ZTE accelerates pre5G evolution to build 5G-ready networks

19 October - 2017, Shenzhen, China: ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet today officially launched a total solution designed to accelerate the Pre5G evolution for 5G-ready networks at the 2017 ZTE Wireless and Services User Congress held in Brussels, Belgium. This solution represents a comprehensive Pre5G upgrade following ZTE’s proposal on its Pre5G innovation philosophy and development of a series of solutions.

With the philosophy of "Enjoying the present, co-building the future", the total Pre5G solution allows existing 4G subscribers to experience 5G-like services. Meanwhile, it is able to co-exist with the 5G in the future for long-term collaborative development, quintessentially illustrating the clear view of ZTE based on its long-term ICT development research.

The 4G subscribers will still dominate the market for a long futuristic period (presumably a decade). That is, the Pre5G or post-4G network will still play a principal service-bearing role, while the 5G network will largely bear the services of high-end and hotspot areas and new services like uRLLC. Under this circumstance, the 4G evolution and 5G deployments will advance abreast to collaboratively improve the user experience with multiple networks. In addition, Pre5G base stations will be capable of upgrading co-frequency software and smoothly evolving to support the 5G standard, thereby achieving respectable network convergence.

The total Pre5G solution revolves around enabling the 5G-like eMBB, 5G-Ready network architecture, and 5G-oriented service applications for all-round 5G network construction.

5G-Like eMBB

The Pre5G solution has adopted various mobile broadband technologies and technology portfolios, such as high-order MIMO, multi-carrier aggregation, ultra-dense networking, and high-order modulation, to increase the cell peak throughput to the xGbps level. For instance, the Massive MIMO technology increases the spectrum efficiency by eight times. In addition, the Pre5G-based Massive MIMO and 4 x 4 MIMO base stations are capable of upgrading co-frequency software and smoothly evolving to support the 5G standard, bringing extended value to the operators' network investment.

5G-Ready Network Architecture

Cloudification has become an irresistible trend in network development, and the industry players have totally accepted the concept that cloudification should precede 5G deployment. The Pre5G solution introduces a cloud-based network architecture that encompasses the core and access networks. ZTE’s Cloud ServCore, based on NFV and Cloud Native, facilitates the smooth and quick introduction of 5G network functions. ZTE’s Cloud RAN, based on the NFV and ACE (Access Cloud Engine), supports the flexible implementation of IT BBU, MEC, and 5G access functions such as CU/DU split.

5G-Oriented Service Applications

The Pre5G solution provides broad lines of 5G-oriented digital services and applications that include eMBB-based high data rate services (for example, ultra HD videos, VR, and online HD games) and massive IoT applications based on NB-IoT and eMTC (like smart city, intelligent parking, environmental surveillance, and wearables) , thereby enabling the seamless connection to the futuristic 5G digital life.

As a world-leading wireless communication solution provider, ZTE, while implementing the Pre5G solution, has been advancing the global commercial use of 5G networks, such as xGbps networks, NB-IoT networks, and virtualized cloud-based networks. The Pre5G-related products and solutions have been deployed in over 60 networks of 40-plus countries including China, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

With years of commercial Pre5G practices and comprehensive 5G investments, ZTE has been providing 5G end-to-end network solutions and pre-commercial products such as wireless, core network, transport and network management, greatly signifying its role as a 5G pioneer in the industry.

As a chief contributor in global standard research, ZTE plays a leading role in the 3GPP NOMA standard formulation. In China, it took the initiatives to complete all the 5G phase 2 testing items in 2017, with the results in the eMBB, eMTC, and uRLLC scenarios hitting the ITU-defined KPIs and the industrial records in succession. Meanwhile, ZTE has been working with mainstream operators like China Mobile, Softbank, and Telefonica to carry out field and pre-commercial tests.