Chapter 4-5G Basic Service Capabilities and Applications

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4 5G Basic Service Capabilities and Applications 
The previous chapters introduce 5G key technologies and networks. Based on 5G networks, 
basic service capabilities can be developed, defined, and standardized, and then 
orchestrated and rolled out. The capabilities are orchestrated to form different basic service 
applications, which in different combinations enable different vertical industries and provide 
industry solutions for customers. What are these basic service capabilities and applications? 
That is the topic to be discussed here. 
4.1 5GtoB Industry Understanding 
The 5G industry ecosystem is gradually being enriched and the exploration of 5G 
applications is deepening. The global development of 5G integrated applications presents 
the following characteristics: First, enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) services are 
dominant in the initial phase of 5G commercialization. Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services 
are the focus of development efforts, and ultra-high-definition (UHD) video and VR/AR 
applications are provided based on high-speed access. Second, industry applications are still 
in the initial stage of development and are gradually implemented in the strong fields of 
various countries for in-depth expansion. 
The global health crisis puts 5G in a strategic position to resume production, and provides a 
chance to test-run 5G applications. 5G proves to be effective in telemedicine, smart 
education, remote office, and city governance, bringing 5G closer to the public and 
accelerating the implementation of 5G applications. 
This guide focuses on the following basic service capabilities: E2E bandwidth, E2E latency, 
reliability, mobility, autonomous management, and fast service provisioning. These basic 
service capabilities support different applications, including photography-level video, XR, 
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), remote control, and unmanned driving, which enable 
vertical industries and realize industry value. 
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4.2 5GtoB Basic Service Capabilities 
4.2.1 E2E Bandwidth 
In toB scenarios, the E2E bandwidth includes the bandwidth on the radio access, transport, 
and core networks. There are mature solutions available to ensure the bandwidth on the 
transport and core networks. On the transport network, Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) and 
channelized sub-interfaces can be used to ensure the bandwidth. On the core network, the 
bandwidth can be ensured using slicing or by deploying mobile edge computing (MEC) and 
locally deploying the user plane function (UPF). Currently, the air interface bandwidth is the 
main bottleneck in E2E bandwidth assurance in the toB scenario. There are several methods 
for assuring the air interface bandwidth. 
4.2.1.1 Signal Level Adjustment and User Quantity Control 
The air interface bandwidth can be ensured by adjusting the signal level and controlling the 
number of users. The service rate and bandwidth can be improved by increasing the 
reference signal received power (RSRP). As shown in the following figure, when the RSRP is 
greater than or equal to –103 dBm, the uplink service rate is greater than 10 Mbps. 
 
 
In addition, the quantity of allocated services in a cell can be controlled based on the base 
station configurations to control the number of private line subscribers, guaranteeing the 
bandwidth. 
4.2.1.2 High-Priority QoS-based Scheduling or Resource Reservation 
In toB industry applications, dedicated QoS class identifiers (QCIs) can be planned for private 
network users. In this way, sufficient resources are available during peak hours or in the case 
of network congestion. 
In resource reservation solutions, specific spectrums or resource blocks (RBs) are reserved 
for users regardless of whether the resources will be used. 
The last and most advanced solution is independent private network. With this solution, two 
independent networks are established, including a private network for private network users 
and a public network for common users. 
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4.2.1.3 Super Uplink 
Super Uplink has the advantages of improving uplink bandwidth and coverage while 
decreasing network latency. The 5G time division duplex (TDD) uplink bandwidth is 
insufficient and can be supplemented by the frequency division duplex (FDD) uplink 
bandwidth. This TDD and FDD combination mode increases the uplink throughput and 
shortens the latency. In addition to increasing the uplink rate, Super Uplink provides timely 
and accurate feedback on downlink data, which greatly increases the downlink rate. Base 
station coverage is weak in the uplink. The 5G TDD uplink coverage is even weaker due to 
high TDD bands. As low FDD bands provide wider coverage, they can be used to compensate 
for the TDD uplink coverage. When a terminal is far away from the base station and out of 
the uplink coverage of TDD bands, Super Uplink expands the uplink coverage by using low 
FDD bands to carry all uplink services. 
Simply put, Super Uplink integrates TDD and FDD, high and low bands, and time and 
frequency domains to improve uplink coverage and bandwidth and shorten latency. It is the 
first technology that combines time and frequency domains, marking a breakthrough in 
wireless technology. 
4.2.1.4 New Slot Configurations 
The mainstream 5G uplink and downlink slot configurations are 4:1, 8:2, and 7:3. For a given 
channel bandwidth, changing the slot configuration is one of the most effective ways to 
increase the uplink bandwidth. Therefore, a new slot configuration, 2:3 (DSUUU), is 
introduced in the 4.9 GHz band. According to system simulation and theoretical estimation, 
slot configuration 2:3 delivers a 2.7 and 1.9 times higher uplink capacity than slot 
configurations 4:1 and 7:3, respectively. 
4.2.2 E2E Latency and Reliability 
Ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) was introduced in 3GPP Release 15 and 
enhanced in 3GPP Release 16. Release 15 has been finalized in Q1 2019, and Release 16 in 
July 2020. Release 15 defines the basic URLLC functions, which are capable enough for some 
commercial applications. Release 16 further improves reliability and capacity while 
shortening latency. 
4.2.2.1 E2E Latency Assurance Solution 
E2E latency is attributed to transport network and air interface. 
The transport network latency can be reduced by deploying MEC to bring service processing 
closer to users. MEC means to deploy applications, content, and some functions of the core 
network in mobile broadband (MBB) such as service processing and resource scheduling at 
the network edge close to the access side, so that services are processed close to users, and 
the applications, content, and networks can collaborate with each other, to provide reliable 
and ultimate service experience. 
In 4G, the subcarrier spacing (SCS) is fixed to 15 kHz. In 5G, Numerology is introduced to 
support different SCSs for services with various latency requirements. In this way, scheduling 
latency is reduced. A larger SCS results in a shorter slot duration and lower latency. In 
addition, the mini-slot architecture was defined in 5G to effectively reduce the latency. 
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4.2.2.2 Reliability Assurance Solution 
One of the E2E reliability solutions is active/standby mode, which is the most effective 
mechanism for connection reliability assurance. It puts the entire network in active/standby 
ring backup mode. In addition, 3GPP defines three solutions for improving link reliability. 
These solutions include redundant transmission with E2E paths, redundant transmission 
with dual N3 tunnels, and redundant transmission over the air interface with multiple RLC 
links. Solution 1 designs redundant E2E paths between devices. Solution 2 designs redundant 
N3 tunnels between the radio access network (RAN) and the core network. Solution 3 
designs redundant RLC links over the RAN air interface. With these solutions, E2E reliability 
can be improvedthrough transmission redundancy at different levels. 
The air interface reliability assurance solutions include interference coordination in the 
beam domain and interference coordination in the time and frequency domains. 
The following figure shows how interference coordination in the beam domain works. UE 1 
is at the edges of cell 1 and cell 2 and suffers interference from the beam of UE 2. In this 
case, coordinated beamforming (CBF) can be enabled to reduce interference. CBF 
coordinates the beam directions of UEs in intra-frequency neighboring cells so that the beam 
directions of UEs at or near the cell center are changed to avoid causing interference to cell 
edge users (CEUs) in neighboring cells, thereby improving the spectral efficiency of CEUs. In 
this example, the beam direction of UE 2 is changed to avoid interference to UE 1. 
 
 
When two UEs are close to each other, the solution of interference coordination in the time 
and frequency domains can be used to prevent the same time- and frequency-domain 
resources from being used by different UEs, thereby reducing interference between UEs. The 
following figure shows how this interference coordination mode works. While allocating an 
RB to UE 1, cell 1 forwards the allocation information to cell 2 so that cell 2 avoids scheduling 
this RB to UE 2. In this way, the interference performance and spectral efficiency of CEUs are 
improved. 
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4.2.3 Mobility 
5G networks can provide continuous coverage and seamless handovers, and are set to 
gradually replace industrial Wi-Fi. 5G networks can also achieve lower latency and higher 
stability (less jitter) while improving handover stability and mobility performance. For 
mobility assurance, NR dual connectivity is used. This means, during handovers, the UE 
transmits and receives data to and from the source and target cells simultaneously to avoid 
data transmission being interrupted. 
4.2.4 Autonomous Management 
As networks progress from all-IP to cloud-based and AI-powered, a growing demand for 
simplified and intelligent O&M has occurred. 
Networks are simplified to ease O&M and ensure user experience. AI is introduced to predict 
and prevent faults, improving user experience. AI reduces manual intervention and enables 
intelligent prediction and proactive O&M, ensuring that major events can be identified and 
controlled. Dynamic optimization based on intelligent prediction improves spectral efficiency 
and resource utilization. It fills the capability gaps of manual optimization. The energy 
efficiency is doubled, and the energy consumption changes dynamically with services, 
reducing energy waste. 
4.2.5 Fast Service Provisioning 
Fast service provisioning refers to slicing in this guide. 
Network slicing is a new concept introduced to 5G to meet different network function and 
resource requirements in the diversified 5G service application scenarios. As 3GPP defines it, 
a network slice instance is a complete logical network, which consists of specific resources 
and network functions to meet the requirements of a specific service. 
Network features specific to high bandwidth, low latency, and massive connectivity are 
developed. These features can be combined to implement different services. For example, 
features specific to high bandwidth as well as low latency and high reliability can be used to 
implement services such as VR live broadcast. Such services can be considered as a template 
that can be used by different tenants in different scenarios. For example, the VR live 
broadcast service template can be used for concerts or various large-scale performances. 
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Network slicing provides the following benefits: (1) Guaranteed service level agreement 
(SLA): Network indicators such as bandwidth, latency, packet loss rate, and jitter are 
guaranteed. (2) Isolation: A logically independent network is created to avoid network risks 
and information leakage. (3) Self-O&M: Slice tenants can view network statistics indicators 
and status of their slices. 
4.3 5G Basic Service Applications 
4.3.1 Photography-Level Video 
4G cannot support UHD video transmission. UHD videos require a bandwidth ranging from 
tens to hundreds of Mbps due to the video resolution of 4K or even 8K and the frame rate of 
over 50 fps as well as the increasing number of sampling bits of an image (10 bits) and the 
introduction of high dynamic range (HDR). Furthermore, the bandwidth requirement is 
several times higher for innovative applications such as multi-screen simultaneous 
transmission. Currently, the average user-perceived rate of 4G networks is only 20–30 Mbps, 
which cannot meet the requirements. In 4G communications, UHD and VR panoramic videos 
that have a large data volume are stored in hardware and played locally. This makes it 
inconvenient to spread the videos and hard to attract users, hindering the industry from 
growing in scale. Now with 5G, the high bandwidth and low latency make it technically 
possible to transmit UHD videos and other high-bandwidth services, promoting the 
development of the industry. 
5G will empower the UHD industry in video collection and backhaul, cloud-based video 
material production, and UHD video program broadcasting. 4K/8K cameras convert original 
video streams into IP data streams through encoding and stream pushing devices, and then 
forward the video data to the 5G base station through the 5G customer-premises equipment 
(CPE) or the encoding and stream pushing device integrated with the 5G module. During 
large-scale activities, tens of thousands of connections are required, and a large number of 
videos generated through screen recording using HD cameras or terminals need to be 
transmitted. The 5G network helps handle the challenges with its ultra-high network speed, 
ultra-low latency, and massive connectivity. Integrated with 5G modules, the encoding and 
stream pushing devices and camera backpacks can provide stable and real-time video 
transmission. This transmission mode is free of space limitations and supports more flexible 
UHD video backhaul than traditional cable transmission. The 5G base station transmits 
videos to the playback, storage, and distribution ends through the core network, and sends 
the video data to video display terminals in different ways. The UHD video materials from 5G 
UHD live broadcasting are sent to the cloud and processed by cloud-based video software 
through desktop applications or HTML5 pages. After that, content is distributed over the 5G 
network. 
4.3.2 Cloud XR 
5G enables more immersive VR experience. VR of higher levels requires higher transmission 
bandwidth and lower latency. Higher image quality and faster interaction response are 
essential to boosting immersive experience. To ensure image quality, some immersive use 
cases require a maximum bandwidth of 100 Mbps, far exceeding 4G's capabilities. 5G 
supports a transmission rate of 100 or even 1,000 Mbps, more than 10 times that of 4G. To 
ensure fast interaction response while avoiding dizziness, the time from image capturing to 
display should be controlled within 20 ms. If the entire process is locally executed, the 
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terminals required are complicated and expensive. Splitting visual computing to the cloud 
can greatly simplify terminals to ensure their affordability but will compromise transmission 
latency. 4G's air interface latency is dozens of milliseconds (ms), which far exceeds the 
allowed time; while 5G can ensure an air interface latency of only 1 ms, enough to meet the 
requirement. 
5G helps provide easy and affordable access to VR terminals. By enabling on-cloud content 
processing and computing of VR applications, 5G cloud VR considerably increases terminal 
affordability and configuration easiness. It makes VR services smooth, immersive, and 
wireless. 
As 5G VR rapidly penetrates into production and people's life, a number ofnew applications 
and business forms have emerged. Typical applications include: (1) In entertainment and 
sports events, 5G VR ensures an immersive experience of 360-degree view for the audience 
as if they were on site, while also diversifying content creation. (2) In education, 5G cloud VR 
enables remote and multi-view holographic teaching. Students can join classrooms at 
different locations for lectures, learning, and exercises with holographic view, free from the 
constraints of time and space. This is also a catalyst for new teaching applications. (3) In 
healthcare, 5G-based VR/AR supports remote collaborative surgery and HD immersive 
surgery live broadcast. (4) In manufacturing, 5G AR enables remote expert guidance and 
collaborative design to improve production efficiency. 
4.3.3 UAV 
UAVs can be adopted for personal and industrial use. Currently, some UAVs are loaded with 
wireless communications modules. For individual users, UAV-based live broadcast over 
3G/4G networks brings brand-new experience. For industry users, UAVs capable of wireless 
communications make real-time data transmission an urgent requirement, giving rise to 
many new application modes. For example, in pipeline, transmission line, highway, and 
other infrastructure monitoring, UAVs can replace humans to implement automatic 
inspection and accident handling based on communications networks. These new 
application modes have a larger data volume and require larger bandwidth, lower latency, 
and higher reliability, which are beyond 4G's capabilities. 
5G will open up new space for UAV applications. The 5G technology provides networked 
UAVs with important capabilities such as real-time UHD image transmission, low-latency 
remote control, and massive data processing. This brings various types of UAV payloads and 
more diversified UAV applications. 
The integration of 5G and networked UAVs is in the early stage of exploration. The main 
applications include: (1) Logistics transportation: Low-altitude UAVs help the logistics 
industry to achieve automated delivery based on remote control. Without being subject to 
road traffic congestion and terrain constraints, this delivery mode markedly improves 
efficiency. (2) Infrastructure inspection: UAVs are more and more widely used in 
infrastructure inspection due to their low cost, high flexibility, high security, high adaptability 
to natural environments and terrains, and better angle of view. They are used to inspect 
building walls, power facilities, base stations, oil and gas pipelines, and river courses. (3) 
Plant protection in agriculture and forestry: UAVs carry customized payloads to collect real-
time data and exchange data with the data center over 5G networks. The data is analyzed on 
the cloud platform so that the data center can perform remote operations accordingly. 
By now, the applications of 5G networked UAVs have achieved some results. In the future, 
5G will bring UAVs to more applications. 
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4.3.4 Remote Control 
Remote control processing continues and cycles until the target is achieved. The process 
involves three elements: controller, controlled party, and communication network. The 
controlled party sends status information to the controller through a communication 
network based on remote sensing. The controller analyzes the received information, makes 
a decision, and sends a corresponding instruction to the controlled party through the 
communication network. The controlled party executes the instruction to implement remote 
control. The communication network mainly transmits status information and instructions 
while ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the transmission. 
Remote control is widely used in various scenarios such as production operation, public 
healthcare, and autonomous driving. 
In production operation, remote control is applied in express delivery carts and vehicles that 
travel along fixed routes, such as campus shuttle buses and transport vehicles in ports. It is 
also used to operate mining excavators and trucks, gantry cranes in ports, and other 
equipment in harsh environments. In these cases, remote control improves safety, 
efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. 
In public healthcare, telemedicine is an optimal solution for remote areas with insufficient 
medical resources and primary medical institutions with inadequate service capabilities. For 
patients with highly infectious diseases, doctors can use remote consultation robots to avoid 
close contact and mitigate contamination risks. Telemedicine ensures that resources are 
flexibly allocated across medical institutions, maximizing resource utilization and improving 
service capabilities and efficiency. 
In autonomous driving, automatically driven cargo vans can be remotely controlled in the 
last mile between the highway entrance/exit and the delivery center. This will effectively 
reduce operation costs. 
4.3.5 Unmanned Driving 
As algorithms, sensors, infrastructure, and network environments are yet to mature, full-
scenario autonomous driving cannot be implemented currently. Therefore, scenario-based 
applications are the way to go. From low-speed scenarios to defined environments and 
complex urban roads, autonomous driving places higher requirements on algorithms and 
sensors. The implementation in more complex scenarios will take a longer time. 
Low-speed use cases will probably be among the first to embrace autonomous driving. 
Unmanned transportation with automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in smart campuses and 
warehouses is a good example in this regard. Low-speed automated shuttling is also a 
promising choice for last-mile passenger transport in campuses and airports. 
The examples of autonomous driving in defined environments include the transportation 
between warehouses and goods dispatching in ports and mining areas. 
The ultimate goal is to support autonomous driving on urban roads where there may be 
more non-motor vehicles and pedestrians. The requirements for autonomous driving in 
these scenarios are the highest. Typical applications will include unmanned buses and taxis. 
5G will create new opportunities for unmanned driving. 5G's extremely high data 
throughput, low latency, and high reliability will bring more diversified information services, 
such as in-vehicle VR gaming, AR navigation, and real-time high-precision map downloading. 
In-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems are the main access to information services and will 
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evolve to more powerful and intelligent systems that enable more complex information 
processing in the 5G era. 5G technologies with lower latency and higher reliability can 
support high-level proactive security warning and transportation efficiency improvement 
services based on intent sharing and collaborative decision-making. They also support the 
construction of an interconnected environment where people, vehicles, roads, and cloud are 
highly coordinated to implement services such as vehicle-road collaborative control, remote 
control, and high-level autonomous driving or even unmanned driving.