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5G NR

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

5G NR (5G New Radio)[1] is a radio access technology (RAT) developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for the 5G (fifth generation) mobile network.[1] It was designed to be the global standard for the air interface of 5G networks.[2] It is based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM), as is the 4G (fourth generation) long-term evolution (LTE) standard.

The 3GPP specification 38 series[3] provides the technical details behind 5G NR, the successor of LTE.

The study of 5G NR within 3GPP started in 2015, and the first specification was made available by the end of 2017. While the 3GPP standardization process was ongoing, the industry had already begun efforts to implement infrastructure compliant with the draft standard, with the first large-scale commercial launch of 5G NR having occurred in the end of 2018. Since 2019, many operators have deployed 5G NR networks and handset manufacturers have developed 5G NR enabled handsets.[4]

5G NR signal indicator on Samsung Galaxy smartphones

Frequency bands

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CableFree 5G Radio (RRH) with 2x2 MIMO, 2x20W RF power and CPRI fibre interface, can be connected to a 5G gNodeB or gNB which can have the form of an x86 server[5]
Main article: 5G NR frequency bands

5G NR uses frequency bands in two broad frequency ranges:

  1. Frequency Range 1 (FR1), for bands within 410 MHz – 7,125 MHz
  2. Frequency Range 2 (FR2), for bands within 24,250 MHz – 71,000 MHz

gNodeB

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gNodeB or gNb (Next Generation Node B) means a 5G base station. It transmits radio data to and receives radio data from user equipment. Its coverage area is called a cell. The gNodeB may be a tower.

A "Non-Standalone" (NSA) gNodeB is built on an existing LTE (4G) base station (eNodeB or eNB).

Network deployments

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Main article: List of 5G NR networks

Ooredoo was the first carrier to launch a commercial 5G NR network, in May 2018 in Qatar. Other carriers around the world have been following suit.

Development

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In 2018, 3GPP published Release 15, which includes what is described as "Phase 1" standardization for 5G NR. The timeline for Release 16, which will be "5G phase 2", follows a freeze date of March 2020 and a completion date of June 2020,[6] Release 17 was originally scheduled for delivery in September 2021.[7] but, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was rescheduled for June 2022.[8]

Release 18 work has started in 3GPP. Rel.18 is referred to as "NR Advanced" signifying another milestone in wireless communication systems. NR Advanced will include features such as eXtended Reality (XR), AI/ML studies, and Mobility enhancements. Mobility is in the core of 3GPP technology and has so far been handled on Layer 3 (RRC), now, in Rel-18 the work on mobility is to introduce lower layer triggered mobility.

Release 18 (5G-Advanced)

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In 2024, 3GPP finalized Release 18, officially marking the transition to 5G-Advanced. This release introduced the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) within the Radio Access Network (RAN) to optimize beam management and network energy savings. It also expanded the capabilities of "Reduced Capability" (RedCap) devices, improved positioning accuracy for industrial IoT, and enhanced support for non-terrestrial networks (NTN), allowing for better integration with satellite-to-phone services.[9]


Deployment modes

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Initial 5G NR launches will depend on existing LTE infrastructure in non-standalone (NSA) mode, before maturation of the standalone (SA) mode with the 5G core network. Additionally, the spectrum can be dynamically shared between LTE and 5G NR.

Dynamic spectrum sharing

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To make better use of existing assets, carriers may opt to dynamically share it between LTE and 5G NR. The spectrum is multiplexed over time between both generations of mobile networks depending on user demand, while still using the LTE network for control functions. Dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) may be deployed on existing LTE equipment as long as it is compatible with 5G NR. Only the 5G NR terminal needs to be compatible with DSS.[10]

Non-standalone mode

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The non-standalone (NSA) mode of 5G NR refers to an option of 5G NR deployment that depends on the control plane of an existing LTE network for control functions, while 5G NR is exclusively focused on the user plane.[11][12][13] This is reported to speed up 5G adoption, however some operators and vendors have criticized prioritizing the introduction of 5G NR NSA on the grounds that it could hinder the implementation of the standalone mode of the network.[14][15] It uses the same core network as a 4G network, but with upgraded radio equipment.[16][17]

Standalone mode

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The standalone (SA) mode of 5G NR refers to using 5G cells for both signalling and information transfer,[11] essentially a 5G network without any legacy 4G infrastructure.[18] It includes the new 5G Packet Core architecture instead of relying on the 4G Evolved Packet Core,[19][20] to allow the deployment of 5G without the LTE network.[21] It is expected to have lower cost, better efficiency, and to assist development of new use cases.[14][22] However, initial deployment might see slower speed than existing network due to the allocation of spectrum.[23] It uses a new core network dedicated to 5G.[16]

Numerology (sub-carrier spacing)

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5G NR supports seven subcarrier spacings:

Sub-Carrier Spacing (kHz) Slot duration (ms) Frequency Bands Notes
15 1 FR1 Same as LTE
30 0.5 FR1
60 0.25 FR1 and FR2 Both normal cyclic prefix (CP) and extended CP may be used with 60 kHz subcarrier spacing
120 0.125 FR2
240 0.0625 FR2 This is only possible for search and measurement purposes, using the Synchronization Signal Block (SSB)
480 0.03125 FR2
960 0.01565 FR2

The length of the cyclic prefix is inversely proportional to the subcarrier spacing. It is 4.7 μs with 15 kHz, and 4.7 / 16 = 0.29 μs for 240 kHz subcarrier spacing. Additionally, higher subcarrier spacings allow for reduced latency and increased support for high-frequency bands, essential for the ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) and enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) applications in 5G.

NR-Light / RedCap

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In 5G NR Release 17, the 3GPP introduced NR-Light, formally known as Reduced Capability (RedCap) devices. RedCap is designed to bridge the capability gap between high-performance 5G NR and low-power NB-IoT or LTE-M technologies.[24] It provides a cost-effective, power-efficient solution for devices that do not require the full multi-gigabit throughput of standard 5G but need better performance than legacy IoT standards.

NR-Light targets mid-tier performance categories, ideal for applications such as:

  • Wearables: Including smartwatches and medical monitoring devices that require consistent connectivity but have limited battery capacity.[25]
  • Industrial Sensors: Enabling Industry 4.0 through wireless pressure sensors, actuators, and surveillance cameras in smart factories.
  • Smart Home & Cities: Efficient connectivity for smart appliances and environmental sensors.

Key technical features introduced in Release 17 and further enhanced in 5G-Advanced (Release 18) include:

  • Reduced Bandwidth: Supports narrower maximum bandwidths of 20 MHz in sub-7 GHz (FR1) and 100 MHz in millimeter wave (FR2), lowering hardware complexity.[26]
  • Simplified Antenna Configurations: Reduces the mandatory number of receive branches to one or two (1Rx or 2Rx), significantly lowering the device footprint and cost.
  • Enhanced Power Saving: Utilizes extended Discontinuous Reception (eDRX) and relaxed radio resource management (RRM) to maximize battery life, enabling sensors to operate for years without maintenance.
  • Coexistence: RedCap devices operate on the same 5G carriers as standard NR devices, ensuring they benefit from existing network coverage and low latency.

Release 18 (5G-Advanced) introduced "enhanced RedCap" (eRedCap), which further lowers the data rate and complexity requirements to specifically target the "high-end" LPWA market, providing a seamless migration path from LTE Cat-1 to 5G.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "What is 5G New Radio (5G ,)". 5g.co.uk.
  2. ^ "Making 5G New Radio (NR) a Reality – The Global 5G Standard - IEEE Communications Society". comsoc.org.
  3. ^ "3GPP specification series: 38series". www.3gpp.org. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  4. ^ "The Mixed Picture for 5G in Europe". Membership. Retrieved 2023-12-07.
  5. ^ Zimmermann, Alfred; Howlett, Robert J.; Jain, Lakhmi C. (29 May 2020). Human Centred Intelligent Systems: Proceedings of KES-HCIS 2020 Conference. Springer. ISBN 978-981-15-5784-2.
  6. ^ "Release 16". 3GPP. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
  7. ^ "Release 17". 3GPP. Retrieved 2020-01-06.
  8. ^ "Release 17 timeline agreed". 3GPP.
  9. ^ a b Dahlman, Erik (March 18, 2024). "5G-Advanced: The bridge to 6G". Ericsson. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  10. ^ "Spectrum sharing for fast & smooth 5G deployment". Ericsson. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
  11. ^ a b "5G NR Deployment Scenarios or modes-NSA, SA, Homogeneous, Heterogeneous". rfwireless-world.com.
  12. ^ Junko Yoshida (3 March 2017). "What's Behind 'Non-Standalone' 5G?". Eetimes.com. Retrieved 2018-11-13.
  13. ^ "5G NSA Introduces the Future of IoT Connectivity". Telenor IoT. 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
  14. ^ a b Teral, Stephane (2019-01-30). "5G best choice architecture" (PDF). ZTE. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-01.
  15. ^ "3GPP Approves Plans to Fast Track 5G NR - Light Reading".
  16. ^ a b "Standalone 5G vs. Non-Standalone 5G". RCR Wireless News. 2021-09-07. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  17. ^ "5G Standalone vs. 5G Non-standalone: What's in it for operators?". RCR Wireless News. 2023-04-04. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  18. ^ Rogerson, James (9 July 2025). "Voice over 5G Standalone (VoNR) - What is it and how to get it". 5G.co.uk.
  19. ^ "Standalone or Non-Standalone? 5G Trials Will Help Orange Decide - Light Reading".
  20. ^ "5G Non Standalone Solution Overview" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2019-02-03.
  21. ^ "Defining NG Core for 5G Networks - Light Reading".
  22. ^ "5G: What is Standalone (SA) vs Non-Standalone (NSA) Networks?". MediaTek. 12 November 2018. Archived from the original on 10 October 2024.
  23. ^ 真の5G「SA方式」の不都合な真実、当初遅くなるのはドコモだけ？
  24. ^ Lin, Xingqin (2021). "5G NR Release 17 RedCap". IEEE Communications Magazine. IEEE. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  25. ^ "RedCap: Expanding the 5G ecosystem for new devices". Qualcomm. June 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  26. ^ "5G RedCap: A New Type of 5G Device". Nokia. 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
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