5G TERMS AND ACRONYMS

Second-generation digital cellular networks used by mobile phones, designed as a replacement for analog first-generation radio (1G). Designed primarily for voice using digital standards.

Fifth-generation of mobile telecommunications technology, required by International Mobile Telecommunications for the year 2020 (IMT-2020) standard to support an all Internet Protocol (IP) network. Supports

Third-generation wireless mobile telecommunications technology, required by International Mobile Telecommunications for the year 2000 (IMT-2000) standard from International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to support at least

A mobile communications industry collaboration that organizes  the development and management of mobile communications  standards. With respect to 5G, 3GPP is managing the evolving  5G

Fourth-generation mobile telecommunications technology,  designed to succeed 3G. A mobile broadband standard  designed to support an all Internet Protocol (IP) network for  calls, video, data,

Software tool for embedding antenna parameters and radiation  patterns in test scenarios.

The power contained in a frequency channel next to the  specified channel.

The ratio of the power contained in a specified frequency  channel bandwidth relative to the total carrier power.

The ratio of the transmitted power on the assigned channel to the  power received on the adjacent channel after passing through a root  raised-cosine filter.

Undesirable distortion caused by amplitude variation in a  communications system.

A component of the 3GPP core network architecture that  manages user equipment registration, authentication, identification, and mobility. AMF also terminates non-access  stratum signaling.

Undesirable distortion that causes signal degradation in  a communications system, typically as the result of the interaction between an amplifier’s phase response and the  power level

A theory that states that the transmit properties of an antenna  will be identical to the receive properties of that antenna in a  given medium.

The process of discovering and connecting with UEs. This  process is substantially changing in 5G with the deployment of  highly directional antenna arrays and beamforming

The method of applying relative phase and amplitude shifts to  each antenna element to shape and provide discrete control  of the direction of a transmitted

A set of techniques used to focus the direction and shape of a  radiation pattern. In wireless communications, beam steering  changes the direction of the

A major feature introduced with LTE-Advanced, enabling  mobile network operators to combine multiple carriers in  fragmented spectrum bands to increase peak user data rates  and

Equipment for testing of antennas at frequencies when difficult  to obtain far-field spacing. The CATR uses the 3GPP-approved  indirect far-field (IFF) test method to overcome

Electronic equipment that enables real-time performance  testing of wireless devices and base stations. Channel emulators simulate the impairments of real-world radio channel  conditions to validate

Physical location of electronic communications equipment,  including antennas to support cellular communication in a network.

The correlation of the received signal against the transmitted  signal during testing.

A technique where multiple base stations can coordinate  downlink transmission (from base station (BS) to user  equipment (UE)) and uplink transmission (UE to BS) to

The part of a network that carries information that establishes  and controls the network. It controls the flow of user  information packets between network interfaces.

The part of the network that provides services to mobile  subscribers through the radio access network (RAN). It is also  the gateway to other networks,

A measurement of noise in orthogonal frequency division  multiplexing (OFDM). CPE describes the average of the phase  noise sequence spanning an OFDM symbol.

An orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)  technique that uses cyclic prefixes (CP) instead of null guards,  protecting OFDM signals from intersymbol interference (ISI).

An interface specification standard that defines a layer-1 and  layer-2 interface for connecting radio equipment such as radio  heads on towers to other radio equipment

A radio access network (RAN) architecture that separates  baseband functions from antennas and remote radio heads  (RRH) and pools baseband functions in centralized baseband  units

A signal transmitted to estimate the channel between the  base station and the user equipment as a reference point for  downlink power.

Refers to known properties of a communication link. 5G  NR specifies a new beam management framework for CSI  acquisition to reduce coupling between measurements and 

Foundational concept for 5G networks that enables operators  to independently scale the control plane and user plane of the  mobile network as needed.

The part of a network through which user packets are  transmitted. It is often included in diagrams and illustrations to  give a visual representation of

An over-the-air (OTA) test method used in 5G that involves  mounting the device under test (DUT) on a positioner that  rotates in azimuth and elevation.

An optional modulation format used in the uplink in 5G NR.  DFT-s-OFDM uses the mathematical concept of discrete Fourier transform to encode digital data on

The path of transmission from the base station to the user  equipment (UE). In 5G, the DL waveform is orthogonal frequency  division multiplexing (OFDM).

Device under test (DUT), equipment under test (EUT), system  under test (SUT) and unit under test (UUT) are terms used to  refer to a device

An IEEE standardized definition for the measurement of the  radiated power of an antenna in a specific direction.

An evolved 4G eNodeB (or eNB) that can support connectivity  to the 4G evolved packet core (EPC) as well as the 5G next-  generation core

One of three primary use cases defined in the IMT-2020 vision.  Enhanced Mobile Broadband refers to target 5G peak and  average data rates, capacity, and

Base stations connected to the network that communicate  wirelessly with mobile handsets in a 4G LTE network or 5G  non-standalone (NSA) mode.

A term for the simultaneous 4G LTE and 5G NR connectivity  prescribed by 3GPP Release 15. EN-DC enables user  equipment to connect simultaneously to an

The core network of the 4G LTE system, the EPC features a  flat architecture to handle voice and data efficiently. It requires a few network

Evolved end-to-end-architecture composed of the base  station and evolved packet core (EPC) that enables 4G mobile  communication.

A technique used to measure the scalar transmission gain or  loss of an RF system.

A new radio interface specified by the 3GPP consortium  and introduced with LTE in 2008. It was designed to meet  ever-increasing data transfer rates while

Error vector magnitude is a measurement used to quantify the quality of a digital radio signal. The measurement is a representation of how far the

A form of multicarrier modulation that deploys without  synchronization of mobile user nodes signals. It offers better  usage of available channel capacity, higher data rates

Using two different radio frequencies for transmitter and receiver  operation to establish a full-duplex communications link.

A MIMO technique added to the 3GPP specification with LTE-  Advanced Pro (Release 13). FD-MIMO extends MIMO concepts  to work in three dimensions: azimuth (horizontal),

Metric describing the number of finished units compared to the  number of units that went into the manufacturing process. FPY  is a critical metric for

One of two frequency ranges prescribed by 5G NR. FR1 covers  sub-6 GHz frequency bands, including some used by previous  standards. FR1 also covers potential

The second of two frequency ranges prescribed by 5G NR;  FR2 includes the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies  between 24.25 GHz and 52.6 GHz. Bands in

Refers to links in the C-RAN that connect radio equipment at  the tower with centralized radio controllers (radio equipment  control). Fronthaul data is generally transported

A type of wireless broadband data communication between two  fixed locations and connected through wireless access points  and equipment.

An independent organization that provides certification for  mobile phones and wireless devices that use 3GPP standards.

A two-party communication system for exchanging voice or  data, where only one node can speak at a time.

A signal at a frequency that is an integer multiple of another  reference signal. The respective harmonic signal can be  termed as 2f, 3f and

Common database of subscriber information, keeps  authentication information as well as permissions (e.g.,  authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server).

Channel variations during an orthogonal frequency division  multiplexing (OFDM) sequence caused by carrier frequency  offsets, channel time variation, and sampling frequency offsets.  ICI degrades the

The bandwidth of the frequency that a carrier wave shifts to as  an intermediate step in transmission or reception.

A test method approved by 3GPP to overcome path loss and  excessive far-field distance involved in 5G cellular communications.

A number that uniquely identifies 3GPP mobile devices. Used  by the telecommunications network to identify valid devices in  case of loss or theft.

A unique number that identifies the subscriber identification  module (SIM) card present in the device belonging to a subscriber.

A standard that sets the requirements for 5G networks, devices,  and services. IMT-2020 was developed by the International  Telecommunications Union (ITU) Radiocommunication Sector in 2015.

Signal distortion caused when one or more symbols interfere  with other symbols. Caused by amplitude and phase dispersion  in the channel due to multipath propagation

A United Nations agency responsible for information and  communications technologies. The ITU — formerly called the  International Telegraph Union — is the oldest global international 

The Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model has seven layers:  Layer-1 is the Physical Layer and governs the transmission of  data in a point to point

The Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model has seven layers:  Layer-2 is the Data Link layer and Layer-3 is the Network layer. Together they are responsible

The Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model has seven layers:  Layers 4-7 implement data exchange between relatively distant  systems. Layer-4 is the Transport, Layer 5 is

An electronic component used for changing the frequency of  a signal.

Refers to a system where transmitter and receiver are in  view of each other without any obstruction. AM/FM radio, satellite transmission, and police radar are

Also known as 4.5G, 4.5G Pro, 4.9G, pre-5G, its feature  functionality is defined in 3GPP Release 13 and 14. An evolution  of Long Term Evolution

Part of 3GPP Release 13 and a feature of LTE Advanced Pro.  It uses carrier aggregation in both the unlicensed (5 GHz)  and licensed spectrums

An extension of MIMO, using more transmit and receive  antennas to increase transmission gain and spectral efficiency.  There is currently no set minimum scale, though

Process of splitting data into multiple components and  transmitting via separate carrier signals. This method offers  reduced susceptibility to several effects that can degrade  signal

A unique identifier used in conjunction with a mobile network  code (MNC) to identify a mobile network operator.

A network architecture where more processing, especially for  latency-sensitive applications, stays closer to the edge of the  mobile network. A competing architecture to Centralized RAN 

An antenna diversity technique using multiple antennas on  both the transmit side and receive side to take advantage of  multi-path propagation and improve the quality

A collection of more than 45 standard mobile industry  specifications designed to accelerate development of mobile  and mobile-influenced products, most commonly used in  mobile handsets.

One of three primary 5G use cases defined in the IMT-2020  vision, massive machine-type communications supports 5G  IoT use cases with billions of connected devices

The band of spectrum between 30 GHz and 300 GHz where  the wavelength is on the order of millimeters. Between the  microwave and infrared spectrums,

A unique identifier used in conjunction with a mobile country  code (MCC) to identify a mobile network operator.

A statistical representation of the accuracy of a measurement.

An application of multiple-input / multiple-output (MIMO)  technologies where the base station communicates with two or  more UEs simultaneously.

A function of the 3GPP core network architecture that provides  a means to securely expose capabilities and events. NEF stores the received information as structured

Firms that build network equipment for service providers to  manage their networks.

A method for over-the-air (OTA) mmWave testing that samples  the phase and amplitude of the electrical field in the near  region and uses math to

The 5G next generation core network. NGC or NGCN is  the part of the network that provides services to mobile subscribers through the radio access

An RF signal path that is obscured by obstacles. Common  causes for non-line-of-sight include obstacles such as  buildings, trees, hills, and mountains.

A 5G network deployment that uses existing 4G LTE radio and  evolved packet core network control plane but also allows  carriers to begin early trials

Shorthand for “5G NR.” 5G NR is the standard for a new  OFDM-based air interface designed to support 5G devices,  services, deployments, and spectrum. NR

A component of the 3GPP architecture that provides service  discovery between individual network functions.

3GPP architecture function that selects the set of network slice  instances serving the user equipment and determines which  access and mobility management function to use.

Refers to how cellular communications waveforms are created  based on underlying structures. The 5G NR specification  permits flexible numerology, meaning the OFDM frame can  have

Testing among vendors of network hardware and software to  verify the interfaces between their network elements prior to  software release in operator networks.

The bandwidth containing 99% of the total integrated power  of the transmitted spectrum, centered on the assigned  channel frequency.

A frequency division multiplexing scheme encoding digital data  on multiple frequency channels to increase bandwidth and  decrease response time. OFDM techniques allow for densely  packed

A group of digital modulation schemes that conveys two digital  bit streams by modulation the amplitude of carrier waves. The  carrier waves are of the

Testing the RF performance, demodulation, or RRM (radio  resource management) through the air interface, versus a  cabled connection; often performed in an anechoic chamber.

The ratio of the peak power of a signal to that signal’s  average power.

Element of the 3GPP core network architecture that provides  policy rules to control plane functions.

Equipment in the 4G LTE evolved packet core which connects  the LTE network to other packet data networks.

Phased array antennas are a means of creating narrow beams  and dynamically pointing them in the desired direction without  mmWave antennas used for 5G base

A small cellular base station that is an alternative to a repeater  or distributed antenna system to improve mobile phone  reception indoors.

An orthogonal frequency division multiplexing scheme  that uses pulse-shaped multicarrier waveforms, offering comparatively high waveform robustness with low out-of-band  emissions and interference.

The second component of the synchronization signal block  used for synchronizing user equipment with a base station.

A certification forum established by major North American  service providers.

A modulation scheme with both digital and analog components.  QAM doubles the effective bandwidth by combining two  amplitude-modulated waveforms onto a single carrier.

A measure of the overall level of customer satisfaction with  the network as measured by various success factors including  ease of use, reliability, security, and

A measure of the network’s ability to achieve specific  performance thresholds for latency, error rate, and uptime.

A channel shared among wireless devices to access the mobile  network for call setup and data transmission bursts such as  text messages.

The part of the telecommunications network that connects  user equipment to other parts of a mobile network via a radio  connection. Connects user equipment to

The underlying physical connection method for a radio-based  communication network. Modern phones may support several  RATs in one device such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC (Near-Field 

The component of a base station responsible for converting  the digital signal into an analog signal for transmission. The  remote radio head is usually located

The management of radio resources and transmission  characteristics such as modulation scheme, transmit power,  beamforming, user allocation, data rates, handover criteria,  and error coding scheme.

In wireless communications, the process of converting  incoming transmissions into perceptible communications.

Type of architecture standardized by 3GPP for 5G core  networks. The 3GPP defines an SBA to include service-based  interfaces between control plane functions, with user

A transmission that uses a single radio frequency carrier to  transmit all data.

An approach using open protocols for remote configuration of  network switches and routers.

A relative measurement of the out-of-channel emissions to the  in-channel power. SEM measurements calculate the excess  emissions that interfere with other channels or systems.

Indicates how each of the orthogonal frequency division  multiplexing (OFDM) symbols within a given slot is used. The  SFI denotes whether a given OFDM symbol

A fundamental element of the 5G service-based architecture  (SBA) that establishes and manages sessions. It also selects  and controls the user plane function and handles

The power of the signal divided by the sum of interference  power from competing signals and the power of the background  noise present. SINR is

The ratio of the strength of the signal to interference usually  expressed in decibels.

The average of the power of the resource elements that carry  the synchronization signal.

A measurement of the received quality of the synchronization  signal.

The power of the synchronization signal divided by the sum of  the interference from competing signals and the background  noise present.

The second component of the synchronization signal block  used for synchronizing user equipment with a base station.

A 5G network deployment configuration where the gNB  does not need any 4G assistance for connectivity to the core  network; the 5G UE connects to

An application of multiple input and multiple output (MIMO)  technologies for wireless communication, in which the base  station communicates with only one UE during the

The allowable error of a measurement’s accuracy.

The duration of transmission allowed for a frame on a mobile network. 5G NR allows for different transmission time  durations based on the unique requirements

Duplex communication where the uplink is separated from  downlink by different time slots in the same frequency band.

A technique to diminish the effects of fading by transmitting the  same information from two or more independent sources.

A device that can both transmit and receive signals.

In wireless communications, the act of sending data through  the air from one device to another device or group of devices.

A significant component of the 5G core network that stores  subscriber data and profiles.

A subscriber’s mobile device, such as a cell phone, tablet, or  modem.

The simulation of subscriber user equipment (UE) usage behaviors.

A form of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)  modulation that improves out-of-band (OOB) characteristics by  filtering the frequency band.

The path of transmission from the UE to the base station. In  5G, the uplink waveform is CP-OFDM or DFT-s-OFDM.

Network functionality supported by the user plane function  (UPF) that diverts traffic to local data networks based on filters  applied to the user equipment traffic.

The 5G equivalent of the packet gateway in a 4G LTE network.  The user plane function includes features to support packet  routing and forwarding, interconnection

One of three key use cases defined in 5G NR. uRLLC focuses  on applications that require fail-safe, real-time communications. Examples include remote surgery, industrial internet,

An orthogonal frequency division (OFDM) multiplexing  technique that uses an arbitrary deterministic sequence as the  guard interval rather than the random cyclic prefixes used in 

The passing of information between vehicles and roadway  infrastructure to facilitate road safety and traffic efficiency.

Electronic equipment that generates digitally modulated signals  for testing and measuring digital components and receivers.

A core network in an LTE system built with SDN-enabled  white-box switches and virtual network functions instead of  purpose-built hardware.

The ratio of maximum to minimum voltage in a transmission.

Electronic equipment that measures the phase and voltage of  two input signals of the same frequency.

A 3G standard for a radio communication system that  provides high-speed data and voice communication services.

An orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)  technique where each symbol is windowed and overlapped in  the time domain, reducing the spectral sidelobes.

A logical interface that interconnects RAN nodes. That is, it  interconnects gNB to gNB and eLTE eNB to gNB and vice versa.

A trending IT and network architecture in which  the cloud (virtual compute and storage resources) is scattered  across multiple sites closer to the edge of

The core network of the 4G LTE system.

The initial and most  widespread use case for 5G and one of the three essential  5G use cases. It refers to the improvement in the

A standard defined by the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) for extending Ethernet PHYs to support bonding, sub-rating, and channelization while also enabling channel management and

A node providing 5G NR user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE, acting as secondary node in Evolved-Universal Terrestrial Radio Access-New Radio

E-UTRA (LTE) to 5G NR Dual Connectivity. An architecture where both LTE eNodeB and NR gNB will be co-deployed, allowing the UE to simultaneously establish

Defines the network segment connecting RUs to physical or virtual DUs in a C-RAN architecture. Fronthaul is further sub-categorized as fronthaul Higher Layer Split (HLS)

Defines the open interconnection of a gNB-CU or ng-eNB-CU to a gNB-DU or ng-eNB-DU respectively, allowing the CUs or DUs to be supplied by different

Encompasses any wireless system that connects to a fixed location, such as a household or an office. There is no cable, the last mile (connection

A node providing New Radio (NR) user plane and control plane protocol terminations towards the UE, connected via the Next Generation (NG) interface to the

Hard Network Slicing allocates network resources to different services (network slices) in a way that fully isolates one service from the other. The slices can

A program led by Working Party 5D of ITU’s Radio Communication Sector (ITU-R) to develop “IMT for 2020 and Beyond,” setting the stage for 5G

System of connected devices, machines, objects, or any living or non-living thing equipped with unique identifiers and the ability to transmit data over a network

Network latency is the time it takes for packets to travel through a network segment.

The lower part of the electromagnetic spectrum used by cellular communications, generally comprising frequencies below 1GHz. These lower-frequency bands have been the most used to

A 4G mobile communications standard whereby users of the LTE network should see data speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G networks.

A mobile  communication standard that brings major enhancements  to the LTE standard. Formally submitted to ITU-T in late 2009 as a candidate 4G system meeting

Communications between  machines, without human intervention.

Refers to the large number of antennas in the base-station antenna array that  enables multiple spatially separated users to be catered to by  the antenna

Cloud computing at  the edge of the network, performing necessary tasks closer to  the end-users. This environment is characterized by ultra-low latency and high bandwidth,

The intermediate part of the electromagnetic  spectrum used by cellular communications, generally  comprising frequencies between 1GHz and 6GHz. Sitting in  between the low band and

Defines the network segment that, in a C-RAN architecture, connects the physical or virtual DU to the physical or virtual CU.

Allows sending and  receiving of more than one data signal on the same channel at  the same time by using more than one antenna, thus

A high-frequency wave wedged  between microwaves and infrared waves, in the millimeter band;  considered to deliver faster, higher-capacity 5G services.

Provides wireless service(s)  to wireless users by owning or leasing all components to sell  and deliver wireless services over licensed wireless spectrum.  MNOs include wireless

Communications  between machines (things).

One of the  three categories of 5G use cases, characterized by a large number  of machines (things) within a specific area and communicating  with application

A network entity that  exposes 3GPP core network capabilities to third parties, or non-  3GPP environments. NEF also provides security when services  or Application Functions

Virtual slices of a physical network supporting  specific performance guarantees.

Defines the mobile core elements of a 5G system.

A node providing E-UTRA (LTE) user plane and control plane protocol terminations toward the UE, connected via the NG interface to the 5GC.

Commonly used term to reference 3GPP 5G radio system.

Early form of 5G networks, where the network is supported by the existing 4G infrastructure. The control signaling is anchored to the 4G EPC.

A movement in the wireless industry that advocates  for hardware and software disaggregation, openness, and  interoperability in RAN architectures, and acts towards the  standardization of

An acronym for Open RAN, but the hyphenated form is mostly used to denote the O-RAN Alliance specifically, which  was established in 2018 by a

An “O-” prefix usually qualifies a C-RAN element (RU, DU, or CU) as O-RAN compliant, one that follows Open RAN standards.

A control plane function  responsible for policy control, and more specifically, managing  the QoS of individual service data flows in a 3GPP 5GC. PCF  enforces

Provides  access to packet data networks and is responsible for dictating  QoS and bandwidth parameters in LTE, acts as IP router to  mobile-specific tunneling and

A wireless enterprise-dedicated network built using  5G cellular technology (such as 3GPP standards) rather than  traditional wireless LAN technology (Wi-Fi).

A combination of wireless network elements and wireline network elements connecting end-users—man and machine—to the network core, delivering specific services. The network elements present in

Virtual or physical element  that performs digital control of the radio system, handling  functions such as channel coding, modulation, interleaving,  and power control.

A remote radio transceiver that  connects to a radio base station unit via electrical or wireless  interface. The RRH is usually installed on a mast-top

Converts radio signals from the antennas,  where they are usually located, to digital signals that can be  transmitted over the fronthaul to a DU.

Full 5G, where the network  is independent of a 4G EPC, and the 5G NRs are connected  and controlled by a 5GC.

A network prioritization scheme that dynamically  allocates resources to distinct services (slices). The network  slices are programmed to meet individual guaranteed service  levels. Network resources

An IP routing scheme that forwards  packets on the network based on a path dynamically  defined at the source node. Packet headers contain a list

The gateway that terminates the  interface toward Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network  (E-UTRAN). S-GW is responsible for handovers with neighboring  eNodeBs, as well as