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Forbes Column
September 24, 2020 As impressive as the performance of a millimeter Wave (mmWave)-powered 5G network can be, it faces some serious shortcomings in real-world deployments. One of its biggest challenges is the inability for mmWave signals to reach inside buildings when coming from traditional cell towers or any other outdoor-located transmission site. Given how much time we’re all spending indoors these days, that’s obviously a big problem. In order to get around that limitation, and to extend the reach of mmWave signals, companies have been working to create solutions that can broaden the range of 5G mmWave networks inside buildings. As the carrier that’s placed the biggest bet on mmWave for its 5G plans, Verizon has a particularly strong interest in these issues. Earlier this year, Qualcomm partnered with Corning on bringing mmWave service indoors and earlier this month Verizon partnered with Corning to bring its mmWave service (which it calls 5G Ultra Wideband) indoors. Most recently, Verizon announced a partnership with Samsung Networks as well to create Qualcomm chip-powered small cells that allow these speedy 5G signals to be used in offices, shopping malls, and other types of venues. What’s particularly interesting about the Samsung Networks small cells is that they’re part of a new line of 5G in-building products that the company is branding Samsung Link. This first iteration, called Link Cell, is built to work at 28 GHz and offers support for up to 400 MHz of potential throughput (via four concurrent 100 MHz carrier channels) in a box that’s about the size of a gallon of milk. Thanks to its small size, it can be installed similarly to enterprise-grade WiFi routers. Like WiFi routers, the Link Cells are designed to be self-configuring, making the setup process easy, even for organizations that may not have much cellular network setup expertise in-house. Early next year, the company will be unveiling offerings that support both low-band and mid-band sub-6 5G frequencies, as well as CBRS, for indoor applications (see “Spectrum-Sharing Technologies Like CBRS Key To More Robust Wireless Networks” for more). The Link Hub is designed for locations that already have distributed antenna systems, while the Link HubPro adds an active antenna system. All the Samsung Link devices allow the creation and operation of private networks or the ability to connect to and extend external public networks. Interest in private 5G networks is particularly high right now (see “New Research Shows Pent-Up Demand For Private 5G Networks”), because the pandemic has highlighted the criticality of good connectivity and the need for multiple connectivity options. In that light, private cellular networks aren’t necessarily seen as a competitor to existing WiFi networks but as a complement. Plus, with the recent completion of the CBRS auction for private licenses and the availability of shared spectrum in the CBRS bands, the opportunities for creating private cellular networks have never been greater. Even companies with little to no experience in cellular can now start to consider tapping into the potential security and speed benefits that a private 5G network can offer. The interest in private cellular networks goes well beyond just the connectivity, however; it extends into edge computing applications as well. In fact, the ability to integrate computing intelligence into these small cells enables what Verizon calls MEC, or Mobile Edge Compute—which is increasingly seen as critical for manufacturing sites, health care and many other industries. In essence, MEC allows the creation of a private, standalone 5G network that doesn’t require connections to external networks, thereby dramatically improving latency, or response time, of the internal network. For time-sensitive applications, this capability is critical. There’s no question that mmWave-based 5G faces some serious challenges in terms of extending the range of its signals—though recent tests by Ericsson and Qualcomm show that it is possible to transmit these signals further than many had previously thought. Still, by tackling the problem of indoor coverage, Samsung Networks and Verizon are highlighting that there’s still opportunity for mmWave 5G to extend its range into places that some didn’t think were possible. Plus, they represent an interesting new option for private 5G networks that companies and other large organizations may want to consider. Disclosure: TECHnalysis Research is a tech industry market research and consulting firm and, like all companies in that field, works with many technology vendors as clients, some of whom may be listed in this article. Here’s a link to the original column: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobodonnell/2020/09/24/samsung-networks-and-verizon-bring-mmwave-5g-indoors-enable-private-networks/ Forbes columnist Bob O'Donnell is the president and chief analyst of TECHnalysis Research, a market research and consulting firm that provides strategic consulting and market research services to the technology industry and professional financial community.
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