5G or fifth-generation mobile network is the name on everyone’s lips right now. It’s expected to bring a spike in data transfer speeds, reduce latency (the ability of one device to communicate with another), and can connect to even more devices. It’s not just communication that 5G will affect. It’s even going to transform the way we travel, work, and entertain. 5G follows the more common 4G LTE connection. However, it operates a little differently in that it runs on three different spectrum bands or frequencies. Speed, quality, and latency largely depend on what spectrum you use.
The low band frequency, which is also called the sub-1GHz spectrum travels long distances and can penetrate buildings. However, it suffers on speed, delivering a disappointing 100 Mbps only. Small towns and low traffic areas will benefit from this primary band frequency. At the moment, T-Mobile is the only carrier that has a stake in the low-band spectrum game. With 600MHz spectrum as of an FCC auction, it looks like it will stay a key player.
Mid-band frequencies get a higher speed and cover a reasonable range too. However, this spectrum can be difficult to obtain. Another downside is that it doesn’t penetrate buildings as capably as the low band frequency does. Sprint is a crucial factor in delivering mid-band frequency to the US. Massive MIMO, a technology that groups multiple antennas onto a single box, and at a single cell tower is supposed to improve its penetration capabilities and coverage. Beamforming is another strategy that Sprint employs. This involves sending a single focused signal to every user in the cell.
Download speeds on the High Band frequency are incredibly high since this spectrum covers radio band frequencies of 30 GHz to 300 GHz. However it doesn’t go very far in terms of range and penetrating buildings and obstacles. Users might also find fault with the unpredictable coverage. Carriers that provide high band spectrum are AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. These carriers are still working out the kinks of making high band spectrum 5G a nationwide network. They are doing this by setting up multiple low-power base stations that will likely address the issue of penetration and low coverage via beamforming.