Networks prepare for 5G New Radio

5G New Radio (NR) originates with a vision of pervasive connectivity, extreme data rates, and low-latency yet highly reliable networks. The international telecommunications union (ITU), working with the international mobile telecommunications (IMT), created the IMT-2020 vision that identifies three primary use cases for 5G NR: Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) Ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) Massive machine-type communications (mMTC) 5G NR Release 15 was frozen in the summer of 2018, but the standards continue to evolve with Release 16 planned the end of 2019. Release 16 further optimizes 5G NR to support new use cases and types of services. Study items include enhancements to the physical layer to support ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC) for industrial IoT, extending frequency up to 114 GHz, enhancements on multi-user MIMO, access to unlicensed spectrum, integrated access and backhaul, cellular-vehicle-to-everything (V2X), and user equipment (UE) positioning and power efficiency.