Making 5G Millimeter-Wave Communications a Reality [Industry Perspectives]

Driven by the data requirements envisioned for the fifth generation (5G) of wireless services, the mobile community is focusing on breaking the spectrum gridlock that characterizes cellular technology. In this context, researchers and industries have identified millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications as a key enabler for providing unprecedented radio access capacity. Nevertheless, due to the specific differences between this technology and microwave systems, there are multiple research challenges spanning from the hardware to the overall system architecture. The goal of this column is to provide an overview of these challenges and discuss the most promising solutions to make 5G mmWave communications a reality.