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This Article is to describe the Architecture of 5g telecommunication over the network. Many of us already know that 5g is all about of Enhanced Mobile Broad Band (eMBB) , Ultra reliable low latency communication (Urllc) and massive Machine type communication (mMTC) , where ;

eMBB is all about throughput, Urllc is latency and mMTC is all about capacity or density of communicating devices.

There is another aspect of 5g which very few of us know until they really jump into the vendor or telecom service provider (MNOs) and that is implementation architecture of 5g Access Network and it is divided into 2 Categories:

1) StandAlone Architecture.

2) Non-StandAlone Architure.

So lets start discussing about the Non-Standalone Architecture of 5g , whenever there is an acronym termed as an NSA it always means that there is either LTE Core is involved in a network or 4g enb is involved in conjunction with 5gC or 5g-NR , thus making 5g-NR technology available without replacing the whole network. However as per 3gpp R15, In this configuration only the 4G services are supported, but enjoying the capacities offered by the 5G New Radio (lower latency,high throughput etc).

As per 3gpp R15 , the NSA is also known as "E-UTRA-NR Dual Connectivity (EN-DC)" or "Architecture Option 3". However on the other hand SA stands for StandAlone Architecture which means either it should be fully 5g or LTE there is no mix-up of nextwork in this architecture.

In each of these categories (SA and NSA) we have multple deployment configuration options available.

As per 3gpp , all the 5g features related to 5g for example network slicing , lower latency, high throughput and high densitiy of device connectivity can only be obtain by using 5g Core. Here both control plane and user planes are initiated from 5g-NR for UE. Also, Lower call setup time in 5g becasue if 5g service is needed here once UE need to start data it will be moved from idle to connected and call will be setup , while in option 3x idle mode UE is connected with LTE and to start make data UE has to make the measurement of the 5g cell to make sure if the UE is in good coverage of 5g then after making measurement report, the 4g site will try to establish a connection over the X2 interface with 5g site and 5g can be accessed which is a longer time to access a 5g compare to a SA solution. Option 2 will provide more and more new buisness opportunities to Mobile Network Operators , more services will be introduce along with new feature or network slicing. Since 5g core is using Service Based Architecure therefore introducing any new function within the network is much more easier.

According to the 3gpp , this solution is having faster deployment as EPC is in use here, existing LTE idle mode is used so that coverrage gaps due to low number of 5g sites can be cover at earlier phase. Also dual connectivity with LTE will enhance the throughput as of 5g alone becasue there are two data sources. In this case VoLTE is already in use , In case VoNR is not ready or not not deployed in the network. The point to be noted here is that in IDLE mode UE will always be connected via 4g site becasue control plane is coming from LTE site and not from the 5g Node , however once the UE need to access data it will be connected with both LTE and 5g node. And once the data activity is finished the UE will be in IDLE mode connected back to LTE node , Now the question raised why SA is required once we have high throughput and low budget deployment already here , for that need to check the StandAlone architecture.

Abover defined Architecture can be implemented by operator choices , for example if they already a nation wide network of 4g up and running they can simple upgrade the core and implement some of the 5g node anchoring with 4g , or if they are late in deploying 4g and area is small so its good if they can simply implement the 5g network etc..

Coming back to the further Deployment options.

As per the 3gpp, Option 1 is an StandAlone deployment that represents the current 4g Deployments in many countries by different operators , in other words it can be said that legacy deployment of LTE radio connected to the Evolved Packet Core , here EPC has no any relation with 5gC or 5gNR. Here UE is only connected with LTE node to both user and control plane.

As explained in 3gpp , Option 3 represents a Non Standalone deployment where LTE and 5g NR radio access networks are present but controlled by only the EPC core connected to the LTE access. In this option LTE access is used as control plane signalling anchor for the 5g NR where the user data traffic (user plane) to the UE can delivered both LTE and 5gNR.

Option 3x is a combination of option 3 and 3a , where some user plane data traffic flows directly from the EPC to the 5gNR and from there to the UE. Whereas it is also possible to forward part of the data from EPC to 5gNR via LTE RAN before it reaches to the UE.

Option 4 As per 3gpp standards is also a Non StandAlone (NSA) deployment option , where both LTE and 5gNR radio access tecnologies are deployed and controlled through only 5gC. In this deployment option the user plane data is from LTE RAN will be sent to the 5gc deirectly or via 5gNR. And the interface between the LTE and 5gNR will be Xn.

Option 5 is a StandAlone (SA) deployment where LTE RAN is connected to 5gc. This optin seems unlikely to be adopted by any other MNOs other than research purposes, as most of the benefits if the 5g come from migrating to a 5gNR access to network.

Option 6 as per the 3gpp is also an Standalone (SA) deployment and it relevent in scenarios where the radio network is completly migrated to 5gNR, but it keep the EPC. Option 6 is later removed by 3gpp so the 5g devices can not support deployment option 6.

Option 7 as per the 3gpp represents Non Standalone deployements (NSA) where next generation core or the 5gc will be used with mixture of LTE and 5gNR. Here LTE is the master node as it carry the Control plane from 5gC.

Conclusion: Option 3x seems to be the most suitable as it relies on the existing LTE and EPC which lead to faster deployment of 5g Network.

Option 3x can improve performance in several aspects for example , aggregating throughput using both 5gNR and LTE or optimized transmission of data using 5gNR downlink when the 5gNR coverage is good. It will also provide seamless mobility across LTE and 5gNR as the mobility is anchored by LTE.

References : 5g Academy , https://www.radiotechcorp.com/ , 3gpp release 15 and 16.

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