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5G Technology and the Evolution of Fiber-Optic Systems: Architecture, Standards and Convergence

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Author Affiliations

  • 1Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, CAET, Etawah, UP, India
  • 2Department of Civil Engineering, CAET, Etawah, UP, India
  • 3Department of Computer Science, CAET, Etawah, UP, India

Res. J. Engineering Sci., Volume 15, Issue (1), Pages 37-44, January,26 (2026)

Abstract

This paper presents the significance of 5G technology and how optimum use of optical fiber can help in achieving digital inclusiveness. 5G technology is going to make inroads into the country very soon. Top smart phone manufacturer in India have already released phones with 5G capability. With over 117 crore telecom users and more than 82 crore internet subscribers, India is one of the fastest growing for digital consumers. Digital infrastructures, which seamlessly integrates with physical and traditional infrastructure is crucial to India’s growth story and the country’s thrust towards self-reliance. Internet connectivity is critical for making the digital India project inclusive and wide spread use of optical fiber in the remotest corners of the country. The commercial success of 5G hinges on an optical transport fabric capable of delivering massive bandwidth, tight synchronization, and deterministic latency from highly distributed radios to virtualized cores and edge clouds. This review surveys 5G system architecture and the parallel evolution of fiber‑optic systems, highlighting how converged xHaul (fronthaul, midhaul, and backhaul) over dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), passive optical networks (PON), and packet‑optical technologies underpins enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra‑reliable low‑latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine‑type communications (mMTC). We synthesize the standards landscape across 3GPP, ITU‑T, IEEE, IETF, and the O‑RAN Alliance and discuss engineering trade‑offs, security, economics and sustainability. We conclude with open challenges and a roadmap toward 5G‑Advanced and early 6G directions where coherent optics, time‑sensitive networking, and cloud‑native automation will further tighten fixed–mobile convergence.

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