5G New Radio: Unveiling the Essentials of the Next Generation Wireless Access Technology

The fifth generation (5G) wireless access technology, known as New Radio (NR), will address a variety of usage scenarios from enhanced mobile broadband to ultra-reliable low-latency communications to massive machine type communications. Key technology features include ultra-lean transmission, support for low latency, advanced antenna technologies, and spectrum flexibility including operation in high frequency bands and inter-working between high and low frequency bands. This article provides an overview of the essentials of the state of the art in 5G wireless technology represented by the 3GPP NR technical specifications, with a focus on the physical layer. We describe the fundamental concepts of 5G NR, explain in detail the design of physical channels and reference signals, and share the various design rationales influencing standardization.

The Birth of 3GPP 5G New Radio

The fifth generation (5G) wireless access technology, known as New Radio (NR), will address a variety of usage scenarios from enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) to ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) to massive machine type communications (mMTC). NR can meet the performance requirements set by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for International Mobile Telecommunications for 2020 (IMT-2020) [1].