A Brief Overview of 5G Research Activities

This paper summarizes the main initiatives toward 5G wireless communication networks. Emphasis is paid on the program and project activities as well as on the recent literature. A closer look to a wide range of European Union 5G related projects is conducted. Literature review is restricted to recent thematic IEEE Communications Magazine 5G issues and relevant white papers from different sources. The aim is to shed some light on what 5G is about: what are the building blocks of core 5G system concept, what are the main challenges and how to tackle them. The studied references indicate that in addition to capacity boosting technologies 5G needs to offer, e. g., low latency, ultra-reliable communications, and massive connectivity. Thus, the most demanding part in 5G development will be the design of flexible enough system concept platform that allows successful integration and management of various distinct technologies optimized for diverse use cases.