The journey to 5G isn’t a single path – there’s a lot for carriers to consider in terms of capital and return on investment
By Kevin Baker
Published: June 22, 2023
The current generation, 5G, is a massive leap forward and brings new capabilities, including greatly increased speed, latency well under 10 milliseconds, as well as the ability to connect many more circuits at any given time. And this new generation relies on optical fiber as a backbone to connect cell sites and radio equipment – including terminal solutions such asthe Evolv® serieswith preconnectorized cables for streamlined, flexible deployments.
There is one wrinkle, however, as 5G rolls out across the world.Some early deployments have used existing 4G and LTE equipment as a base, as a stepping stone to full standalone 5G rather than moving right into full buildouts. This approach, called non-standalone or NSA 5G, requires less capital investment but doesn’t capture the full potential of the 5G spectrum.
So what’s the correct approach?This decision is vital to the carriers, and there are a number of factors to consider, both functionally and financially. Understanding the differences between NSA and standalone for 5G deployments is extremely important for meeting strategic targets and ensuring maximum return on investment whiledelivering quality connectivity to customers.
Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G Deployments can be a first step
The first piece to take into consideration when deciding on a 5G buildout approach is whether or not your company has existing 4G equipment and structure. For companies with an existing 4G network, using that architecture and equipment helps with the initial costs of building out a 5G platform until you are ready to complete a standalone all-5G network.
When an NSA network is built,new radios (NR) for 5Gare deployed on existing cell towers to capture and transmit the 5G spectrum to customers. At the base station, usually located at a macro tower, the control plane – the pieces that ensure security, connectivity, and overall network management – is still the same as the 4G network, called 4G LTE eNodeB (eNB). So, these new handsets and radios all still feed back to last generation equipment for interconnection. Although customers will have an improved service compared to 4G LTE, they will not have the opportunity to experience the full 5G package with ultra-low latency and massively increased throughput.
By deploying NSA first, companies can save that upfront outlay of money to build everything from scratch, while still being able to market some 5G services that require new handsets, receivers, and monthly service charges for their customers.
However, NSA networks have a few important drawbacks. The most glaring one is that these networks are unable to deploy millimeter wave, ormmWave, technology. This technology operates on a higher frequency than those used by Wi-Fi and the previous generations of mobile technology. It enables higher data rates, and it’s the aspect of 5G that willunlock the most transformative new use cases– things like fully immersive gaming, remote operation of vehicles,smart manufacturingand more.
There are a few more drawbacks to NSA networks. For one, 4G is less energy efficient than 5G and running two networks simultaneously will increase power consumption dramatically. It’s also a temporary solution, as carriers currently relying on NSA will start to run into bandwidth issues over the next several years as demand and data traffic increase.
5G Standalone: the benefits and risks
For carriers that transition to standalone 5G coverage, that outlay of extra capital should start demonstrating new opportunities almost right away. A standalone 5G platform opens up a whole new set of business opportunities and network efficiencies, including的opportunities enabled by mmWave.
New verticals can now be approached by the carrier, including manufacturing, warehouses, municipality network management and transportation, since 5G can support cutting-edge use cases such as edge computing for robotics and automation. All of these new options could generate new revenues for the carrier, which could increase andaccelerate the return on the investmentspent for their standalone 5G network.
With standalone, the core network manages the control plane while the radios continue to manage the user plane, streamlining operations into one simplified platform with improved uplink coverage. With this architecture, 4G traffic can be offloaded to the 5G midband spectrum, providing continued coverage for users of older equipment.
The growth in new services and business offerings for standalone 5G should help both the carrier and end users. When the carrier uses network slicing and frequency aggregation, it increases signal coverage and end user density. Special circuits that offer time-critical communications using the ultra-low latency features of true 5G, along with voice and videoconference improvements for normal customers, can now be offered and monetized, bringing all of us closer to a world of more automation.
Beyond the capital investment necessary to move to standalone 5G, there are a few other considerations. While mmWave is powerful, it also broadcasts at much shorter distances than other frequencies. It also has difficulty penetrating walls and buildings. Therefore, it will require a more sophisticated support infrastructure, including radio units on light poles and buildings, specially designed in-building networks to ensure coverage, and more.
Depending on a carrier’s expected capital outlay and investment returns, both NSA and standalone can be winning business models – although companies should keep in mind that standalone networks will eventually be needed in all scenarios to accommodate traffic loads and enable future use cases that hold 5G’s true promise. Corning is ready to help with the fiber cabling, terminals, and the institutional know-how toguide the transition from 4G to 5G,whether or not that includes NSA as a step along the way.
To learn more about our terminal solutions with preconnectorized cables for streamlined and flexible deployments clickhere.
