The global race is on to develop 5G, the fifth generation of mobile network. While 5G will follow in the footsteps of 4G and 3G, it will be a dramatic overhaul and harmonization of the radio spectrum. 5G will likely have ultra-broadband and intelligent-network features that achieve super-high data rate, near-instantaneous connectivity between people and connected machines – no matter where they are. Many building blocks are being considered for 5G: spectrum sharing, carrier aggregation, advanced beamforming, and massive MIMO to boost data rates to fiber like speeds; radios even closer together with significantly more small cells; and software-defined network and cloud orchestration capabilities that allow intelligent connectivity of virtualized network functionalities as well as content in the cloud, based on network dynamics. At Argela, we strive to develop ideas and solutions towards SDN, NFV, Cloud RAN and other enabling technologies towards 5G. On March 31, 2015, we organized a workshop on “SDN, NFV, CloudRAN and Other Enabling Technologies on the Path Towards 5G” where invited esteemed researchers from around the world shared their vision of what 5G and Cloud RAN should entail.
