Pioneering the 5G advancement
The University of Surrey is at the forefront of 5G research in the UK, having received a significant £35 million funding for a new Innovation Centre focused on 5G networking. This funding, provided by the UK government and corporate sponsors including Huawei, Samsung, and Telefonica, will be used specifically for research into 5G network technologies to advance the development and implementation of next-generation wireless communications.
The main objective in developing 5G is to increase network capacity due to the expected rapid growth in mobile data traffic. With mobile data traffic expected to double every year, requiring around 20 times more capacity per meter squared than current offerings, the need for a more efficient and capable network is paramount.
The second objective in developing 5G is to improve energy efficiency to reduce the cost of running the network and minimize environmental impact. This is a crucial aspect as the timeline from one generation of mobile network to the next has been approximately 10 to 12 years, with 4G to 5G expected to be around eight years. The commercial availability of 5G is estimated to be around eight to nine years from now.
The research at the University of Surrey will utilize spectrum below 5 GHz, including 4G, 3G, and 2G spectrum, as well as broadcasting spectrum at 700MHz. Additionally, the research will explore the possibility of using milimetric bands from 60GHz to 90GHz for 5G. The goal of the research is to specify what future technologies and innovations can be included in the 5G standards.
The Centre for Communication Systems Research (CCSR) at the University of Surrey is the largest academic research centre for mobile communications in the UK. The £35 million funding will be used to build a new research centre, equip it with research equipment, and establish a test bed on campus. The test bed will cover an area of four kilometres squared and consist of a number of base stations and mobile terminals for demonstrations and proofs-of-concept.
Moreover, the research at the University of Surrey will be open to businesses that want to collaborate and research with them. This collaboration is expected to become apparent in around three years due to anticipated network congestion and lack of capacity. The demand for 5G is expected to become more evident as the need for a more efficient and capable network becomes increasingly pressing.
The research on 5G at the University of Surrey is part of the work on Release 12 of the 3GPP standard, the first iteration of the mobile networking standard since 4G. The objective is to identify the characteristics of propagation in these frequencies to determine their suitability for mobile radio. This research is crucial in ensuring that the UK remains at the forefront of mobile communications technology.
In October 2020, the CCSR received £35 million in funding for this Innovation Centre. This funding will undoubtedly propel the University of Surrey and the UK towards the forefront of 5G technology, contributing to a more connected and efficient future.
5G stands for the fifth generation of mobile cellular systems, representing a significant leap forward in mobile communications technology. The research at the University of Surrey is aimed at ensuring that the UK is well-prepared for this transition and can reap the benefits that 5G technology promises.
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