Developing 5G networks in less time

The transformative power of 5G

5G is expected to transform more than just internet service. From improved personalized advertising and retail experiences to monitoring agriculture and its equipment to making commuter journeys safer and more efficient, 5G will change the way we experience everyday life.

For a long time, location intelligence has played a mostly peripheral role in enterprise decision-making and application development. Recently, it has exploded with context richness, fueled by affordable, low-powered sensors, big data analytics and artificial intelligence.

This new generation of location intelligence is now at the core of the next wave of digital transformation to drive better real-world outcomes. Its emergence is also perfectly timed to meet the needs of 5G deployment. Consumers, enterprises and governments have much to benefit from 5G networks, but a solid foundation is needed to tap into the new growth opportunities they provide.

Building out efficient 5G infrastructure

Building, operating and leveraging this new infrastructure opens users up to a wealth of opportunities. According to Arthur D. Little, an international management consulting firm, some $1.5 trillion of 5G-enabled revenue is up for grabs between now and 2030. Traditional mobile network operators (MNOs) will be vying for a slice of that, along with smaller-scale 'micro operators', tower companies, network equipment vendors, system integrators, cloud providers and application developers from various industries.

MNOs need to understand where and how to deploy network infrastructure for mmWave while minimizing operational expenditure (OpEx) and capital expenditure (CapEX). All of this must be taken into consideration while bringing new service offerings to market faster. Rolling out 5G networks with legacy tools designed for 4G/LTE networks does not work. These legacy tools do not provide the granularity and precision required to build out highly efficient 5G networks for better business outcomes. What MNOs need is precise, rich location data and technology.

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Planning for 5G networks

MNOs and tower companies need to identify, evaluate and prioritize key neighborhoods, business districts and subdivisions for service rollouts, based on their return-on-investment potential.

Analysts planning a 5G rollout start by evaluating current mobile operations, competitive services and areas for network improvement. The first step involves identifying clusters of high cellular use among premium customers and early adopters who are ready to embrace 5G innovative services.

→ Assess the quality of coverage of mobile competitors and areas of opportunity for network upgrades by using HERE Cellular Signals

How HERE Technologies can help in 5G network planning

These rich and precise datasets enable MNOs and tower companies to analyze markets at a granular level for actionable insights and market prioritization.

→ Identify areas of high subscriber concentration and mobile usage with HERE Traffic and Places

→ Derive business and infrastructure analytics with products like HERE Administrative Boundaries

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Solving 5G's business and technical challenges

Let's take a look at some innovative solutions to key business and technology challenges in 5G network planning.

HERE Geodata Models provides high-precision 3D representations of metro areas that enable digital site evaluations from any desktop. By combining rich datasets from HERE with GIS software tools, thousands of site location options can be assessed in a fraction of time, at less cost and with fewer errors compared to deploying on-site personnel.

This solution enables the creation of 3D digital twins with submeter geospatial and geometric precision for each area of interest. This includes its buildings, land elevation, trees and street pole objects to help identify the optimal location of new 5G cell sites.

HERE Geodata Models enable the simulation of RF signal propagation to determine the best x, y and z parameters of a given small cell location in order to maximize network coverage and throughput. This high precision ensures minimal churn in design iteration, compared to peer ground clutter and clutter height datasets derived from satellite imagery. It also substantially improves predictability in signal gain and signal-to-noise ratios.

Carrying out 5G network planning Identifying and evaluating potential sites for placing 5G radio frequency (RF) equipment begins with assessing the optimal location of large numbers of small cell sites. This traditionally requires rigorous planning and numerous site surveys that calls for heavy investment in time and financial resources.

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Maximizing 5G's potential with HERE Geodata Models

Geodata Models can be used as input into RF propagation tools for 5G to minimize signal pathway blockages from objects such as buildings, walls, overhead cables and tree foliage. It is also instrumental in deploying a variety of wireless broadband solutions.

One example is beamformed networks, which focus the RF signal into a beam shape rather than a 360-degrees broadcast, to support faster and more reliable connections. Another example is fixed wireless access, a broadband internet service for homes or small businesses with the potential to deliver speeds of up to 10 Gbps.

Wireless fronthaul is a network topology to aggregate data or internet traffic transport, in areas where fiber optic is either inaccessible or cost-prohibitive. HERE Geodata Models can support ultra high speed, low latency internet on the go for content streaming, gaming, smart home concepts and 4k video chatting.

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Striking a balance in 5G deployment

Choosing where to invest is often a complex set of tradeoffs between speed and deployment costs to be minimized, while device connections and coverage are to be maximized. The process involves resolving several questions with a geospatial dimension.

Considerations must be made for:

→ The physical distances between current and planned cell sites, street cabinets and edge servers that affect speed

→ The optimal location and distribution of infrastructure in relation to the expected number of users, commercial centers, the road network and administrative boundaries

→ The predicted loss of signals at any given site based on surrounding geographic features, poles, trees, terrain and buildings

→ The expected workloads and computational capacities of edge servers that would affect server density required in different areas

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Combining location intelligence with streaming data analysis sets the foundation for automating manual processes and digitizing network planning operations. This approach enables intelligent decision-making and boosts planning speed and accuracy while cutting time and deployment costs.

HERE has a long legacy of acquiring and processing location-based data across multiple industries, and we have applied our deep industry experience in developing location data and a technology platform. Our platform gives access to a wealth of location data, along with third party data, for developers to create, build and run their own 5G business applications.

Creating a strong foundation with location and data

These capabilities leverage a platform foundation that powers any applications built on top with high availability, security and cloud-agnostic deployment. The HERE platform introduces many essential technological and architectural concepts that are required for services to be run in different computing environments, such as multi-cloud, microservices, containers, security and billing and accounting.

The platform will provide the versatility for full, hybrid and on-premises edge deployments. This includes access to HERE Geodata Models and other geospatial data for 5G network planning and deployment.

Improve the rollout of 5G networks and transform your business with rich and highly precise location data from HERE Technologies.

The HERE platform is made up of several blocks that are fully tailored to location intelligence applications. They include:

→ A development environment (HERE Workspace)

→ A data exchange and marketplace (HERE Marketplace)

→ Map creation and visualization capabilities (HERE Studio)

→ The industry's largest set of location services (HERE Location Services)

→ The world's leading global map, with hundreds of attributes (content)

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About HERE Technologies

HERE, a location data and technology platform, moves people, businesses and cities forward by harnessing the power of location. By leveraging our open platform, we empower our customers to achieve better outcomes – from helping a city manage its infrastructure or a business optimize its assets to guiding drivers to their destination safely. To learn more about HERE, including our new generation of cloud-based location platform services, visit http://360.here.com and www.here.com.

With HERE location-powered solutions you can make cost-effective 5G network planning decisions with confidence.

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About HERE Technologies

HERE, a location data and technology platform, moves people, businesses and cities forward by harnessing the power of location. By leveraging our open platform, we empower our customers to achieve better outcomes – from helping a city manage its infrastructure or a business optimize its assets to guiding drivers to their destination safely. To learn more about HERE, including our new generation of cloud-based location platform services, visit http://360.here.com and www.here.com.

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