Sign in Subscribe

5G NR QoS characteristics

Last updated on 
  1. Latency:
    • 5G NR aims to achieve lower latency compared to previous generations, targeting values as low as 1 millisecond (ms). This low latency is crucial for applications like augmented reality, virtual reality, and critical machine-to-machine communication.
    • Two types of latency are considered:
      • User Plane Latency: This involves the time taken to transmit data from the source to the destination. The goal is to achieve a one-way latency of 1 ms or less.
      • Control Plane Latency: This refers to the time it takes for control signals and messages to traverse the network. The target is to keep this latency within the range of a few milliseconds.
  2. Throughput:
    • 5G NR supports significantly higher data rates compared to 4G. The peak data rate for 5G can go up to several gigabits per second (Gbps). The high throughput is essential for delivering high-quality multimedia content and supporting applications with large data transfer requirements.
  3. Reliability:
    • 5G NR aims to provide highly reliable connections, especially in mission-critical applications such as autonomous vehicles and industrial automation.
    • Reliability is often measured by the reliability of the radio link, and 5G NR incorporates advanced techniques like beamforming, Massive MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output), and channel coding to enhance link reliability.
  4. Mobility:
    • 5G NR is designed to support high-mobility scenarios, such as users traveling at high speeds in vehicles. This is essential for applications like high-speed trains and moving vehicles.
    • Handover procedures in 5G NR are optimized to ensure seamless connectivity when a user moves from one cell to another.
  5. Connection Density:
    • 5G NR is designed to support a significantly higher number of connected devices per square kilometer compared to previous generations. This is crucial for the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-type communication.
    • Enhanced support for connection density is achieved through techniques like Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE-M (LTE for Machine Type Communication).
  6. Slicing:
    • Network slicing is a key feature of 5G NR QoS. It allows the network to be logically divided into multiple slices, each tailored to meet specific QoS requirements.
    • Each network slice can have its own set of characteristics, such as latency, throughput, and reliability, making it suitable for diverse use cases with varying requirements.
  7. Service Differentiation:
    • 5G NR supports service differentiation, allowing different services to have different QoS parameters. This ensures that critical services receive the required level of performance while optimizing the use of network resources.
  8. Energy Efficiency:
    • 5G NR incorporates features to improve energy efficiency, aiming to reduce the energy consumption per bit compared to previous generations. This is important for both economic and environmental reasons.

5G NR QoS characteristics are designed to provide low latency, high throughput, reliability, and support for diverse applications with varying requirements. The flexibility introduced by features like network slicing and service differentiation allows 5G networks to cater to a wide range of use cases.