5G NR Release 16: Start of the 5G Evolution
Stefan Parkvall, Yufei Blankenship, Ricardo Blasco, Erik Dahlman, Gábor Fodor, S.J. Grant, Erik Stare, Magnus Stattin
Abstract
Standardization of the first release of 5G New Radio has been completed in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, and the evolution has started. On a high level, the enhancements in Release 16 can be grouped into two categories: improvements of existing features, and introduction of new features addressing new verticals and deployment scenarios. This article provides a brief overview of the enhancements in the first category, followed by a more in-depth discussion of features in the second category. These features include integrated access-backhaul, operation in unlicensed spectrum, intelligent transportation and vehicular-to-anything communication, the Industrial Internet of Things, ultra-reliable low-la-tency communication, and positioning. The article concludes with an outlook on enhancements planned for Release 17.