Evolution to Fifth-Generation (5G) Mobile Cellular Communications

The development of 5G technology was spurred by emerging user and application trends, the exponential growth in mobile traffic, and significant technological advancements that made high-frequency spectrum feasible. Research on 5G began early, even before the full deployment of 4G, taking inspiration from the success of LTE technology. In the early 2010s, some efforts were made to explore and showcase the practicality of various potential techniques for 5G. New York University established NYU Wireless in August 2012 as a multi-disciplinary research center with a specific focus on advancing theories and foundational work for 5G wireless communications. Among the primary areas of interest was mmWave communications, operating in high-frequency bands above 10 GHz. Noteworthy milestones achieved by NYU Wireless included conducting the world’s first radio channel measurements that confirmed the potential of mmWave spectrum and demonstrated the safety of mmWave radiation for human exposure. Shortly thereafter, in just two months following the open of NYU Wireless, the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom announced the establishment of a new 5G research center. This center received joint funding and technical support from the British government and a consortium comprising key mobile operators and vendors such as Huawei, Samsung, Telefonica, Fujitsu, and Rohde&Schwarz.