5G Enhanced Mobile Broadband Access Networks in Crowded Environments

Project Information

5G-Enhance

Grant agreement ID: 815056

DOI

10.3030/815056

Project closed

EC signature date 19 June 2018

Start date 1 July 2018

End date 31 March 2021

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Total cost

€ 1 498 045,00

EU contribution

€ 1 498 045,00

Coordinated by

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - 5G-Enhance (5G Enhanced Mobile Broadband Access Networks in Crowded Environments)

Reporting period: 2019-07-01 to 2021-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

In recent years there have been noticeable research initiatives on the fifth Generation Mobile Communications System (5G), in Europe, Japan, and around the Globe. As a result, the first network prototypes are being deployed and tested in dedicated testbeds in major countries around the globe. Now, a comprehensive large scale demonstration is required to determine the feasibility of novel and desirable wireless services with the early prototype devices and network technologies. In the 5G era, there will be a wide range of wireless services based on eMBB in crowded environments. This can be achieved by a novel concept, namely, micro operator (uO) due to the fact that a uO has the flexibility and scalability requirements for dense area network implementations by allowing different stakeholders to take the role of a 5G operator. In the uO domain, spectrum resource management is challenging since the spectrum may be shared with a macro operator, which in some cases may have a higher priority to use the spectrum, or with between a potentially large number of other local uO operators. In conclusion, there are mainly two issues that must be carefully addressed to properly implement the uO concept. First, the development of flexible and scalable network design and implementation; Second, the development of enhanced spectrum resource management. A key objective for the 5G-Enhance Project is to define and evaluate interoperable 5G eMBB and efficient network solutions in dense area.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The top level of objectives for the 5G-Enhance Project is to define and evaluate interoperable 5G eMBB and efficient network solutions in dense area. Sub-objectives are defined as follows:

• Objective 1: Develop, plan and execute large scale trial activities on actual testbeds between EU and Japan.
The 5G-Enhance partners VTT, University of Oulu , Fraunhofer Fokus and Accelleran from the European side and TUAT, UEC, NICT and Ehime CATV from Japan side are 5G network plateform holders as well 5G equipment developders. In task 2.3 the trial scenarios were defined. In WP3 and WP4, key technologies were developed. In WP5, we performed multiple trials including key technical components (ex. multiconnectivity, smar spectrum and so on) in EU and Japan.

• Objective 2: Clarify the design and specification required for the demonstration and trials based on two wireless applications with the 5G network.
The technological requirements to enable three applications have been determined in order to meet the 5G KPIs. These are reflected on the design and specifications of the three demonstrations and are used to develop 5G enhanced mobile broadband technologies, as shown in the next objective. Task 2.3 Tasks 5.1 Task 5.3 and Task 5.4 describes the design and specification of Oulu, Berlin and Japan trials. The relevant deliverables (D2.3 Use case pilot planning report, D5.1 Report on platform integration and interoperability aspects, D5.2 Report on first large scale trial activities, and D5.3 Report on second large scale trial activities) were produced.

• Objective 3: Development of 5G enhanced mobile broadband technologies in dense area for achieving the requirements (5G KPI) of the two applications.
5G-Enhance technologies including smart spectrum, multi-connectivity and flexilble TDD have been investigated. Task 3.2 Task3.3 Task4.2 Task4.3 and Task 4.4 describes 5G-Enhance technologies. The relevant deliverables (D3.2 Report on algorithms for interference mitigation using dynamic TDD, D3.3 Report on algorithms for multi-connectivity techniques, D4.2 Report on algorithms for spectrum measurement and learning, D4.3 Report on algorithms for spectrum resource management based on database, and D4.4 Report on algorithms for link aggregation) were produced.

• Objective 4: Establish long-term research collaboration between leading industry players, top research institutes and universities in Europe and Japan.
As collaboration activities between EU partners and Japanese partners, two workshops at WCNC2020 and VTC fall 2020 have been organized and one public demonstration have been organized at Globecom2020. In addition, multiple joint papers have been published.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Progress beyond the state of the art
5G-Enhance project partners carried out the research and trial works as planned. In order to achieve the project objectives, the project resources are used and the outcomes and deliverables are produced. In addition, collaboration between partners as well as EU-JP projects are on-going. The research topics of 5G-Enhance covers general eMBB techniques, flexible TDD, multi-connectivity, spectrum sharing techniques, network sharing techniques and interoperability study between EU and Japan. In this topics, the project partners published in international journals, conferences and also make multiple standard contributions. The publication is summarised in the project website (https://www.vtt.fi/sites/5g-enhance/publications).


Expected impact
“Large-scale joint demonstrators converging towards open 5G applications.”
-5G-Enhance implemented three distinct use cases that will be used to organize a large scale trial together with Japanese and European partners. Two deliverables (D5.2 Report on first large scale trial activities and D5.3 Report on second large scale trial activities) describes the detail about large scale joint demonstration for 5G eMBB.

“Global interoperability demonstrations for 5G networks.”
-The 5G-Enhance trials are executed by the multi-national consortium. It provided valuable results on the interoperability of the early 5G prototypes that are used to perform the trials in the test networks. Due to COVID-19, the interoperability test was limited. However, under the given situation, we performed the global interoperability demonstration. One deliverable (D5.1 Report on platform integration and interoperability aspects) describes the details about interoperability issues.

“Support of common standardisation roadmaps for 5G starting with 3GPP Release14, including coordinated and common standards in the SDN/NFV domain. Standardization impact through EU and Japanese research efforts are addressed through H2020 as well as 5GPF (5G Promotion Forum) and should also be relevant in the context of the 5G spectrum process for WRC-19.”
“Joint contributions to global 5G specifications for IMT-2020 in relevant organisations (e.g. 3GPP, ITU-R), especially in view of 5G phase 2 standardisation (beyond eMBB) and spectrum harmonization for IMT-2020.”
-One 5G-Enhance member (NICT) actively works on 3GPP standard make a contributions together with 5G vendors and operators (NEC, AT&T, KDDI, Verizon, SK Telecom, Telecom Italia, Siemens, NTT Docomo, Nokia, Intel, Ericsson and so on.) The 3GPP standard contributions are summarized in D6.3 Dissemination report and final event programme.

“Successful showcasing events with, ideally, joint demonstration across regions.”
-5G-Enhance partners organized multiple joint workshops such as WCNC2019, WCNC2020, VTC fall 2019, and VTC fall 2020 and discuss 5G-eMBB solution with project partners as well as stackholders. In addition, one public demonstration of 5G-Enhace trials was held in Globecom 2020 as virtual.

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