Documentation of the last event

Event page: fuck5g

Whiteboard (full size): https://ikiwiki.laglab.org/5g/whiteboard.jpg

Sensibility

5G on the Internet looks blue:

Opposition

Who? Why? Where?

• IAB says that End User needs must be considered: https://labs.ripe.net/Members/becha/the-internet-is-for-empowerment-of-end-users
• Global 5G wireless deal threatens weather forecasts: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03609-x

Counter-conspiracy information website by WHO or something vaguely related (?): 5G explained: How 5G Works

EU and Germany push for open source OPENRAN technologies (software/hardware).

Health concerns

• 5G appeal
  • Petition
  • First answer from EU
  • Second answer from EU
• Research article on the controversy
• Old campaign against EMF
• 13 reasons to be concerned about 5G
• Wikipedia on Electromagnetic hypersensitivity → This is the most common health concern and a special stakeholder group.

Russia Today (RT television) airs Russian propaganda and misinformation

• Citizens’ committee in Brussels municipality rubber stamping spectrum allocation

Health remedies

• Pendants review → Aimed at people with electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS, see above), includes everything from natural sungite pendants to electronic Q-link products.
• Radioactive pendants banned in the Netherlands were big news everywhere.

Aviation interference

• Altimeters that show how high aeroplanes are flying can use the same 3.7-3.8 GHz frequencies (the so-called “C-band”) as commercially available 5G mobile phones. Legal developments in France and the [US (FAA)]. Aviation Safety Proposal on 5G to US Department of Transportation. The Guardian, BBC, Forbes. The BBC article mentions claimed losses: “A delay will cause real harm. Pushing back deployment one year would subtract $50bn in economic growth, just as our nation recovers and rebuilds from the pandemic," CTIA chief executive Meredith Attwell Baker said in a blog post last month.” The Forbes is quite a vitriolic piece against the aviation industry from the point of view of telecoms: “Had there been international technical standards for altimeters, this problem would have never occurred, though it takes time, commitment and resources to professionalize. It appeared that the FAA pressure was a means to shakedown mobile operators in the hopes for a payout to upgrade obsolete altimeters sitting in aging planes and helicopters.”

Netherlands

There were questions to the Dutch parliament and an investigation into 5G EMF. The committee said it is basically safe, but they could not answer some of the subquestions. They refer to a who investigation that should conclude in 2022. There is more research needed on the health effects of 26Ghz frequencies used for 5G (millimeter wave for the Internet of Thing). Source

https://www.kennisplatform.nl/

Research projects on conspiracies

Infodemic

Pro-Huawei cluster in Belgium uncovered by Graphika

Security concerns

• Anti-Huawei letter from EU PMs

• Huawei had unlimited access to millions of customer data from Telfort (in 2011)

• Huawei ’may have eavesdropped on Dutch movile network’s calls’ (from KPN in 2010) – and since then KPN switched to Ericson for its core 5G infrastructure.

• A reflection on the history of cellular security research and the security outlook of 5G

• New 5G protocol vulnerabilities allow location tracking

A leading mobile security research company is Adaptive Mobile based in Dublin.

Advocacy

• Will 5G Be Bad for Our Health?

• WHO promotes 5G:5G mobile networks and health

Protocol

Versions of the protocols suite are defined in Releases, which have a fixed release schedule: https://www.3gpp.org/DynaReport/FeatureListFrameSet.htm. The current release is Rel-16, which completes the system and brings some futuristic features. It is stored in a weird format on the messay 3GPP FTP server:

https://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/latest/Rel-16 → Maxigas is trying to compile the information there into a more usable format.

More about specifications and releases here: https://www.3gpp.org/specifications

• IEEE Spectrum article on the exciting new features in the last protocol specifications released this year: 5G just got weird

The full Rel-16 (latest version) is around 54 million words, so it is a good dataset for statistical analysis, distant reading, datamining, etc.

Here is a wordcloud of the Rel-16 specs:

Software related to 5g networks

Open Networking

• Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter https://www.opennetworking.org/cord/
• https://www.opennetworking.org/aether/

Open Air Interface

OpenAirInterface (OAI) currently provides a standard-compliant implementation under a GNU GPLv3 license of a subset of Release 10 LTE for terminal (UE), basestation (eNodeB), and core network (EPC - MME, HSS, SGw and PGw) on standard Linux-based computing equipment

• OAI-RAN + OAI core network https://www.openairinterface.org/?page_id=2762
• flexicell (OAI demo deployment) https://www.openairinterface.org/?page_id=1638
• 2015 vfosdem talk about OAI https://archive.fosdem.org/2015/schedule/event/oai/
• 2017 fosdem talk about OAI https://archive.fosdem.org/2017/schedule/event/5g_oai/ This talk will provide an overview of the evolution of 4G networks towards 5G and some of he new applications and industries that will be enabled by it. We also cover the role of the OpenAirInterface Software Alliance and how it is trying to soften the blow of clash between open and closed-source communities in radio-access and core networks along with its relationship with some of the other related open-source communities

srsLTE

Open-source LTE software radio suite developed by Software Radio Systems (SRS). https://www.srslte.com/

• https://archive.fosdem.org/2016/schedule/event/srsue/
• srsLTE 3 click testbed https://archive.fosdem.org/2019/schedule/event/sdr_lte_testbed/
• fosdem project update https://archive.fosdem.org/2020/schedule/event/fsr_srslte_project_update/

https://www.open5gcore.org/

Fraunhofher 5G core implementation aimed at research testbeds.

Free5GC

Chinese initiative for open source 5G protocol implementations

Related

• filter bank multiple carrier https://archive.fosdem.org/2016/schedule/event/fbmc/

Hardware related to 5G networks

• Stratix report (Dutch) analyzing MIMO and smallcell antennas https://www.agentschaptelecom.nl/binaries/agentschap-telecom/documenten/rapporten/2019/05/09/small-cells-en-massive-mimo-antennes/Small+cells+en+massive+MIMO-+een+verkenning_DEF.pdf
• Ettus USRP B210 research Board https://www.ettus.com/all-products/ub210-kit/

Radar

• Cooperative Passive Coherent Location https://arxiv.org/pdf/1802.04041.pdf

Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) for the Internet of Things

LPWAN is for short sessions, few per hour, low bandwidth, super long battery life:

• Narrowband IoT https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narrowband_IoT
  • Dutch company SODAQ (based in Hilversum) crowdfunded IoT boards in 2017: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sodaq/the-first-nb-iot-shield-for-arduino-supported-by-t → Good info about NT-IoT network coverage in the Netherlands!
    • 35% global population claimed to be covered by Huawei
    • T-mobile SIM cards and commercial network access
  • Now these products are super expensive (100-70 EUR depending on how many you order)! → https://shop.sodaq.com/sodaq-sara-aff-r410m.html

Energy consumption / Sustainability arguments pro and against:

• Efficiency|Sufficiency: "In other words, while energy efficiency is almost universally presented as a solution for the growing energy use of the internet, it's actually the cause of it." https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/10/can-the-internet-run-on-renewable-energy.html

Uncategorised

• KPN technology book 2016 https://www.kivi.nl/uploads/media/5a9539b06a1dc/1474897928_KPN_Technology_Book_2016.pdf
• 2015 ngmn 5g white paper https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/NGMN_5G_White_Paper_V1_0.pdf
• About ITU / 3GPP https://medium.com/swlh/5g-the-complicated-relationship-between-itu-and-3gpp-719938f42b8
• Explains some differences in naming between LTE / 5G https://www.grandmetric.com/blog/2018/07/14/lte-and-5g-differences-system-complexity/
• About edge cloud stuff https://ccronline.sigcomm.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/acmdl19-289.pdf
• Different sensitivities test http://irife.net/

Foreground reading:

• des lumieres a la 5g
• on tin foils hats and surgical masks

Background reading:

• July 2017 5G and Internet Technology - a Work in Progress post by Jari Arkko and Jeff Tantsura about the latest collaboration between the IETF and 3GPP on 5G technology.
• Jan 2020 , Bert Hubert 5G: The Outsourced Elephant in the Room
• May 2020, links towards legislation on cybersecurity & 5G : https://labs.ripe.net/Members/suzanne_taylor_muzzin/your-eu-regulation-update-may-2020-edition
• Visualizations: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-the-state-of-5g-networks-worldwide/ & image: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Visualizing-the-State-of-5G-Networks-Worldwide-1200px.jpg & https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualized-where-5g-will-change-the-world/

Governance

Possible ways to shape the future of the 5G usage:

• through existing structures:

    - EU regulation (national or BEREC) -> through national political representatives 
    - civil society -> “digital rights” NGO’s: e.g. Article19, BoF, EDRI… 
    - Internet Governance -> IGF… 
    - technical communities-> RIPE (and other RIR) communities; 
    - standardisation bodies: IETF; GSMA; 3GPP; 
    - through vendors -> working for Huawei, Nokia, Ericsson, and Samsung 
    - as journalists 
    - “direct action” activism -> with Greenpeace, XR, … 
  

• 2020-07-07: Managing 5G Security Challenges: Options for Multistakeholder Governance https://itsrio.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/2020.07.07-Article-Managing-5G-Security-Challenges-Amy-Chris.pdf “security concerns around supply chain provision of the technology via Huawei, the a case study on CGI.br (The Brazilian Internet Steering Committee) and internet governance, this research highlights how multistakeholder governance approaches can be effective in practice.“

• 2020-01-13 “Beyond 5G, a European Perspective” , Sixth ITU Workshop on Network 2030 https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-T/Workshops-and-Seminars/20200113/Documents/Bernard_Barani.pdf

• 2020-mm-dd: 5G The Driver for the Next-Generation Digital Society in Latin America and the Caribbean (by South Korean Government) https://publications.iadb.org/publications/english/document/5G_The_Driver_for_the_Next-Generation_Digital_Society_in_Latin_America_and_the_Caribbean.pdf

Socio-political AND Governance

2020-04-17 Article19’s input to BEREC on Electronic communications & protecting human rights https://www.article19.org/resources/berec-freedom-of-expression-must-be-guaranteed-in-regulation-of-electronic-communications-markets/ & https://www.article19.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/A19-Contribution-BEREC-consultation-on-WP-2020-Nov19.pdf

“With regard to 5G, we stressed that allocating local licenses for spectrum can allow more verticals-uses, boost innovation and lead to better quality and more choices, and we suggested BEREC to support this trend. In addition, we repeated our call for regulatory authorities within the EU to better follow the work of standard setting organisations, as we are conscious of the impact that technical standards can have on end users’ human rights.”

2019 Article19’s input to BEREC: on the interplay between 5G deployment and regulation.

https://www.article19.org/resources/berec-electronic-communications-markets-have-key-role-in-protecting-human-rights/

https://www.article19.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/berec-5g-cfi-response-article19-ew.pdf

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilateral_investment_treaty][Bilateral investment treaties]] - given that countries not in the Global North will likely depend in some cases upon foreign direct investment to deploy 5g technologies, it is likely that if there is subsequently resistance to 5g deployment these treaties will come into application.

Technology AND Socio-political consequences

2020-01-19 : The Register: EU’s 5G security rules https://www.theregister.com/2020/01/29/eu_snubs_us_to_permit_huawei_5g_gear/

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/cybersecurity-5g-networks-eu-toolbox-risk-mitigating-measures

PDF: https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/document.cfm?doc_id=64468

in 23 languages!!! https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/eu-toolbox-5g-security

https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/document.cfm?doc_id=64577

2019-12-29 The Nationalist Battle Over 5G https://www.internetgovernance.org/2019/12/29/the-tech-nationalism-workshop-at-igf-berlin/ https://www.intgovforum.org/multilingual/content/igf-2019-ws-41-tech-nationalism-5g-cybersecurity-and-trade#undefined

2020-04-27 “5G in less connected countries” & a webinar by Rhizomatica about African context https://www.apc.org/en/blog/inside-digital-society-investment-priorities-5g-or-not-5g

https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/recent-releases/Economic-Impact-of-Restricting-Competition-in-5G-Network-Equipment

https://resources.oxfordeconomics.com/hubfs/Huawei_5G_2019_report_V10.pdf

24 Jan 2019 : Civil society activism, strategic alignment and international public policy making for spectrum https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17448689.2019.1565181

news

Huawei ousted from heart of EU as Nokia wins Belgian 5G contracts - 9 Oct 2020

subjects to discuss for (a) next time

• How did the shift from racks of heterogenous servers owned by different parties vs warehouses full of homogenous servers owned by a few big parties happened, and how could this change?
• take the subject broader, talk about how networks developed, the cloud, and how 5g is about applying techniques / ideas from cloud / internet on mobile networks
• integrating networks like tetra in 5g network, slicing, integration of iot networks
• talk about the shift to commodity (as in, standard interfaces, multiple suppliers, integration software diy or thirth party) hardware
• Software Defined Networking or, centralized routing, and maxing out links
• Calling computers Cattle vs Pets
• Can ideas from this world be applied on things that we can build ourselves?
• Can the same technologies /principles of operation work (how?) in a world where networks / computing facilities are community owned vs a few huge entities
• Energy Efficiency
• Operations efficiency
• Edge Computing
• Where does the whole china story come from?, it seems that there is multiple free software implementations of a 5g Core network.
• How much do operators (the ones that own the radio's) operate and develop their own network?

DIY

Do we want to attempt to build ourselves a (mini) 5g infrastructure to understand what it is composed of and to see if this technology can be recuperated? Or would this be a waste of our time?

Is there a sustainable way to build our own networks, that can actually be used by people?

What techniques / concepts (on the operation of computers / networks) can be reappropriated to use in our own projects?

how to DIY a mobile phone network

How to build a mini network (1 base station) to just play around with the stuff, and then be able to connect a standard mobile phone to your own lte / 5g network.

• DECT guardband is free to use in the netherlands
• limesdr should prob. work as a Radio, and cost arounc 300$ https://limemicro.com/products/boards/limesdr/
• It seems that there is free sofware for all parts of the network (look at the Software section of this page), is it complete?

Maps

OOKLA 5G MAP from speedtest.net

Field trips

Field Trip 0 (Lag Field Trip 2.5): Rietveld Academie

Open Street Map showing two mobile antennas (which are in fact one → should be fixed on the map…)

Antenna Register of the Netherlands Showing three 5G NR antennas, 24.5m, 773Mhz (this frequency was auctioned in 2020 for 5G in the Netherlands), 26.2 dBW, one 40 gr, one 190 gr and another 300 gr – so I guess they should be different sizes.

Photos from the rooftop of the Rietveld Academie

Photos from the rooftop of the Rietveld Academie (alternative download link)

This 5G antenna in the official antenna register of the Netherlands (screenshot)

Photos of 5G antennas from the Internet (for visual recognition and comparison, i.e. educational use):

Frequencies

Auction of 5G frequencies between 2020 and 2022 The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (EZK) will auction the 700MHz, 1400MHZ and 2100MHz frequencies in the spring of 2020. Frequencies in the 3.5GHz and 2—6GHz bands will be allocated over the next few years. The highest bidders are allowed to use the frequencies in question, for example to provide mobile internet. The Netherlands must comply with European agreements on the allocation of frequencies. – https://www.government.nl/topics/ict/plans-for-5g-and-testing-antennas

Antenna design

Mobile phones

Good article on 5G antenna design in mobile phones from SIMULA, a company selling mobile phone radiation simulation software

3 type of antennas:

• Legacy (2-5G) → More known already, required for backwards compatibility.
• Frequency range 1 (sub-6Ghz bands for mobile data) → Simulated with SAR evaluation.
  • Health concerns: Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) standards apply.
• Freuqency range 2 (above 24Ghz millimeter waves for the Internet of Things) → Simulated with power flow evaluation.
  • Usually these are chip-integrated arrays of four elements (high gain and multiple beams).
  • At these frequencies, the cover is an important barrier, so aerospace industry design experience is used (radome design and Frequency Selective Surfaces, aka FSS).
  • Health concerns: Field penetration into the human body is very small (mostly none and the rest is 3mm deep).
    • Therefore, power flow surfaces at a distance from the device are measured.

Considerations:

• Small and packed space
• Exact allocations vary geographically
• MIMO support, where antennas work together to achieve special effects
• In general there are many interactions and interference with other components

Illustrations:

6G

Quite vague EU project on 6G

Imaginaries

Orange campaign

Video ad

Since its launch, most of the focus has been on its technical and functional aspects. We wanted to go beyond this dimension to raise the general public’s awareness about the countless uses made possible by this next generation network. https://www.orange.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2021/most-innovative-thing-about-5g-what-well-do-it-orange-launches-its-new

Industry

European 5G Observatory