emergence of 5G stand-alone (SA). Unlike 5G non-stand-alone (NSA), which relies on existing LTE networking infrastructure, SA uses 5G packet core architecture. This allows it to be deployed without preexisting LTE equipment.

Because 5G can break free from LTE, eMBB reaps considerable improvements, including:

• Better quality of service
• Improved latency
• Increased number of devices that can be on the network
• Smoother authentication processes
• Better network security

Networks worldwide continue to shift towards 5G SA, which provides more speed to enable 5G's promises. At the time of the Ericsson Mobility Report from November 2023, more than 40 communications service providers had deployed or launched 5G SA in public networks.

5G eMBB-Specific Use Cases

Powered by 5G and its higher bandwidth capabilities, fixed wireless access (FWA) will finally be a viable, scalable alternative to wired connections.

One hundred twenty-one service providers worldwide offer FWA over 5G, representing half of FWA service providers. According to Ericsson's mobility report (updated in 2024), global FWA momentum is set for strong growth in the next years, reaching over 330 million FWA connections by 2029.

FWA will impact developing and developed global markets like the U.S., where sparsely populated, rural areas lag behind cities in broadband access.

FWA can deliver speeds comparable to or exceeding those of current fiber-based networks. It can create a platform for eMBB over vast coverage areas using spectrum bands unavailable to 4G.

In addition, eMBB will support newer use cases like:

• Video surveillance in 8K
• Broadcasting using 5G
• UAVs and drones
• Imaging machines in health care settings
• Private networks for industrial IoT 4.0 applications

Another notable use case is mobile edge computing. With Rel 17, there is a shift toward the 5G core. Mobile edge computing will distribute computing capability from the cloud to the edge.

Many use cases for eMBB apply to health care in the COVID-19 era and manufacturing services. However, its early stages "center on the consumer market," notes research analyst Sacha Kavanagh. 5G eMBB will be driven by "the growth in user-generated content and our expectations of being able to stream … without needing to log onto a Wi-Fi network."

However, multimedia streaming and entertainment are only some of the needs eMBB could meet. Important business use cases include mobile cloud computing and connected remote smart offices.

The technical requirements for such enhanced broadband capacity and access are high. It may be several years before mobile technology and cellular infrastructure development can bridge the gap.

The age of seamless 5G eMBB is fast approaching. 5G networks are scaling worldwide, and FWA initiatives expanding coverage to underserved regions. According to an Industry Arc report, the eMBB market size should reach $25.2 billion by 2026.

Succeeding in the 5G Era

Telit Cinterion was among the first to enable 5G enhanced mobile broadband use cases and offer a comprehensive portfolio of the latest 5G products. We are at the forefront of 5G eMBB connectivity, providing various services and solutions to our customers.

Speak with our IoT experts to see how Telit Cinterion can help bring your use cases and applications into the 5G era.

Editor's Note: This blog was originally published on 8 June 2020 and has since been updated.

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