Local 5G Research Articles

An IoT platform for smart metal forming

Abstract Manufacturers in the metal forming industry are paying attention on smart manufacturing with the industrial internet of things (IIoT). An innovation has been occurring by changing metal forming processes from analog to digital by utilizing servo press machine and IT technology for improving efficiency and worth of the mass production manufacturing technology and of ability for the SDGs. This paper aims to introduce initiatives to survey of the current situation and formulation of strategies on the digital transformation in metal forming promoted by the Sokeizai Centre in Japan. An IoT platform for smart metal forming which has been developed based on the strategies is also introduced. The platform consists of sensor system for visualization of forming processes, sensor data wireless communication using local 5G and data assimilation with process simulation. Several sensing systems developed for process visualization are introduced.

Legitimacy considerations in regulation for local mobile communication network business in Finland and the UK

The article explores the legitimacy of local 5G and upcoming 6G mobile communication networks in Europe. The paper paves the way for a new perspective for understanding the legitimacy of local 5G/6G mobile communication networks by applying the business model-based ecosystem perspective and legitimacy as a theoretical foundation. As regulations are expanding to consider the novel deployment model of local 5G and 6G mobile communication networks, the legitimacy of such networks is under-explored. Analyzing the regulatory approaches taken by two national regulatory authorities (NRA) in Europe, Finland and the UK, we identify seven legitimacy-related themes including innovation orientation, awareness and knowledge of how to build and design local networks, European harmonized spectrum management, competition, cybersecurity and risk assessment and equipment availability. Our study lays the groundwork for exploring how the application of the business model-based ecosystem perspective can be utilized to advance regulatory initiatives for local mobile communication network businesses. It also identifies which legitimacy-related aspects are involved in setting regulatory priorities.

Transmission Performance Evaluation of Local 5G Downlink Data Channel in SU-MIMO System under Outdoor Environments

Transmission Performance Evaluation of Local 5G Downlink Data Channel in SU-MIMO System under Outdoor Environments

Use of 5G technology for oncological surgery streaming

This paper discusses the benefits of surgery streaming and tele-mentoring, as well as the use of 5G technology in surgical procedures. The paper describes the advantages of using wireless 5G broadband as a low-latency and large-bandwidth capacity connection, which can solve problems with cables and large equipment in the surgery room. The Chilean oncology clinic Fundación Arturo López Pérez coordinated an international project with Japanese companies NTT Data and Allm Inc. to implement a proof of concept using 5G technology for the transmission of an oncological surgery. This project consisted of the installation of a local 5G network, its configuration and testing, and the realization of the first broadcast of a robotic partial nephrectomy in Latin America using the 5G broadband. The paper provides details on the hardware infrastructure and components used in the project

Regulatory challenges and implications of the European electronic communications code (EECC) for local mobile communication network business

Regulatory provisions pose legal constraints on deploying mobile communication networks and related services. Local 5G and upcoming 6G networks, particularly those that are independent of the big mobile network operators (MNOs), face new challenges due to the incoherent harmonization and implementation of the regulatory provisions and the standby approach undertaken by many EU member countries. This paper analyses the European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) Directive from the perspective of local mobile communication networks by combining business model innovation and legitimacy approaches in an ecosystemic context. Based on the analysis, we recommend regulators focus on terminology, spectrum management, access and interconnection, security and privacy, and competition when enabling local mobile communications business.

Fifth-generation networks: The adoption of technology in a developing country

The majority of affluent nations that have adopted 5G networks have seen financial and environmental gains from doing so. Some emerging countries, like the Philippines, need help adopting such technology. This paper is (1) a thorough study of the global and local 5G network developments and applications for policy analysis and (2) examines the supporting and limiting factors in accepting supercritical elements of technology uptake in the Philippines. Different industries cannot help but consider how incorporating 5G technology into our daily life will appear. The effects of 5G go far beyond telecommunications since its vast connection of people, machines, and things makes it easier to deliver individualized health care and support in an aging society. It encourages the development of logistics and transportation, broadens all access to culture and education, and can fundamentally alter public services. Implementing and maintaining our country's communications infrastructure in the middle of these developments is one of the usual barriers to its improvement. Utilizing this technology brings analytical and economic rigor to the Philippines.

Design of Antenna Polarization Plane for Concurrent Uplink/Downlink Drone Networks

In recent years, drones have been used in a wide range of fields, such as agriculture, transportation of goods, and security. Drones equipped with communication facilities are expected to play an active role as base stations in areas where ground base stations are unavailable, such as disaster areas. In addition, asynchronous operation is being considered for local 5G, in order to support all kinds of use cases. In asynchronous operation, cross-link interference between base stations is an issue. This paper attempts to reduce the interference caused by the drone network by introducing circularly polarized antennas against the conventional system using linearly polarized antennas. Numerical analyses are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed system, where Signal-to-Interference Ratios (SIRs) are shown to be improved significantly as the numerical evaluation results. Specifically, for the scenario of only access links, in the region where conventional antenna architecture can only achieve an SIR of less than 20 dB, our proposed system applying circularly polarized antennas can almost realize an SIR of more than 40 dB. Significant improvement can be also observed in the scenario with the existence of backhaul links, where the conventional system had difficulty achieving our system design goal SIR of 16.8 dB, while the proposed antenna architecture could easily attain this goal in most regions of our evaluation ranges.

Spectrum Management for Local Mobile Communication Networks

Spectrum management is a complex topic that divides stakeholders' perspectives. Recently, a major paradigm shift has taken place with the emergence of local 4G and 5G networks via local spectrum licensing models in several countries, allowing different stakeholders to establish their own mobile communication networks within specific facilities, such as a factories and ports. These local mobile communication networks can serve mobile network operators' (MNOs) end users, closed user groups, or a mix, resulting in operations under different regulatory conditions. Their emergence relies on spectrum availability in the given location, which is managed by national regulators. Local spectrum availability can be increased with spectrum sharing where two or more radio systems operate in the same band, but stakeholder views differ - some promote it while others object it. This paper analyzes the most recent spectrum management developments from the viewpoint of emerging local mobile communication networks considering the role of spectrum sharing. The analysis reveals how differently the countries have prepared for the new business opportunity arising from local mobile communication networks in their spectrum awarding decisions and quantifies current spectrum availability for establishing local 5G networks. The results show varying spectrum management approaches taken by the regulators. Especially, local spectrum licenses appear in the most recent spectrum awards. To realize a large number of local 4G/5G and future 6G networks, spectrum sharing will become critical and needs to be clearly defined and understood to mitigate currently strong stakeholders' objection.

Small-Scale Demonstration of Remote Control of Patrol and Work Robot with Arms Employing Local 5G System

Local (private) 5G system can provide a secure and flexible network using the cellular-based technologies at their facilities (e.g., factories, agricultural lands, and buildings). We constructed a small-scale demonstration system that exhibits the remote control of a patrol and work robot with arms using a local 5G system. The constructed robot comprises a robot operating system-based unmanned ground vehicle, two laser range finders, a webcam, an omnidirectional camera, and a six-axis robot arm. To fabricate a demonstration system with open-source software, we assessed the one-way delay of video streaming by changing different CPU, camera types, drivers, applications, and video resolutions. According to the assessment findings, it was demonstrated that it is possible to realize approximately 100ms delay under the limited resolution condition, and the allowable maximum absolute delay of 300ms can be attained even for full HD (1920 × 1080) resolution of this demonstration. Furthermore, local 5G was demonstrated to reduce delay variations to the same level as wired systems. It was also clarified that the increase in delay due to the application of local 5G is relatively small (5-25% in total delay) in this demonstration. Finally, we employed the small-scale demonstration system for the online and onsite campus tours for high school students.

A Coupled-Fed Broadband Dual-Polarized Magnetoelectric Dipole Antenna for WLAN and Sub-6 GHz 5G Communication Applications

This paper presents a novel coupled-fed broadband dual-polarized magnetoelectric dipole antenna for wireless local area network (WLAN) and 5G communication applications. The proposed magnetoelectric dipole antenna is composed of a planar electric dipole and shorting pins as a magnetic dipole to obtain a broad operation frequency band. Two coupled microstrip lines perpendicular to each other are coupled through a cross-shaped slot to excite the vertical and horizontal polarizations. The proposed antenna features a simple structure, high gain, and high polarization isolation. The measured impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna is 1.8–4.2 GHz (fractional bandwidth of 80%). The measured realized antenna gain value is 3.7–8.5 dBi, and polarization isolation level is 25 dB at the operation frequency band.

Trial of Autonomous Mobile Robot Travel Control via Local 5G

Trial of Autonomous Mobile Robot Travel Control via Local 5G

Guest Editorial Advanced Signal Processing for Local and Private 5G Networks

The papers in this special section focus on advanced signal procesing for local and private 5G mobile communication netwworks. The papers describe the latest advances in emerging private 5G networks from the perspective of signal processing to advance its theoretical underpinnings and practical applications. Some enterprises, factories and other potential users have ultra-stringent communications performance requirements in terms of throughput, latency, reliability, availability, and device density, which cannot be met by 4G long term evolution (LTE) radio features. Instead, 5G new radio (NR) has the potential to deliver on such requirements, and shape both the industrial world as well as our daily lives, by providing spectrum exibility, multi-Gbps peak data rates, ultra-low latencies, high reliability, and massive connectivity. By building dedicated networks with complete control over every aspect of the network.

A Study of 5G Edge-Central Core Network Split Options

With the wide adoption of edge compute infrastructures, an opportunity has arisen to deploy part of the functionality at the edge of the network to enable a localized connectivity service. This development is also supported by the adoption of “on-premises” local 5G networks addressing the needs of different vertical industries and by new standardized infrastructure services such as Mobile Edge Computing (MEC). This article introduces a comprehensive set of deployment options for the 5G network and its network management, complementing MEC with the connectivity service and addressing different classes of use cases and applications. We have also practically implemented and tested the newly introduced options in the form of slices within a standard-based testbed. Our performed validation proved their feasibility and gave a realistic perspective on their impact. The qualitative assessment of the connectivity service gives a comprehensive overview on which solution would be viable to be deployed for each vertical market and for each large-scale operator situation, making a step forward towards automated distributed 5G deployments.

A study on interconnection between local 5G networks and existing networks

A study on interconnection between local 5G networks and existing networks

Local 5G services on campus premises: scenarios for a make 5G or buy 5G decision

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to build possible future scenarios for indoor connectivity in a venue such as a university campus and build alternative value network configurations (VNCs) defining different local network deployment options, focused on the Finnish telecom market. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, Schoemaker’s scenario planning method (Schoemaker, 1995) is used to construct future scenarios and the VNC method of Casey et al. (2010) is used to build alternative VNCs. The paper studies the Aalto University campus network for current end-user data usage demand and the existing technology used in meeting the end-user needs and forecasts the demand for the next five years to understand the need for 5G. Findings This research concludes that with the provision of local spectrum licenses, there is an opportunity for venue owners to take the role of 5G local operator on the venue premises. Furthermore, it enables venue owners to collaborate with the incumbent mobile network operators (MNOs) in a neutral host model and provide venue-specific connectivity services. Research limitations/implications A detailed economic assessment for the network deployment in the campus is considered for future study. Originality/value Considering the provision for local spectrum licenses, this paper has taken a unique attempt in identifying the future scenarios for local 5G network operations. It provides a strategic direction for the venue owners in adopting 5G technology and whether to make 5G or buy 5G from MNOs.

스마트공장용 로컬 5G의 효과적 도입을 위한 공동사용정책방안

In this study, interference simulations are performed between the local 5G service and ultra-wideband sensors in a smart factory environment. Moreover, the necessity of introducing various interference determination criteria, such as the duty cycle and application of interference avoidance technology, in addition to the existing interference probability is evaluated. This study also suggests improvements in both the technology and policy for an effective introduction of local 5G after carefully reviewing cognitive ratio, automatic frequency coordination, and spectrum-sharing policy. As a result, the proposed scheme will greatly benefit the policy makers.

End-to-end network slice architecture and distribution across 5G micro-operator leveraging multi-domain and multi-tenancy

Local 5G networks are emerging as a new form for 5G deployment, targeting service delivery for vertical-specific purposes and other local users. These networks are also known as micro-operator networks for which prior work has established different deployment scenarios, namely Closed, Open and Mixed Networks. To achieve network flexibility, customization and privacy required by various vertical sectors, such as industry, health and energy, it is essential to have a well-defined network slicing architecture and adequate implementation procedure. In this paper, a sophisticated end-to-end network slicing architecture is proposed for different deployment scenarios of the local 5G micro-operator concept. The proposed architecture incorporates a broad four-layer concept, leveraging a multi-tenancy layer for different tenants and their end users, a descriptive service layer, a multi-domain slicing management and orchestration layer, and a resource layer. We further propose a network slice instance (NSI) communication service distribution technique for local 5G micro-operators. This is achieved by expanding/leveraging the communication service management function in the multi-tenant layer into a multi-tenant manager and an orchestrator of communication services. In addition, we describe how the communication service orchestrator will address all the possible multitenant-slice situations during the distribution of a network slice instance to multiple tenants. The novel methods described in the paper present a solution for not only network slice communication service distribution across different micro-operator’s tenants but also for future use cases, especially, when the allocated slice is responsible for multiple tenants or when a tenant requests multiple NSIs.

Platform configurations for local and private 5G networks in complex industrial multi-stakeholder ecosystems

Data and connectivity platforms play a crucial role in the digitalization of different sectors of our society. In complex industrial multi-stakeholder ecosystem contexts connectivity and data platforms are increasingly becoming converged, and private, vertical-specific local 5G networks are emerging. For this context, we depict and analyze alternative configurations for converging connectivity and data platforms and propose appropriate management actions for combining these platforms and achieving legitimacy. We examine a complex industrial multi-stakeholder ecosystem of a port and observe that in the considered case study, the convergence of connectivity and data platforms enhances digitalization and helps to create shared local information between stakeholders. The research identifies a set of regulatory challenges for local 5G networks in complex industrial multi-stakeholder ecosystems where the telecommunication and information technology-related regulations meet with vertical-specific regulations, leading to a complex environment in which to operate. As highly country-specific, these regulations can open new business opportunities or significantly slow down or even prevent a market opening to local private 5G networks for vertical-specific use.

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing Special Issue: Advanced Signal Processing for Local and Private 5G NetworksING FOR LOCAL AND PRIVATE 5G NETWORKS

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing Special Issue: Advanced Signal Processing for Local and Private 5G NetworksING FOR LOCAL AND PRIVATE 5G NETWORKS

Radio Resource Sharing and Edge Caching with Latency Constraint for Local 5G Operator: Geometric Programming Meets Stackelberg Game

The rapidly increasing demand in indoor small cell networks has given rise to the concept of local 5G operator (OP) for local service delivery. In this regard, we develop a novel game-theoretic framework with geometric programming to model and analyze cache-enabled small cell base stations (SBSs) with infrastructure sharing for local 5G OP networks. In such a network, the local 5G OP provides wireless network in indoor area and rent out the infrastructure which are RAN and cache storage to multiple mobile network operators (MNOs) while guarantee the quality-of-experience (QoE) at the users (UEs) of MNOs. We formulate a Stackelberg game model where the local 5G OP is the leader and the MNOs are the followers. The local 5G OP aims to maximize its profit by optimizing its infrastructure rental fee, and the MNOs aim to minimize their renting cost of infrastructure by minimizing the cache intensity subject to latency constraint at each UE. Here, the cache intensity is defined as the product of the number of SBSs per unit area and the number of popular files stored in each SBS. The optimization problems of the local 5G OP and the MNOs are transformed into geometric programming. Accordingly, the subgame perfect equilibrium of Stackelberg game is obtained through the succesive geometric programming (SGP) method. Since the MNOs share their rented infrastructure, for cost sharing, we apply the concept of Shapley value to divide the cost among the MNOs. We show that the cost sharing problem can be mapped into a simplified “airport runway cost sharing problem”, in which the Shapley value can be computed efficiently. Finally, we present an extensive performance evaluation that reveals interesting insights into designing resource sharing with edge caching in local 5G OP networks.