Category: 5G

One Talk How to: Call Forwarding

Let’s face it, we all enjoy a little downtime, relaxing and soaking up the sun, going on an adventure or maybe exploring the history our great world has to offer us.  Yet many of us need to make sure our clients are taken care of in our absence.  That’s where Call Forwarding steps in. 

What exactly is OneTalk Call forwarding? It’s a feature that allows the user to control how a call is automatically forwarded to the best available resource.  Available options include: Always, Busy, No Answer and Select

How can I set this up?


My Business Portal

  1. Sign into MyBusiness
  2. Click Manage
  3. Click Product Portals
  4. Click One Talk
  5. From the ‘I Want To’ section, click Manage Features
  6. Click user features, then click Call Forwarding
  7. Click Selective call forwarding, if your number is toggled on (green), call 5Gstore so we can assist with setting up the call forwarding properly. If the toggle off (gray), proceed to the next step.
  8. Select the desired type: Always, Busy, No Answer
  9. Find your direct dial number (line), click the toggle to green
  10. Click add number, then enter the desired phone number in the forward calls to field
  11. Click submit 
  • To turn off the call forwarding simply follow steps 1 through 6. Find your direct dial number (line), click the toggle to gray.  Click Submit.

Mobile App

  1. Open the One Talk App
  2. Tap the Menu in upper left corner (3 horizontal bars)
  3. Tap Settings, then tap Call Features
  4. Tap Call Forwarding
  5. Select the desired type by tapping the toggle:  Always, Busy, No Answer
  6. Popup will automatically appear, then enter the desired number in the forward calls to field
  7. Click Confirm
  • To turn off the call forwarding simply follow steps 1 through 4. Find your direct dial number (line), click the toggle to gray.

If your line is part of a hunt group (rings one or more users for a predetermined amount of rings) or has selective call forwarding enabled (overrides call forwarding always, busy, and no answer) – Please call 5Gstore at 833-663-8255 and we will happily assist with setting up a call forwarding on your line. We are available 9am-5pm Monday through Friday, CST.  

Call forwarding is an amazing feature that will help to separate your business calls from your personal calls whether on vacation or when working from home. Bottom line- you will have a healthier work-life balance and who does not want that! 

*See our blog post for Mobile App and Call Through calling as this is a great way to receive business calls when you are away but need to make sure you personally are still available for your clients.

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How T-Mobile is “Boosting” 5G Mid-Band Speeds

T-Mobile announced another 5G milestone on Tuesday. They are now combining three channels of mid-band spectrum on their 5G network. In tests the company achieved network speeds of 3Gbps. While they weren’t specific, T-Mobile said this technology will become available to customers “later this year.”

When we look at what’s possible with 3Gbps (or 3,000Mbps), it’s comparable to the speeds of mmWave. This is the high-band 5G, which has a limited range, but allows you to download a movie in seconds. Mid-band 5G speeds normally max out around 200Mbps. However, T-Mobile is making some adjustments within the network to boost those speeds significantly.

Technically speaking, T-Mobile is using carrier aggregation to combine different sections of spectrum. Carrier aggregation, as you may be used to it, is how LTE Advanced and 5G modems combine frequency bands to achieve more bandwidth speed. So, it has nothing to do with combining multiple “carriers” as T-Mobile is using only their owned spectrum. 

This also is not something new for the company, or the 5G world. T-Mobile is already using this technology to combine two 2.5GHz 5G channels on some parts of its network. This most recent test increased speeds by adding a third channel.

Verizon had also used the technology to demonstrate speeds of 4.2Gbps on its 5G network back in 2020. The difference, from T-Mobile’s point of view, is that they are the first to use three-carrier aggregation on a live, standalone 5G network with a commercially available device: the Samsung Galaxy S22. That being said, those with a Galaxy S22 on T-Mobile’s network will be “among the first” to have access to this faster type of 5G.

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Feeling The Price At The Pump?

Over the last couple of months it seems like the price of most things have increased, but none more than the price of gas.  With the current price being what it is, this might make you want to pay those delivery charges for things instead of driving around town. 

Obviously when you order anything there’s a delivery fee, from pizzas to patio sets.  The convenience of delivery is sometimes well worth the cost, but how are costs determined?   With shipping there are a few factors taken into consideration, such as:

  • The destination of the delivery and its starting point can impact the cost.  The further the route or path of the route may affect which hubs can be utilized along the way. 
  • How many boxes are in the shipment. The more boxes there are, the more surcharges that may be applied.  
  • Special circumstances, like is the package going to a residential location, or does it require a signature upon delivery?  Yep, both of those factors create additional costs as well.  
  • Weight is a major factor, whether it be actual physical weight, or dimensional weight.  Dimensional weight or DIM weight is based on the actual size of the box being used and all shippers charge based on whichever number is greater.  
  • Gas.  Last, and certainly not least, is the cost of fuel.  When you consider the amount of fuel for vans, trucks, planes, etc it takes to get a small package from one place to another, it can be staggering. 

5Gstore is no exception to the price changes currently within our country.  Due to these changes, we’ve also had to make adjustments.  Recently, our promo shipping rate went from $4.99 on orders over $99 to orders over $499.  The shipping difference was simply consuming too much into the profit.  The average ground delivery for a single box currently ranges from $18-$23.   

As a 5Gstore customer, you might be asking yourself, “what can I do to keep my shipping rate lower?”  With a better understanding of how the prices generate from the carriers (FedEx or UPS) you may want to consider how and what you’re purchasing. 

  • Which account you use can definitely impact the price of your shipment.  When shipping through 5Gstore, on our account, you are automatically given a discount over normal shipping.  In addition, the fee for picking up is exempt since we have a planned pick up per our agreement.  
  • Order in bunches, by making bigger orders of the things that you need, you will cut down on the surcharges of many smaller orders.  Need a bigger shipment than normal? Call and let us know ahead of time so that our sales and purchasing teams can try to gather all your items for one shipment.  
  • Know your sizes, utilize the 5Gstore website to know how big your items are.  By utilizing the “Details” tab on your items webpage, you can see the physical specs of the item and plan how many boxes may be required.  For example, a single maritime antenna will always need its own box. 
  • Deliver to a hub, by having your shipment go to the FedEx depot or UPS store you may save money by not paying the residential residence delivery fee.  This fee alone can range anywhere from $5-$12 additionally.
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Which Cellular Modems Use a Smaller SIM?

Up until more recently, cellular modems – whether that be a USB modem, mobile hotspot, or embedded router – were using the mini, or 2FF size SIM card. Now, we’re starting to see more devices requiring a micro or nano SIM card – like most cell phones use today. 

Here are some of the most popular embedded routers and the SIM card size they require: 

Micro/ 3FF SIM:

Nano/ 4FF SIM:

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What is Non-Cellular 5G for IoT?

2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G are well known acronyms for labeling generations of cellular technology. These have been approved by ITU-R (ITU Radiocommunication) as part of each generation. The ITU Radiocommunication Sector ensures rational, equitable, efficient and economical use of the radio-frequency spectrum by all radiocommunication services. They carry out studies and adopt recommendations on radiocommunication matters. 

We all know how quickly cell phones get outdated or just replaced by newer models. This is why the evolution of cellular technology in generations 2G-5G have mainly been  driven by mobile phone production and sales.

IoT is now being recognized more often as a new growing opportunity. Due to this, ITU-R set a requirement to support 1 million IoT nodes within one square kilometer. to Enter ETSI DECT2020 NR – this is a wireless mesh approach that met those criteria easily. Therefore, ITU-R approved the first non-cellular technology to be included in the 5G.

When it comes to the topic of 5G, it’s typical you might expect full interoperability between cellular and non-cellular technology. It’s also important to note that 2G thru 5G are not interoperable at the radio interface. With each improvement, new steps are taken to evolve the technology, yet compatibility is sacrificed.

Different cellular radio access generations are supported in the backend and these different generations are implemented in the same mobile phone handheld. Interoperability is achieved by using earlier generations as a fall-back both in the cellular operator backend and the handheld.

Similarly, the first non-cellular 5G is a significant disruption, although cellular and non-cellular 5G radio interfaces are not interoperable. Instead, it’s possible for them to be implemented in the same unit. The data is then relayed on the application layer from one network to another and/or combined in the backend. 

Examples of this could be the cases where data is collected into the backend via cellular 5G and non-cellular 5G radio networks. Another example of co-use is when the non-cellular 5G traffic is routed from a gateway to the backend via a 5G cellular network.

ITU-R has adopted this disruptive wireless mesh technology as part of the 5G. It is important to understand that each technology within the 5G family has a clear role and benefits. These technologies are not interoperable at the radio access layer. 

Why non-cellular 5G IoT?

It is of course possible to connect IoT devices on a limited scale and relay data via mobile operators’ 5G cellular data connectivity. However, the non-cellular 5G offers many new opportunities, including the massive capacity, flexible coverage, and density of nodes. 

Still, cellular 5G has challenges in the IoT industry. Jussi Numminen talks about this in depth here – Wirepas. To summarize, some challenges have already been raised:

  • Cellular 5G requires a lot of infrastructure, tower sites, and antennas, physical SIMs, and equipment.
  • Subscription is required to operate and cellular 5G was built for mobile phones and consumer use cases.

Non-cellular 5G IoT is a wireless mesh network made up of nodes. Each of these IoT nodes is capable of making independent decisions to simply join the mesh network or, to extend the network by routing also other nodes’ traffic. By operating in this manner, it removes the need for network planning and the demand for a party to manage the network.

Other than being autonomously managed, mesh networking allows you to own and control who has access to your data. When a cellular operator builds the infrastructure and operates the network, it means that you have to trust all your data to pass within the operator network. This can be avoided with the non-cellular 5G. 

5G IoT Radio

The radio technology for the 5G IoT (DECT2020 NR) is a mesh radio and quite possibly the only mesh network with a modern radio link technology. Similar radio link technology modernization steps have already been taken both in the cellular and the Wi-Fi industries. It is about time we bring wireless mesh radio technology to the same level. 

Bluetooth and sub-gigahertz technologies mostly operate on a cellular technology equivalent of 2G. For comparison, 5G IoT is built with the technologies adopted already in cellular for the 4G and 5G. The non-cellular 5G adopts the innovations proven within the cellular (and Wi-Fi) industry, such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Modulation) and HARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat reQuest).

5G IoT radio combines the best features of both sub-gigahertz and Bluetooth radios. It’s reach is comparable to sub gigahertz, but data rates are 10x faster. When compared with the 2.4GHz, with adaptive modulation and coding, it is possible to either enjoy double the range with the same data rate or triple the range with the same data rate as 2.4 GHz. It also has the capability to adjust the data rate, as well as transmit power. With this, the link performance improvements can be turned to reduce the power consumption when the full data rate or link distance is not needed.

Lastly, another advantage that the DECT2020 NR has over the other existing mesh services is the technology-specific dedicated frequency band. Technology-specific frequencies provide the best capacity for operation and this system can operate without duty cycle limitations. Furthermore, 5G approval has enabled an even wider range of frequencies that can be used, as the demand increases and the chipsets evolve forward.

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How to Transfer an eSIM Between iPhones using Bluetooth

With the new iOS 16 for iPhone you can now transfer eSIMs that are issued by supporting cellular carriers. The feature has been made available in multiple countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Earlier this week, the first beta of iOS 16 was put into the hands of developers. They’ve planned a public beta for release in July. Apple says that iOS 16 will be officially released to all users in the fall.

To access the eSIM transfer, go into the Settings app on your iPhone running iOS 16. Click on “Set up eSIM” and it will bring up an option to transfer an eSIM and its associated phone number from another iPhone via Bluetooth. 

Per Apple, the other iPhone must be nearby, unlocked, have Bluetooth turned on, and is running iOS 16 or later.

As always, Apple continues to provide the more traditional option of setting up an eSIM by scanning a QR code provided by a carrier.

What is an eSIM anyway?

An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan from a carrier without having to use a physical SIM card. 

Users of the iPhone XS and newer have access to a single eSIM, while all four iPhone 13 models support dual eSIMs.

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How AT&T’s 5G Network is Contributing to the Department of Defense

AT&T has been implementing 5G service and showcasing its benefits in different areas. Most recently they demonstrated how a Naval “Smart Warehouse” could be created using a variety of 5G-powered technology solutions. During demonstrations, the team working on the project found AT&T’s private 5G network delivered data throughput speeds of 3.9 gigabits per second. The latency was less than 10 milliseconds.

Back in October 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) announced $600 million would be given in awards for 5G experimentation and testing at five U.S. military test sites. This would represent the largest full-scale 5G tests for dual-use applications in the world. 

One of those locations was Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. This is where the smart warehouse concept is being showcased. The goal is to increase the efficiency and fidelity of naval logistic operations including identification, recording, organization, storage, retrieval, and the transportation of material and supplies.

Thanks to AT&T’s 5G network, DoD has the ability to scale its 5G-enabled smart warehouse solution. It also supports global access for DoD users via roaming capabilities used with AT&T’s network infrastructure. This allows DoD to benefit from AT&T’s commercial investments in its network and avoid costly additional network builds.

“This is a key example of organizations coming together in a collaborative environment with our Armed Forces to explore the art of the possible in 5G,” said Amanda Toman, acting Principal Director of 5G-NextG, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Research & Engineering. “We’re not just building for the warfighter; we are also innovating with the American citizen in mind. DoD is working to accelerate the development and deployment of 5G-enabled capabilities across many use cases while ensuring those systems — as well as those of our allies and partners — are robust, protected, and reliable.”

What 5G solutions were demonstrated? 

There was a focus on the 5G Radio Access Network and its optimization of warehouse operations via increased throughput of data, internet of things (IoT) support, and low latency. Among the prototype use cases demonstrated were:

  • 5G-enabled VR/AR capabilities to support military training and operations
  • 5G-powered high-definition video surveillance
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning use cases that use AT&T 5G in a cloud environment.
  • 5G-enabled AR to support advanced put/pick technology operated via a hands-free mobile device
  • Zero Trust Architecture cybersecurity support

For more information, check out the official announcement from AT&T. You can also read the related Department of Defense announcement by clicking here.

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5G: What is Voice over New Radio?

When LTE first arrived, phone calls were still made using the older 3G network. It wasn’t until later on that Voice over LTE, or VoLTE, service was introduced. The same thing is happening today with 5G service. Voice calls still mainly utilize LTE services. That’s even in locations where 5G data coverage is widely available. 

As of today, T-Mobile announced they would be supporting Voice over 5G. This technology is referred to as Voice over New Radio, or VoNR.

“5G is already driving new levels of engagement, transforming how our customers use their smartphones and bringing unprecedented connectivity to areas that desperately need it,” said Neville Ray, President of Technology at T-Mobile. “And it’s just going to get better thanks to the incredible T-Mobile team and our partners who are tirelessly innovating and advancing the capabilities of 5G every day.”

Rollout will start in Portland, Oregon and Salt Lake City, Utah, where some commercial calls will be routed via T-Mobile’s standalone 5G network. The service will only be available in “limited areas” of these cities.

In order for to obtain VoNR, your phone must support the new technology. This is no different than how Voice over LTE functioned. Your phone must support it and you must have the feature enabled on the phone. Currently, only one phone supports it – the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G smartphone. 

It’s likely that other carriers will begin to follow suit when they see the benefits – not only the lower latency, but more of the LTE spectrum can be cleared out to make room for additional 5G service. Dish Network, for example, does not have an existing LTE network to fall back on so they are relying on a deal with AT&T while they work on their own VoNR services.

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Providing Service During Natural Disasters – How AT&T is Testing 5G on Drones

An AT&T drone equipped with 5G network hardware (source: AT&T)

For the past few years, AT&T has provided cellular coverage at disaster sites around the U.S. They run the network behind FirstNet, a service for first responders. When their services are needed they typically provide this via trucks called COWs (cell on wheels). 

In the more recent years, the carrier expanded to using a fleet of flying COWs (cell on wings). These flying COWs are drones that are capable of providing coverage to larger areas and are therefore more effective. 

Just last month, AT&T started testing its first flying COWs with 5G service rather than LTE. Tests took place in a remote area of Missouri where no other services are available. 

In an exclusive interview with CNET, Art Pregler, AT&T’s drone leader, said it was challenging to find a location without their service. 

“We were trying to find an area where there was no signal at all so we could be assured that all the signal we were capturing was from our drone,” said Pregler.

As AT&T prepares their flying COWs to be available in about a month, they are also upgrading some fiber optic tethers. This is what links the drones to the trucks that serve as communication and power bases.

Pregler says the drones are staged in warehouses and ready for use now. He added, “We have them on the West Coast for fire season, in the Southeast for hurricane season and in the Midwest for flood season.”

With a focus more on coverage and availability over maximizing speeds, AT&T reported their first 5G flying COW test showed results of 10 square miles of coverage. This is with the drone hovering at 300 feet up.  At this distance, the drone connected to a satellite and provided download speeds of 46Mbps and upload speeds of 71Mbps.

Pregler recalled the Hurricanes in 2017 and 2018 when they used the flying COWs to provide network service to first responders on the ground. He noted, “For a while we were the only network that was operational there at ground zero.” 

Since 2018, both Verizon and T-Mobile have also invested in preparation for disasters. In 2021, Verizon debuted their large mobile 5G base station truck they named Thor.  For T-Mobile, they currently use portable network vehicles, satellite cells on wheels and satellite cells on light trucks. The uncarrier is improving their operations now and adding backup generators for when there is loss of power.  

AT&T expects they’ll be utilizing the high-frequency radio waves called millimeter wave, or mmWave. These frequencies allow for a larger increase in data transfer speeds. Though the range is shorter, they can see speeds beyond 1Gbps.

The flying COWs won’t use mmWave for connecting your smartphone but will use it to help strengthen the network overall, Pregler said. mmWave connections will allow multiple drones to connect via a sort of mesh network in the sky, which will extend the flying COW coverage.

There are six different ways that the COW technology itself can connect to the network. According to Pregler, this includes fiber optic links and satellites in low Earth orbit or higher in geostationary orbit.

As climate change continues to take its toll on the world, AT&T will keep implementing improvements and advances where possible. We can only hope that the other carriers will do so as well. Good news is that Verizon just announced how 5G can help detect and even prevent wildfires. According to the news article:

Minsait, a European company, is currently testing a solution that takes steps in this direction. Its system uses solar-powered, 360-degree cameras to look for smoke in a 2-kilometer range and uses sensors to detect conditions such as humidity, temperature, wind and dew point. The cameras are AI-enabled to analyze all the data at the edge and can transmit alerts as needed.

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Updates on Dish Network’s 5G Rollout

Dish Network released its first 5G market in the U.S. on May 4th in Las Vegas. This came after they originally expected to launch at the end of 2020. 

In a few weeks, Dish will be switching on 25 major markets – including a few smaller sites – which should cover 20% of the U.S. population with 5G.

Per a statement from Dish’s CEO Erik Carlson, they are on their way to meeting a deadline of June 14th. 

Since Dish will initially deliver a “data–only network,” they’ll be relying on a 10 year deal they signed with AT&T back in July 2021 for providing voice services. 

The service plans, which Dish is currently calling “Project Genesis,” offers unlimited 5G data, text, and voice for only $30 per month. With regards to phones, Dish has only one 5G model on its new network so far – the $900 Motorola Edge+. 

Among other frequencies, the company is using band 71 (600MHz) low–band spectrum for coverage. This is the band over which T-Mobile was able to begin rolling out their 5G network. They’re also using band 66 (AWS) mid–band (like Verizon does) to achieve increased data download speeds for its initial Vegas deployment. Download speeds for the 5G service in Vegas have been clocked at over 100mbps. 

The Dell’Oro Group calls the Dish launch “one of the most anticipated and publicized 5G Core launches” in a new report, noting that Dish is “the first to run 5G Core on the public cloud.” The analysts note that Nokia is the main 5G core vendor for Dish.

Dish has given themselves until June 14, 2023 to continue building out their 5G network – ultimately covering 70% of the U.S. population. The company has also promised the Federal Communications Commission that such a network will use “at least 15,000 5G sites” and “at least 30 MHz of Dish’s 5G downlink spectrum” in order to be considered “a nationwide facilities–based wireless competitor.”  

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