Page 21 - EE Times Europe March 2022

EE|Times EUROPE 21

Why EU 5G Success Will Require RF Filter Innovation

came to prominence in the 4G era, as they designers can simply reroute and upgrade bands. The n77 and n79 bands are only in the
were more suited to the higher frequency and transistors and capacitors, filtering calls early stages of deployment and thus have not
wider bandwidth associated with 4G. for an alignment of both the piezoelectric been the subject of any interference challenges
The various categories of acoustic-wave materials and the physical structure to find to date. However, this will change as more net-
filters use different materials and structures, the combination that is best suited for the works are deployed with these new bands.
optimized for certain frequency bands and demands of higher frequencies. The frequency
bandwidths. None of these are obsolete, that can be generated from a particular piezo- CONCLUSION
but they were not optimized for frequencies electric material is determined by its physical While 5G holds tremendous promise, it is still
higher than 3 GHz. New filter technology, properties and the speed of sound, two factors in its infancy, offering only moderately faster
such as Resonant’s XBAR, is required for fre- that engineers can’t change. mobile device speeds compared with 4G but
quencies higher than 3 GHz and bandwidths The 3rd Generation Partnership Project not much of the low latency and extremely
wider than 500 MHz. For example, the latest (3GPP) Release 15 identified three sub-6-GHz high throughput that the technology prom-
Wi-Fi band, Wi-Fi 6E, has a bandwidth of bands — n77, n78, and n79 — for 5G operation ises. Once the spectrum is available, however,
1,200 MHz, running from 5,925 MHz to that are ideal for both high data speeds and the full performance benefits of 5G can be
7,125 MHz. coverage. These bands have been only lightly unleashed. ■
Unlike most digital technologies, filtering utilized so far, which presents a tremendous
of analog signals is based on the physical opportunity for optimized filter technology Mike Eddy is vice president of corporate
properties of materials. Digital-system as wireless traffic takes advantage of new 5G development at Resonant Inc.

5G
Slow Rollout for Private 5G Networks

By Dan Jones
P rivate 5G networks are already one of the most hyped technolo-

gies of 2022. But how many production 5G private networks are
actually out there?
EE Times examined the progress of 5G private networks in
January 2021 and found that the vast majority of deployments were
in the trial phase. This is still largely the case in 2022, according to
analyst Dean Bubley, founder of Disruptive Analysis.
“[It’s] hard to judge how many ‘proper’ 5G networks have been
deployed, and it also depends on your definition,” Bubley told
EE Times. Many of the 5G private deployments already out there
include academic and testbed networks, he said. The analyst
also questions whether the private networks deployed include
non-standalone versions “with a 4G core anchor, or … ‘proper’ 5G
with a [standalone] core.”

Europe, rather than America, may be the
focus for 5G private networking in 2022. For
example, France and Germany are pledging

€17.7 million for four collaborative projects. 4G STILL ON TOP FOR PRIVATE NETS
In comparison, there are many more 4G LTE private networks in oper-
ation across the world, deployed for indoor phone connectivity, IoT
“Overall, I’d say it’s very early days for ‘production’ enterprise 5G,” tasks, critical communications, and other functions. This is not surpris-
Bubley said, adding, “I’d be surprised if there were more than 50 actual ing, as the roots of modern 4G private networking date to 2013.
in-use networks (probably including some of the vendors’ own facto- “There are 1,000 to 2,000 ‘proper’ private 4G networks for enterprise,
ries). But there probably are a few hundred trials and semi-commercial government/military, maritime, [and] temporary use,” the analyst said.
projects of various sizes.” “It’s very hard to gauge accurate numbers, as many users don’t talk
Bubley acknowledged that “there may also be quite a lot more much publicly.”
[deployments] in China,” a market into which he has less visibility. Industry sectors such as oil and mining were quick to latch on to
As for the rest of the world, it’s a mix of Germany, the U.K., Japan, private networking as a means to provide cellular access, facilitate
Finland, Taiwan, and a few others for 5G, Bubley says. 4G LTE and emergency connections, and simplify day-to-day operations. Bubley
Citizens Band Radio Service (CBRS) private networks are being rolled noted that these economic spheres are “special” and will frequently
out in the U.S., with some 5G being trialed and likely to become more make radio-spectrum–licensing deals with local operators to get the
important this year, the analyst expects. bandwidth they need.

www.eetimes.eu | MARCH 2022