5G solutions

The technology driving the 5G revolution

Whilst we are still early in its deployment cycle, 5G’s characteristics and performance capabilities are well defined, and its potential to support new and improved applications is already clear.

Beyond enhancing existing applications which will benefit from improved cellular connectivity, it is widely anticipated that 5G will transform many areas of our lives by enabling further levels of innovation across multiple market segments, including healthcare, automotive, smart cities and industrial automation.

Initially 5G NSA (non-standalone) builds upon and complements 4G LTE networks, but significant investment in new equipment is required to release the full benefits of 5G SA (standalone). The 5G spectrum is more complex than previous generations and falls within the three ranges of sub-1 GHz, 1-6 GHz and above 6 GHz.

Key features of 5G include: Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) which promises data rates peaking at 20Gbps, Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC) to provide wide area coverage for up to 1 million devices per square kilometre, and Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency Communications (URLLC) for mission-critical applications requiring extremely low end-to-end latencies along with high reliability and availability.

The infrastructure being developed to enable the full range of 5G potential includes Active Antenna Systems (AAS) leveraging massive multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) and beamforming functionality and will heavily depend on the mass deployment of small cells in both outdoor and indoor settings.

To reach the potential of 5G, engineers are challenged to develop complex RF front ends, sophisticated signal and data processing capability and deliver all of this in hardware that is optimised for power efficiency, size and cost.

Avnet Abacus’ Europe-wide team of technical specialists are ready to support your 5G projects from concept to prototype and production, with a comprehensive range of 5G-ready connectors and cables, power supplies and passive and discrete RF components from our industry-leading linecard.