Enabling Millimeter-Wave 5G Networks for Massive IoT Applications

Internet of Things is one of the most promising technology of the fifth-generation (5G) mobile broadband systems. Data-driven wireless services of 5G systems require unprecedented capacity and availability. The millimeter-wave based wireless communication technologies are expected to play an essential role in future 5G systems. In this article, we describe the three broad categories of fifth-generation services, viz., enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable and low-latency communications, and massive machine-type communications. Furthermore, we introduce the potential issues of consumer devices under a unifying 5G framework. We provide the state-of-the-art overview with an emphasis on technical challenges when applying millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology to support the massive Internet of Things applications. Our discussion highlights the challenges and solutions, particularly for communication/computation requirements in consumer devices under the millimeter-wave 5G framework.