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The Testbed Working Group (WG) helps collaborate with existing 5G testbeds to make those available to industry & academia to ease deployment of 5G and accelerate development of next-generation networks (e.g., 6G). Collaboration with the vendor and research communities will result in expansion upon existing testbeds towards federated development of testbeds for next-generation networks. The working group has established stronger relationships with IEEE & ITU’s standardization study group.

In addition to informing the community on the capabilities and usage modalities of existing testbeds, the WG also aims to solicit contributions and promote discussion on co-development and co-deployment of future experimental platforms for 5G and beyond.

Considering recent developments around the world, the WG has identified priorities on next-generation networks’ testbed requirements. End-use devices for both human and machine users are anticipated to see dramatic changes with emergence of next-generation wireless networks. In addition to the previous requirements, the WG has highlighted requirements and a roadmap for end-use (user equipment) hardware and compatible software as well as candidate spectrum bands for future networks.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Testbed INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The Standardization Building Blocks Working Group (SBB WG) reviews the current landscape of relevant to future networks SDOs and industry alliances, open-source organizations and their relations with SDOs. Challenges of cross-SDO collaborations in selected areas are also addressed. The chapter describes the global challenges and the IEEE approach to standardization of emerging technologies leveraging the IEEE Future Directions initiatives, and the IEEE Standards Activities ecosystem compatible with engagement of industrial and academic researchers in standards development.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Standardization Building Blocks INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The Satellite Working Group is now focused on satellite 6G. The chapter contains an enriched description of use cases combining direct satellite access and satellite backhaul, satellite IoT, mmWave for satellite networks, network management aspects, QoS/QoE, security, and recent standardization activities by 3GPP, ETSI, ITU, and IEEE. Satellite 6G is expected to provide KPIs and QoS at an unprecedented level for Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTNs). This chapter describes future technological challenges and solutions to achieve such ambitious goals.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Optics INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The Optics Working Group is structured to create the space for key stakeholders to discuss the optical technologies being developed to meet the needs and goals of future networks—identifying and bringing focus to roadblocks, challenges, and opportunities. In 2022, the Optics WG identifies eight optical networking areas:

• Optical Xhaul (front/mid/backhaul) networks.
• High-speed optical access networks.
• Co-packaged optics / data center networks.
• Machine learning in optical networks.
• In-building optical networks.
• Optical wireless technologies for space communications using satellites or high-flying platforms.
• Optical fibers and spatial division multiplexed networks.
• Quantum communications.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Optics INGR Chapter 

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The mmWave and Signal Processing (MMW-SP) Working Group (WG) examines improvements in current millimeter-wave architectures, hardware capabilities and signal-processing techniques to enable 5G systems to achieve the 3GPP Release 17 requirements for massive mobile broadband (eMBB), and for Release 16 requirements for ultra-reliable low-latency communication and massive machine-to-machine use cases. 3GPP Release 17 was scheduled to be frozen by Q1 2022. The WG will translate the requirements for these drivers and describe technical challenges that should be addressed to support the growth of 5G applications within the 3-, 5-, and 10-year timeframes.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Millimeter Wave and Signal Processing INGR Chapter 

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The Edge Services and Automation Working Group also recognizes several key ingredients to fuel the momentum for years to come. These include rapid and significant AI/ML success in automation operation efficacy, adaptive, predictive and cognitive security, resource virtualization in massive scale, distributed scalable microservices with orchestration, highly secured management plane for infrastructure/domain slicing and customization, along with the reliability and availability, and a fabric with ultra-high bandwidth through 5G and other terrestrial and non-terrestrial wireless networks.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Edge Services and Automation INGR Chapter 

 

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The Connecting the Unconnected (CTU) Working Group (WG) highlights the need to develop unique requirements in 5G and 5GB networks in the standardization process, the development of use cases, and affordable solutions. It is the goal of the CTU WG to create an open platform where experts can bring their ideas and solutions and collaborate to create large global projects and influence network service providers, manufacturers and governments.

Connecting the Unconnected or under-connected (CTU) is the holy grail of transforming the lives of over 3 billion people around the globe with wireless Internet who are yet to experience its value in multiple ways. If this could be accomplished, its impact on the society would be enormous.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Connecting the Unconnected INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The goal of the AI/ML working group (WG) is to define a framework that uses open-source technology and commercial architecture to run AI/ML workloads. Enabling technologies in AI/ML/DL are expected to work with: Security, Applications and Services, and Deployments. Therefore, the AI/ML WG will work with other WGs to identify and collaborate on opportunities to implement and enhance the AI/ML architecture. As well, the Edge Services, Security, and Satellite WGs may bring critical data to edge and IoT analytics and processing and will need advanced AI/ML algorithms and technologies to process and optimize their systems. Identifying these specifics will be an important part of this collaboration.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The Systems Optimization WG has been formed to explore various approaches to manage complexity of future systems with non-traditional design and operational methodologies. One of the first uses of self-optimizing or self-governing systems came about in cellular radio systems, with the SOC capabilities by NGMN and 3GPP for optimization of resources across heterogenous access networks. These systems, however are based on static policies and are limited in functional scope that addresses 3GPP RAT only. The Systems Optimization WG is exploring use of emergence to address full-stack self-organizing systems, i.e., multi-layer and multi-domain organization and optimization of multiple stacks comprising of heterogeneous radio resources (e.g., 3GPP and non 3GPP RAT), fixed access and transport resources (e.g., optical wavelengths), and compute and store infrastructure resources contributed by disparate service providers.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Systems Optimization INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The digital transformation brought by 5G is redefining current models of end-to-end connectivity and service reliability to include security-by-design principles necessary to enable 5G to achieve its promise. 5G trustworthiness highlights the importance of embedding security capabilities from the very beginning while the 5G architecture is being defined and standardized. Security requirements need to overlay and permeate through the different layers of the 5G systems (physical, network, and application) as well as different parts of an E2E 5G architecture including a risk management framework that takes into account the evolving security threats landscape.

5G exemplifies a use-case of heterogeneous access and computer networking convergence, where 5G fundamental building blocks include components such as Software Defined Networks (SDN), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and the edge cloud. This convergence extends many of the security challenges and opportunities applicable to SDN/NFV and edge cloud to 5G networks. Thus, 5G security needs to consider additional security requirements (compared to previous generations) such as SDN controller security, hypervisor security, orchestrator security, cloud security, edge security, etc. At the same time, security opportunities provided by 5G networks, should be considered where 5G can harness the architecture flexibility, programmability and complexity to improve its resilience and reliability.

The IEEE FNI security WG’s roadmap framework follows a taxonomic structure, differentiating the 5G functional pillars and corresponding cybersecurity risks. At the infrastructure level the scope of the working group includes, Virtualization/Softwarization Security; Optimization / Orchestration Security; SDN Security; Network Slicing Security; Edge Security. Third party security includes supply chain security; open source and API security. Data security, privacy, security monitoring and analytics, proactive security, and digital forensics are also part of the scope for the working group. As part of cross collaboration, the security working group will also look into the security issues associated with other roadmap working groups within the IEEE Future Network Initiative.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Security and Privacy INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The use of a large number of antenna elements, known as Massive MIMO, is seen as a key enabling technology in the 5G and Beyond wireless ecosystem. The intelligent use of the multitude of antenna elements unleashes unprecedented flexibility and control of the physical channel of the wireless medium. Through Massive MIMO and other techniques, it is envisioned the 5G and Beyond wireless system will be able to support high throughput, high reliability (low bit-error-rate (BER)), high energy efficiency, low latency, and an Internet-scale number of connected devices. Massive MIMO and related technologies will be deployed in the mid-band (sub 6 GHz) for coverage, all the way to mmWave bands to support large channel bandwidths. It is envisioned Massive MIMO will be deployed in different environments: FDD, TDD, indoor/outdoor, small cell, macro cell, and other heterogeneous network (HetNet) configurations.

The scope of the Massive MIMO Working Group includes the following topics:

• Framework for large number of active users with massive connectivity.
• Framework for high spectral efficiency and energy efficiency with high user density and emerging applications having the strong need of QoS guarantees.
• Big Data Management.
• Cost-effective, reliable, and scalable implementation for Massive MIMO.
• Machine-type communications and low complexity transceiver design.
• PHY design for mmWave massive MIMO systems.
• Analog and digital hybrid precoding design
• Secure communications for massive MIMO systems
• The integrating of machine learning into massive MIMO systems.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Massive MIMO INGR Chapter 

Latest Event Activities

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The Energy Efficiency (EE) Working Group (WG) is committed to the education of energy-related issues/concerns/opportunities across all industry stakeholders and associated, extended ecosystems.  This vision is accomplished via inclusion in the IEEE Future Networks (FN) International Network Generations Roadmap (INGR) and the critical interactions with the many cross-functional stakeholder areas that are all inexorably dependent on the intricacies of energy architecture, distribution, and utilization.

Ideally, all industry stakeholders will come to realize the importance of a maniacal focus on optimizing energy efficiency/utilization at every level (i.e. – from component to system to network) as a critical area as early in the development/deployment/standardization processes as possible to maximize positive results when deployed at all scales (i.e. – from edge or small cell to the full network and utility levels).  Whether the incentives come from technical, business, and/or sustainable motivations, the concepts and associated, critical dependencies of the Power Value Chain (PVC) and the 5G Energy Gap must be internalized and applied appropriately.  A roadmap format is an ideal way to accomplish the vision as it provides awareness, guidance, and tiered approach for near- (~3 years), mid- (~5 years), and long-term (~10+ years) action.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Energy Efficiency INGR Chapter 

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The Applications and Services Working Group (WG) is focused on a sustainable interconnected ecosystem of ecosystems framework and roadmap development to identify evolving applications and services, common needs, challenges to achieving those needs, and potential solutions to those challenges. This structured, flexible, adaptable, and scalable approach extends across end-to-end ecosystems, and caters to different stages of priorities, resources, and technologies.

Specific ecosystem frameworks include the continuum of care (health care), recovery continuum (public safety), intermodal / multimodal transportation, supply chain management frameworks for electric and water utilities, food supply chain (agriculture), education, etc. They span geographical, political, and cultural boundaries across urban and non-urban areas, but typically converge in complex and dynamic urban environments as in the case of smart cities.

Severe stress or inefficiencies on one ecosystem, e.g. pandemics (health care), disasters (public safety), etc may negatively impact adjacent ecosystems. Alignments within and among ecosystems is essential. The WG also addresses inter ecosystem touchpoints, key performance indicators (KPI), and the need for technology standards development. Fixed and mobile future network functions for access, service delivery, network operations, and network interoperability may require communications capabilities that include a combination of enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type communications (mMTC), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and network operations enhancements.

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Applications and Services INGR Chapter 

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The Deployment Working Group serves as a conduit for municipal stakeholders to communicate their goals and concerns to the wireless industry vendors who are specifying and designing future network products, equipment, and systems.  It is hoped that by doing this, the products the industry ultimately produce will have a better chance of making it through local government and municipal agency review, permitting, and appeal processes.  

Topics covered by the Deployment Working Group Roadmap are:

• Local government factors and perspectives affecting deployment.
• Regulatory factors affecting deployment.
• Public/Community factors and perspectives affecting deployment.
• Technology issues affecting deployment.

Wireless communication facility deployments occur primarily on three general property categories; privately-owned, publicly-owned, or tribal.  Some types of property such as transit stations, water towers, etc. will fall into one of the three categories depending on local variance; e.g. a utility poles might be owned by a government entity, a private utility, a tribal government, or by a joint powers authority.

In most cases the factors and perspectives affecting deployment are common to all wireless technologies, and in those cases we make no distinction between 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, etc.  In some cases there are differences between wireless technologies that affect deployment, and these are noted as such.

Regulation and/or legislation affect the deployment of wireless technologies.  As is often the case, the tensions over local control with state/regional, national, tribal, or international interests are dynamic and evolving.  For this roadmap, we note and discuss the effects of regulation and legislation, but the Deployment Roadmap deliberately avoids making policy recommendations. 

In most cases, the factors and perspectives affecting deployment are common to all wireless technologies, and in those cases we make no distinction between 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, etc. In some cases there are differences between wireless technologies that affect deployment, and these are noted as such. Ensuring that public perceptions about the impact of wireless technologies on human health are based on good science and medical evidence. In that regard, we rely heavily on the work from IEEE-SA [C95.1 standard | https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/C95.1/4940/] (via the SASB/SCC39 - SCC39 - International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety), expert reviews from the IEEE [International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety | https://www.ices-emfsafety.org/publications/expert-reviews/], and the IEEE [Committee on Man and Radiation | https://ewh.ieee.org/soc/embs/comar/] (via the Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society).

INGR (International Network Generations Roadmap) Publication - Latest Edition

Read the latest edition of the Deployment INGR Chapter 

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IEEE 2020 3rd 5G World Forum, 10 September - 10 October, Virtual

In a keynote address presented to the 2020 IEEE 5G World Forum plenary session, Gerhard Fettweis from Technische Universität Dresdan discusses the next generation of communications technology beyond 5G and how advancements like AI and softwarization will impact its development.

For more information on the conference, visit the 5G World Forum website or the IEEE Future Networks Initiative website.

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IEEE Future Networks Podcasts with the Experts
An IEEE Future Directions Digital Studios Production 

A Sustainable Ecosystem Framework for 5G Applications & Services

Applications and services are the exciting place where technology advances and envisioned use cases
merge to reveal real world practices and impact. 5G and future networks have galvanized the imagination around a broad landscape of known and possible applications and services like no earlier network generation. But, what was missing was a way to organize and contextualize a sustainable infrastructure that can underlie applications and services across myriad industries. This podcast imparts a structured, flexible, adaptable, and scalable methodology for applications and services that extends end-to-end across ecosystems in urban and non-urban areas. This methodology caters to different levels of local priorities, resources, and technologies.

What is the benefit of this approach to industries, citizens, society? This methodology caters to different levels of local priorities, resources, and technologies. Communities may use the interconnected ecosystem of ecosystems framework to traverse across adjacent ecosystems to respond to planned or unplanned events.

This work is underway in the Applications & Services Working Group of the International Network Generations Roadmap.

View the International Network Generations Roadmap page with Executive Summary, and options for viewing the Applications & Services chapter.

Subject Matter Experts

Narendra Mangra
Co-chair, International Network Generations Roadmap
Co-chair, Applications & Services, Working Group, International Network Generations Roadmap
Principal, GlobeNet, LLC

With Brian Walker of IEEE Future Directions Digital Studio

Click here to listen. 
Click here to download. 

Subscribe to our feed on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify

Podcast Transcript 

Brian Walker: Narendra, thank you for taking some time to contribute to the IEEE Future Network Podcast series.  You’ve talked about a sustainable ecosystem framework for 5G applications and services. Can you explain what that is and why we need it?

Narendra: Well, applications and services, when you think about it, is a fairly large area, and we needed a way to organize all the different types of applications and services we have. So, for example, we may have cases where we have a drone that may be used to deliver a pizza or may be used in a public safety context for determining situational awareness. So, the same application and services may be used in different ways and may have different requirements for that. That is the reason why we needed a conceptual framework that not only looks at it within the context of an ecosystem, but also among the different ecosystems to make sure that they’re connected, and they’re aligned with each other, as well as that it is also sustainable in that it is long-lasting. It is upgradable and actionable and it’s not something that we’re going to need to rip and replace very frequently, something that’s going to be there for some time.

Brian Walker: Do you see a common framework that can be effective across industries and applications?

Narendra: That’s an excellent question. We’ve thought long and hard about what are the best ways to approach the subject. We wanted something that has a common structure that we can build upon and is easy to understand across the spectrum. One area that we looked at is really more of a supply management framework. When I say that, I don’t necessarily mean it from a business aspect as far as business relationship, but more from an information flow. For example, if we’re looking at a continuum of care model for healthcare, we’re looking at a patient-centric information flow and best ways to optimize the supply chain across that ecosystem, and the same applies for an event-driven framework for public safety in a recovery continuum and mobility for multi-modal models for transportation and so on. Initially, we looked at five key ecosystems. That includes healthcare, public safety, electricity, water, and transportation. The new ecosystem that we’re targeting for the second edition [of the International Network Generations Roadmap] includes agriculture and education and entertainment.

Brian Walker: How is this overarching ecosystem of ecosystems approach more beneficial than current systems?

Narendra: That’s an excellent question, because that kind of follows from the framework that we’re using, in that we have the ability to break it down into different pieces, and what I mean by that is, for example, the public safety ecosystem. We can break that down into five different mission areas that include prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery, and within each one of these areas then we can treat this independently, and that gives us a lot of flexibility as far as how do we align that particular ecosystem to make one stage work well with another, as well as looking at how different ecosystems are aligned. So, how does public safety impact healthcare and how does it impact transportation and so on?  We’re looking at also, are there inter-ecosystem interdependencies and touchpoints? And at the end, a community or a local leader can use that, whether it’s a municipality or even at the national level, can look at that and combine all of the different ecosystems at the stage they happen to be at, and that may be different across communities, and to be able to use that to achieve the common objective that they have.

Brian Walker: What are the pros and cons of different deployment approaches?

Narendra: One area that came out of the overall framework was, “How do we apply that? How do we make this practical and still provide an outlook between the 5-to-10-year mark?” We looked at the common method that’s used, it’s a use case classification that you may be family with, that’s enhanced mobile broadband, massive machine type communications and ultra-reliable low-latency communications, also known as URLLC, and that is great, because it has a key set of considerations that we should take into account, and they include high data rates, low latency, connection of traffic density, reliability, and so on. But we wanted to look at it from a different angle. We wanted to look at it functionally first. So, we broke that down into the different components of any future network considerations, and that includes the access component, whatever that may happen to be in a future network, and the service delivery. Some people may align or associate that with edge or core networks, for example. We’re looking also from an operations, and a network management, and a customer relationship point of view, and the fourth stage is also looking at it from a network interoperability point of view. So, it may be a cellular interoperability, or it may be cellular to some special-purpose network that we have. This allows us basically to take into account not only the technologies, but also the different constraints that may apply across the board or may be more localized in nature.

Brian Walker: What are the enablers of this approach?

Narendra: The primary enablers we’re looking at-- we’re looking at it from two different aspects. Within the ecosystem there may be certain drivers in place that we need to take into account that’s really more-- that is more aligned with that ecosystem. Key drivers, for example, healthcare, maybe HIPAA constraints or requirements, and we’re looking also from a common ecosystem enabled point of view, and they may differ in the degree of priority they have, but they certain apply across the board, and they include areas such as security, privacy, trust, position determination, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and so on. So, we take that into account for common enablers. We also have a very broad perspective, so we are open to different types of technology, whether it be satellite, terrestrial cellular, wi-fi, or even fixed network. We’re using a combination of all of this, and together we’re looking at it with a broad technology agnostic point of view to assess the different areas.

Brian Walker: How do you anticipate this approach will be a benefit in the event of extreme weather, a future pandemic, or other disruptive event?

Narendra: This framework could actually be used on a broad level and at a localized level. First and foremost, we can look at treating any of the extreme weather or pandemic or any other disruptive event, whether planned or unplanned, within its own respective ecosystem. What that means is, for example, case in point, COVID-19. We can look at it as a healthcare problem because it is. It is first and foremost a healthcare problem. So, we can see, “How can we adjust this, use this model for supply and demand mismatches?” and by using the supply chain construct, it may be information flow to help with increasing the manufacturing capabilities, the need for deployable converted hospitals and really making sure that we have the supply of care available where it is needed. From the demand aspect, we can look at it from the common methods such as social distancing, dissemination of information for preventative measures, and also to help with fitness development, which is also very helpful, to help prevent any areas related to healthcare. Secondly, we can use these this framework to see how does it touch different ecosystems?  So, COVID-19 we know impacts the workforce. We know it impacts the food supply chain and education and transportation, and the list goes on and on. If an event happened to be sustained, then it would create more of a shock to that particular industry that makes up that ecosystem, and that is something that we will also need to take into account for the model, and it does accommodate that need, and third and lastly, the communities may be able to use those combined capabilities that may be different, again, across the different areas just to use it for its full potential to address the common objective for that local area.

Brian Walker: Are non-technical areas such as privacy, trust, and ethics under consideration?

Narendra: Absolutely. This is a key consideration. In fact, we started working in these areas in the first edition, and we will build on them for the second edition as well. Data governance models, privacy and transparency, they’re essential, really, for developing contextualized data models and basically, to be able to optimize the different ecosystems so that we can continue to build and get value out of them.

Brian Walker: Where can people go to learn more about 5G applications and services?

Narendra: For the first edition, anyone listening can go to the IEEE Future Network International Network Generations Roadmap and they’re found at futurenetworks.ieee.org. You will see the first edition for application and services, as well as the work from other working groups, and there’s also a webinar that was held in January 2020 that is also at the website and under the webinars tab, and you will be able to see all of the different working groups there.

Brian Walker: Thanks, Narenda. In closing, what would be your call to action for anyone listening to this podcast?

Narendra: We would love to have additional volunteers. We take a broad approach, as you can see, and we are looking for different volunteers with backgrounds in technology, ecosystems or different types of enablers that can help move the effort forward. We take an interdisciplinary approach to develop this, and really, what the end goal is. The hope is that we have more volunteers that could help provide diverse opinions, to provide a high-level perspective and projection of how the industry could evolve to highlight any common needs, to identify any of the challenges we have to achieving these needs, and to provide solutions. A diverse skillset is welcome, and aside from application and services, there’s also a number of working groups. In fact, there’s about 15 working groups so far and they address different diverse and challenging areas as well. Volunteers are definitely welcome, and we look forward to seeing more.

Brian Walker: Thank you for listening to this edition of the IEEE Future Networks “Podcasts with the Experts.”  Discover more about the IEEE Future Networks Initiative and inquire about participating in this effort by visiting our web portal at futrenetworks.ieee.org.

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Date: 16-18 June 2020 

Virtual Workshop via WebEx

For questions, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

ON THIS PAGE:

• Expected Outcomes
• Agenda
• Outputs
• Additional Contact Information 

INGR WORKSHOP EXPECTED OUTCOMES: 

• Share key perspectives from industry, government, and academia
• Review cross-team materials
• Align and progress roadmap chapters’ content
• Identify overall roadmap driver metrics, technical gaps, challenges
• New members participation

AGENDA

Outputs

June 17: Cross team meetings

Legend:

• Applications and Services = A&S
• Edge Automation Platform = EAP
• Hardware = HWR
• Massive MIMO = MIMO
• Satellite = SAT
• Standardization Building Blocks = STAN
• Security = SEC
• Testbed = TEST
• Energy Efficiency = EE
• Deployment = DEP
• Connecting the Unconnected = CTU
• Systems Optimization = SYSOP
• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning = AIML

June 17: Cross team meetings

International Network Generations Roadmap (INGR) Leadership Team:

IEEE Future Networks Initiative Co-chairs:

•   Ashutosh Dutta – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
•   Timothy Lee -  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

IEEE International Network Generations Roadmap Co-chairs:

•   Chi-Ming Chen - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
•   Rose Hu - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
•   Narendra Mangra - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Thank you for your interest in the IEEE International Network Generations Roadmap (INGR). The reports are accessible to subscribers of the IEEE Future Networks Community, which does not require IEEE membership. To access, please follow the instructions below. 

1. Go to the IEEE Future Networks Community Subscription page and learn about the benefits of joining the community. When you are ready, click the Add item button. 

2. Click Proceed to Checkout. 

3. You will be prompted to sign in with your existing IEEE account. Please enter your account credentials and click Sign in. 
NOTE: If you do not have an IEEE account (which does not require an IEEE membership), click Create account and fill out the required information including your name and email address. You will also be asked to create a password. 

4. Now you will see the IEEE Checkout screen. Enter your preferred payment method (if required), agree to the Terms & Conditions, and click Place My Order. 

Thank you! You are now subscribed to the IEEE Future Networks Community and may access the roadmap documents. 

5. Return to the INGR Download Page and you will be prompted to enter you IEEE account credentials to sign in. After signing in, you will be directed to a list of the downloadable chapters. 

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While the INGR Executive Summary is free to download, all other chapters are available exclusively to signed-in participants of the IEEE Future Networks Community.

Becoming a participant of the IEEE Future Networks Technical Community is:

• Free for all IEEE society members as a society member benefit 
• $5 for IEEE student members
• $10 for IEEE members who are not members of a society, and
• $15 for non-IEEE members.

Instructions for joining the IEEE Future Networks community are available. 

Executive Summary

Applications and Services

Edge Automation Platform

Hardware

Massive MIMO

Satellite

Standardization Building Blocks

Millimeter Wave and Signal Processing

Security

Testbed

Deployment
White Paper

Energy Efficiency
White Paper

Additional INGR Edition 1 White Papers (available soon) 

• Energy Efficiency (white paper, podcast)
• Deployment
• Connecting the Unconnected
• Systems Optimization
• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning (in progress) 
• Optics (in progress) 

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Meng Lu, Dynniq The Netherlands, and Haesik Kim, VTT, Finland

IEEE Future Networks Tech Focus Volume 3, Number 2, September 2019 

Europe has launched in 2019 a research and innovation project on 5G validation trials across multiple vertical industries, targeting the healthcare, aquaculture and transport sectors. Healthcare, aquaculture and transport are important industry sectors in Europe, in terms of jobs, market size and international trade. Moreover, they are also vital from a social perspective, e.g., for better patient treatment, more sustainable food production and safer road transport.

The needs and requirements of vertical industries are the key drivers for the next generation wireless mobile telecommunications technology. There are also huge challenges for the network and connectivity, especially concerning latency, reliability, throughput (peak data rate) and connection density. The 5G validation trials focus on 5G applications in the three vertical industries especially for improving utility, efficient processes, and safety. It defines vital vertical use cases of healthcare, aquaculture and transport respectively by using the fifth generation wireless mobile telecommunications technology. The project investigates architecture and approaches for the validation of the trials of the three vertical industries from both technological and business perspectives. In addition, it explores business opportunities for future 5G applications in healthcare, aquaculture and transport industries, as well as a European 5G vision of "5G empowering vertical industries". It is challenging to get the 5G vision closer to deployment with innovative digital use cases involving cross industry partnerships. It requires technological and business validation of 5G end-to-end connectivity and associated management from two perspectives: i) within the set of specific requirements from one application domain; ii) across all sets of heterogeneous requirements stemming from concurrent uses of network resources by different vertical domains. [1]

The project intends to address how 5G may empower the healthcare, transport and aquaculture industries. These three vertical industries and related connectivity use cases pose diverse technical requirements on (wireless) network connectivity. These focus on validation of eMBB (enhanced Mobile Broadband), URLLC (Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications) and mMTC (massive Machine Type Communications) services. The concept of advanced eMBB, URLLC and mMTC technological solutions for 5G validation across multiple vertical industries is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Figure 1. An ecosystem for 5G validation across multiple vertical industries [1]

In the healthcare area, the research will validate: pillcams for automatic detection in screening of colon cancer; vital-sign patches with advanced geo-localization; and 5G AR/VR paramedic services. Regarding aquaculture, it will focus on 5G-based transformation. In the transport sector, the research will focus on validation of automated/assisted/remote driving and vehicle data services [2-6].

The infrastructure shared by the verticals will host important innovations: slicing as a service; resource orchestration in access/core and cloud/edge segments with live user environments. Novel applications and devices (e.g. underwater drones, car components, healthcare devices) will be devised. Trials will run on sites of 5G-Vinni (Oslo), 5Genesis (Surrey) and 5G-EVE (Athens), and on the 5G-HEART sites (Oulu and Groningen). The trials will be integrated to form a powerful and sustainable platform where slice concurrency will be validated at scale. An overall approach and main elements are presented in Fig. 2.

5G offers the potential of a converged network infrastructure serving various use cases of multiple vertical industries (see Table 1). Cross-domain orchestration and management solutions will be developed and used to efficiently manage and execute trials, which involve simultaneous support of multiple use case scenarios from different verticals, over a given testbed/5G facility in Europe.

Table 1 - Use cases of multiple vertical industries

The project will provide showcases of how a single network infrastructure may be able to serve both eMBB, mMTC and URLLC services belonging to different verticals, which have completely different associated requirements, in a cost-effective manner. Further, we envisage that, for larger impact of the project, the technical solutions developed in this project could also be applicable for other 5G use cases with the same or similar technical requirements. The project contributes to the overall strategy and roadmaps of 5G PPP. It focuses on the most important use cases and handling their respective requirements, as well as the associated technical challenges for the provision of high user throughput (for eMBB), high connection density (mMTC) and high-reliable, low-latency (URLCC) communications.

5G is considered to be the ultimate converged network. The road to 5G is gradual (and expected to be long). Moving beyond the core network (mentioned above), in the current access and application layer infrastructure, there is less "convergence" in today’s telecom networks. Most 2G and 3G networks are separate from 4G/LTE ones, fixed-access and IMS are usually different than mobile ones. 5G is expected to change this and allow for a higher degree of convergence.

The new radio access (specifically due to the new features like small cells, massive-MIMO and beam forming & full-duplex) is going to become the only radio access both for fixed wireless and mobile wireless access. At the same time, ubiquitous use of VoLTE/VoWiFi (in general, VoIP in both fixed and mobile networks) will drive out the TDM (i.e. GSM) based on voice / telephony. Together with the introduction of SDN / NFV and the replacement of traditional network functions into software platforms, existing telephony networks will convert into mere applications within the new converged network architecture. This convergence is happening right now with IMS and Cloud-IMS based platforms. The same is true for data and video/TV distribution networks that are now all converging into a single IP-based network platform. Individual applications all move to the cloud together with the control and management plane of the network.

The very dissimilar requirements of different services are now being satisfied with network mechanisms that are based on Quality of Service (QoS), Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and SLA monitoring tools. KPI validation is fragmented and is service layer or network layers focused, which depend on the use cases. The 5G network envisions to converge all the above mechanism into the slicing mechanism in order to service the increasingly extremely variable requirements of the different vertical industries.

The optimal simultaneous support of eMBB, URLLC and mMTC in the 5G network is what differentiates it from existing network infrastructures. The main 5G achievement is the introduction of an all-encompassing single network that will “absorb” and evolve existing 3G and 4G networks. 5G will come at a cost but this will be offset by the expected benefits of the converged network, which are the following:

• · Long-term savings due to a single network that serves everybody and everything.
• · Flexibility in introducing new services and applications.
• · Scalability in expanding.
• · Simplicity. Even though 5G is complex, simplicity will result from the fact that it will “absorb” the existing network functionalities, in order to become the single network that serves all traffic. This will eventually simplify the architecture.

Acknowledgement

5G-HEART (5G HEalth AquacultuRe and Transport validation trials) is funded by the European Commission Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme, under Grant Agreement No. 857034.

References 

1. 5G-HEART Consortium. Description of Actions, 5G- HEART (5G HEalth AquacultuRe and Transport validation trials). 5G-HEARTConsortium, Brussels, 2019 (restricted)
2. 5G Automotive Association, "The Case for Cellular V2X for Safety and Cooperative Driving", white paper (undated, apparently 23 November 2016) (available from: http://5gaa.org/pdfs/5GAA-whitepaper-23-Nov-2016.pdf)
3. Wevers, K., Lu, M. V2X Communication for ITS - from IEEE 802.11p towards 5G. IEEE 5G Tech Focus, 1(2). IEEE Future Networks Initiative - Enabling 5G and beyond, 2017.
4. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation (DOT), "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; V2V Communications", Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), NHTSA-2016-0126, draft version of 13 December 2016.
5. European Commission, "A European strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems, a milestone towards cooperative, connected and automated mobility", Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, COM(2016) 766 final, 30 November 2016.
6. Lu, M. (Ed.) Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems: Towards High-Level Automated Driving. IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), London, 2019. (in press)

Dr. Meng Lu, Strategic Innovation Manager at Dynniq, The Netherlands; VP, IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society (ITSS); Co-Chair WG Industry Engagement, IEEE Future Networks - Enabling 5G and Beyond; Member of the Editorial Board of IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology) Intelligent Transport Systems; In 2011-2015 Programme Manager at Dutch Institute of Advanced Logistics, The Netherlands; In 2009-2010 Visiting Professor at the National Laboratory for Automotive Safety and Energy, Tsinghua University, P.R. China. Since 2002 active in the areas of ICT-based ITS and logistics. Participation in European initiatives and projects since 2005, as Coordinator, WP Leader and/or Partner.

Education: PhD at LTH (Faculty of Engineering), Lund University, Sweden; Master's title and degree of Engineering in The Netherlands and P.R. China.

Dr. Haesik Kim is Senior Scientist of the 5G-and-beyond network team in VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. He received a M.Sc degree  from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea, in 2000, and and a Ph.D. degree from Lancaster University, UK, in 2009. He was visiting researcher in National Institute of Information and Communications (NICT) Japan. From 2002 to 2006, he was with Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) where he focused on physical layer system design and standardisation in 3G, SDR and UWB project. From 2008 to 2009, he was with NEC UK where he was involved in 4G WiMAX system design and standardisation. His current research interests include PHY and MAC layer system design, advanced coding theory, advanced MIMO, multi-carrier system, interference mitigation techniques, resource allocation schemes, machine-type communications, ultra-reliable low latency communications.

Editor: Haijun Zhang    

Haijun Zhang is currently a Full Professor in University of Science and Technology Beijing, China. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver Campus, Canada. He received his Ph.D. degree in Beijing University of Posts Telecommunications (BUPT). From 2011 to 2012, he visited Centre for Telecommunications Research, King's College London, London, UK, as a Visiting Research Associate. Dr. Zhang has published more than 80 papers and authored 2 books. He serves as Editor of Journal of Network and Computer Applications, Wireless Networks, Telecommunication Systems, and KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems, and serves/served as a leading Guest Editor for IEEE Communications Magazine, IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing and ACM/Springer Mobile Networks & Applications. He serves/served as General Co-Chair of 5GWN'17 and 6th International Conference on Game Theory for Networks (GameNets'16), Track Chair of 15th IEEE International Conference on Scalable Computing and Communications (ScalCom2015), Symposium Chair of the GameNets'14, and Co-Chair of Workshop on 5G Ultra Dense Networks in ICC 2017. His current research interests include 5G, Small Cells, Ultra-Dense Networks, LTE-U and Network Slicing.