Enhanced 5G mobile broadband is coming, and faster than many companies and industry insiders anticipated. 5G mobile network deployments have begun and will increase greatly in 2019 and 2020. But, just how fast is the rollout being accomplished?

5G was announced in South Korea in April 2019. Verizon launched 5G in the US in the same month. An estimate from Ericsson predicts 5G subscriptions reaching 1.5 billion by 2014, with coverage for over 40% of the world population. Currently, the 5G rollout in the United States includes:

AT&T: 5G across 19 cities; broader coverage expanding throughout 2019
Charter: Testing 5G only
C Spire: Fixed 5G services in only Mississippi
Sprint: Mobile 5G in Kansas City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, and Houston
Starry: Fixed 5G currently in Denver, Boston, New York City, Washington DC, and LA
T-Mobile: 5G launch in the second half of 2019; nationwide coverage in 2020
S. Cellular: 5G services available in the second half of 2019
Verizon: Fixed and mobile 5G in a few areas in 2019

Global 5G Progress

Across the world, the rollout of 5G services is also expanding rapidly. Some notable examples are:

Brazil: Expects to usher in 5G service sometime in 2020.
Canada: Canada has given 2020 as the year 5G will be available, but earlier access may be available in Vancouver.
Germany: According to the 5G Strategy for Germany, test sites became operational in 2018 and a full scale launch is scheduled for 2020.
Japan: Japanese carriers began their experimentation with 5G in 2010. But a nationwide launch isn’t coming until 2020.
Mexico: 5G should be available in 2020 but could come as soon as 2019 depending on the technology that’s available.
Puerto Rico: Plans to roll out 5G in Puerto Rico in 2019.
UK: Many cities will see 5G in 2019 but others will wait until 2020, or even longer.

Implementing 5G Technology

According to a Keysight eBook on 5G Radio Standards, new features and technologies will be key to 5G implementation. Some examples provided in this publication include:

Millimeter-wave operating bands up to 52.6 GHz with wider channel bandwidths up to 400 MHz
Scalable numerology where data rates could range from kilobits/sec (kbps) for IoT devices to gigabits/sec (Gbps) for enhanced mobile broadband
Flexible assignment of resources through dynamic time division duplex and bandwidth parts

Designing and implementing new applications and technologies to meet the new standards is vital as businesses must deliver increased performance and dual connectivity with 4G. More and more companies will be quickly introducing new 5G services and products. And that means a whole new level of testing will be required.

While standards are still being formulated, industries will need a testing solution that can scale to cover sub-6 GHz FR1 frequencies and higher FR2 mm-Wave frequencies, denser waveforms, wider bandwidths, and a growing number of test cases.

5G and Keysight Solutions

Keysight’s portfolio of 5G solutions address these challenges with tools to both measure and validate 5G and protocol signals from development through conformity and into acceptance tests, so companies can develop more efficiently and accelerate their 5G products and services. 5G New Radio (NR) early standards are already approved. This will help allow for larger tests and commercial deployments in 2019 and afterward.

Keysight 5G Solutions includes the following innovations:

High-Speed Digital Interfaces – Advanced Design Software MIPI® Confirmation
Components & RFICs – Circuit Design and Simulation Software Baseband Development
Modems & Devices – RF and Protocol Development Battery Optimization

Solutions and Services Encompassing the Device Ecosystem:

Manufacturing Test – Automatic testing of numerous instruments over great frequencies and wide bandwidths
5G Over-the-Air-Test – These tests cover the workflows of expected 5G product development
Service & Support – Strengthen the way resources are utilized, enhance the productivity of on-site engineering, and decrease mistakes

By providing solutions that further advance 5G technology, Keysight is strategically positioned to be a major contributor and partner with numerous technological industries and applications. 5G is painting a bright future for the entire world and Keysight is already at the forefront with innovative testing applications and components.