5G Radio Access Networks: Enabling Efficient Point-to-Multipoint Transmissions

The launch of 5G technology based on 3rd Generation Project Partnership (3GPP) Release 15 was completed in December 2018. An open issue with this release of standards is that it supports only unicast communications in the core network and point-to-point (PTP) transmissions in the radio access network (RAN) but does not support multicast/broadcast communications and point-to-multipoint (PTM) transmissions, which are 3GPP system requirements for 5G applications in a number of vertical sectors, including automotive, airborne communications, Internet of Things (IoT), media and entertainment, and public warning and safety systems. In this article, we present novel mechanisms for enhancing the 5G unicast architecture with a minimal footprint so as to enable efficient PTM transmissions in the RAN and support multicast communications in the Release 15 core as a built-in delivery optimization feature of the system. This approach will enable completely new levels of network management and delivery cost efficiency.