Tag: spectrum

Cutting the Cable – Switching from Cable Internet to Cellular 5G

90 Days in: An Update

After about 90 days of living off 5G Internet service, I am more than pleased with the experience. Have I had any issues? I’d be lying if I said no, but thankfully they’ve been minor. Things like buffering video and choppy audio on voice over IP (VoIP) calls. Regardless of those issues, I was able to use over 500GB of data in June and just over 1TB in July (unfortunately, my May usage was lost). 

I found that my issues were mainly noticeable for my work purposes. This includes real time video meetings and VoIP calls. The buffering I experienced was typically while trying to stream movies during my personal time, which was acceptable. However, I wanted to look for ways to possibly improve those issues. 

When I first installed the 5G service, I simply used the antennas that came with the router. These provided a decent signal and okay quality. Leaning on my experience here with 5Gstore.com, I know that signals tend to improve when there are less obstructions. This means getting the antennas outside and higher up in elevation. The best way to accomplish this is with an outdoor antenna. 

I decided to install an outdoor directional antenna as they are generally more powerful than omnidirectional antennas. They are also focused in a specific direction so you can test and compare results from multiple cell towers (if applicable). This may result in not only better signal, but better quality if there’s less interference in one direction. With less interference, the speeds can normally increase too. 

Since installing the directional antenna, my connection has noticeably been more consistent. That’s with a slight change in frequency band connection and small to large increase in signal and quality (depending on the band). 

The speeds have usually been around 130-160 Mbps down and 13-17 Mbps up with approximately 30-40ms ping times. It would seem that a more consistent connection allows for more usage, which might explain the jump seen on my network between June and July.

Original article, published 5/23/2023:

For years, if you could get your hands on it, cable was the go-to option for both TV and Internet. However, in more recent years, 4G/5G Internet has been a game changer in the world of home entertainment and remote work. “Cutting the cable” might be something you’ve heard a lot recently, especially if you’re subjected to any commercials on live TV or the radio. Making the switch from cable to 4G or 5G Internet can save you money and headaches from outages or overall unsatisfactory service – or so they say. Can it really? I’m here to answer that question, at least based on my own experience with Comcast/ Xfinity. However, this article applies if you are wanting to leave COX or Spectrum.

A Little Background

I’ve been using Comcast/ Xfinity cable for TV and Internet pretty much since it became available. The ease of accessibility was something I quickly grew accustomed to. As time went on, the Internet speeds got faster and more channels were added to the TV lineup. I was addicted on all accounts. Although catching new episodes of my favorite shows was always a struggle. 

Eventually, I grew up and became an adult living in a world of endless entertainment and high speed Internet. I got married to a man just as interested in TV and film as I was. Neither of us had ever lived without cable so it was natural we got cable for TV and Internet when we bought a house. At that time, we marveled at all the content available and felt fortunate to have such high speed internet when so many others do not. 

Having this cable connection allowed me to start working from home almost 12 years ago. I was convinced cable was the best and most reliable connection to have for this purpose. So here we are, two people and a bunch of connected devices with download speeds of up to about 250 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 15 Mbps. This is way more than we ever needed for personal or work use. Still, I believed I had no other choice for a reliable Internet service, especially because my husband and I thought we needed cable TV. After all, the overall cost for TV and Internet was only slightly higher than Internet by itself. 

Working for 5Gstore.com

After some time working from home, I was provided a cellular modem to use as a backup Internet connection. This was a modem that 5Gstore (previously 3G store) both sold and supported, so it helped me on a few levels. I found the connection to be sufficient for my work use, but couldn’t imagine trying to live off that for personal use. I liked to download a lot of audio and video content as well as play games online, which all required more bandwidth speed than I saw a 3G service could provide. 

Gradually, the 4G/5G services started to improve and I could see the capabilities were growing. However, from working with customers who were solely working on cellular, I discovered that it still would not seem adequate for my personal use. Mainly because of the amount of data I would need to use for both work and personal use. From what I could see on our cable usage, we were using anywhere from about 60 GB to 900 GB. We definitely needed an unlimited data plan.

Making the Decision to Switch from Cable to 5G

Over just the past year, there have been multiple choices for Internet service and video content available to me. It was important that I have something reliable and as consistent as possible with its bandwidth speeds. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything better than my cable connection and I gave up pretty quickly. 

More time passed and both my husband and I found ourselves watching less and less cable TV and more content on streaming services. Nothing interested us on cable. Or, the content that was on could easily be accessed later without commercials. So why would we bother watching it live?

When 5Gstore announced their 5G unlimited data plan with no overages or throttling, I jumped at the chance to check my service. I live just outside of Chicago, which is thankfully in a coverage area. This changed my outlook on everything. I already knew that I could work off 3G and 4G cellular service. I also had been seeing and hearing reports of over 100 Mbps download speeds and higher, which I knew would be sufficient for my personal use. I was on board to at least test it out. As an added bonus, I had a chance to finally use the Peplink MAX BR1 Pro 5G!

The Transition from Cable to 5G

Coming from a household that has had cable Internet and TV for decades, it was a little strange to consider canceling. After all, I was technically sacrificing some bandwidth speed as well as all the channels and on demand video content our TV plan had to offer. I decided to keep both plans in place for a month. The goal was to perform comparison testing during this time. Though I also still wanted access to the cable in case the cellular became unusable. This would hopefully provide a smoother transition, while allowing my husband and I to see if we could live without cable.  

The first part of the process was checking my address for service. This was done in a matter of minutes since it was during the work day. Next, placing an order from 5Gstore.com. This was simple and an even faster step. Not just because I work for the company, but because I took the same steps that any customer would take.   

In my case, I started using the 5G unlimited data plan. This is considered a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) type of Internet connection that requires address verification because of limited tower availability.  It operates directly off the Verizon cellular network and can connect to C-Band frequencies, which can provide faster, more reliable speeds. 

Overall, this was a smooth transition. Sure, my experience in this business helps, but this is something that anyone can do. Just let the 5Gstore sales team assist you with selecting the appropriate data plan and 4G/5G router or modem first. Once you’ve got your hands on the SIM card and hardware, the installation is quick and easy. In fact, you could be set up and ready to go in a matter of minutes. 

My Experience Living and Working on 5G

The Peplink MAX BR1 Pro 5G swapped in for the cable modem nicely. I found a great location in my home where I was able to get a decent 4 bar, or roughly -96 dBm to -113dBm RSRP. I was able to get a consistent 5G signal on the C-Band (5G band n77) along with a signal over 3 additional 5G and 4G LTE bands. This was achieved with the Peplink and its stock, paddle style antennas. 

My current work involves uploading and downloading lots of files. Even with the roughly 100 Mbps slower download speeds, I did not see much difference when downloading over cable versus 5G. The upload speeds from 5G were actually quite comparable to cable. Typically, upload speeds were around 10 to 13 Mbps so uploading files was barely noticeable in comparison to uploading over cable.  

Occasionally, I am on the phone using VoIP service or on a video meeting. I would say that 99% of the time, my experience is excellent. The other 1%, the audio on a phone call will cut out for a moment and then return. For the most part, video meetings were just as fantastic. In some cases, it even appeared to be better than what I saw over cable. 

When I use streaming services for TV and movies, I normally try to watch in 4K when possible. I was surprised that there were no issues with this. Then again, the download speeds are still way higher than my husband and I need. In comparison to the roughly 250 Mbps from cable, I normally received between 120 Mbps and 170 Mbps. That all being said, it would be difficult for me to tell the difference from cable. This was a pleasant surprise.

Regarding my data usage I gathered information over a complete month of testing (April 1st to April 30th). My usage totalled about 741 GB. Of that, my work PC used 121 GB and my work phone used 532 MB.

On a side note, this 5G unlimited plan, and a 4G LTE plan that 5Gstore offers, come with a static IP address. I found this extremely useful for setting up a VPN connection between my router and a colleague’s for easy access to devices on my LAN. I could also see it helpful if I wanted to access my personal files remotely when on vacation. Naturally, there are pros and cons to everything. So, while it proved to be helpful for my business use, it was otherwise frustrating for personal use. How could that be? Well, in order for a static IP address to work in this case, it had to be routed through a connection in Nebraska before reaching me in Illinois. This caused my devices without GPS capability (everything but our cell phones) to think they were in Omaha rather than Chicago. 

Why was this frustrating? All the commercials and local television access I had through streaming services like Amazon Prime, Hulu and Paramount+ were showing me content from Omaha and there was no option to change this to Chicago. Once the static IP address was removed from the line of service, it fixed the issue and all local content started coming from Chicago. Keep this in mind if you plan on purchasing a 5Gstore.com data plan for home use. Simply request we do NOT include the static IP when checking out and we’ll ensure it’s not included. 

Final Thoughts

Without cable service, I’m saving a little over $100. Not only is the 5G data plan cheaper, but there’s no hardware fees for renting hardware. You own the hardware and the SIM card is a one time fee. There’s no activation fees either like there are with some 4G/5G services. These savings even include the cost of streaming services. Those services are currently Amazon Prime, Disney+, Netflix, and Paramount+ with Showtime. 

So, is it worth it? I’d say yes! Whether you have COX, Spectrum, Charter, or Xfinity like me, it’s definitely worth the switch. Not only have I had 24/7 service, but my speeds have been pretty consistent and more than adequate for my usage. They’ve also been comparable to cable. The great thing about the data plan, aside from being so much less expensive, is that there’s no contract. We pay month to month and can cancel any time. Should I ever need to renew the service [after canceling] I would just purchase a new SIM card and data plan for my router.  

If you’re considering making the switch, it’s worth doing your research to find a provider like Verizon or T-Mobile, along with a plan that works for your needs. Check your coverage first and see if our 5G Unlimited data plan is available in your area. If this is not available, see what other types of data plans are offered and verify if they will work with the amount of usage you and any others may require. Check with the team at 5Gstore.com to see what hardware and data plan may be the best solution for your needs. With the right setup, you may find that cutting the cable is the best decision you ever made.

By 5G , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

CBRS: Revolutionizing Wireless Communication with Shared Spectrum

In the ever-evolving world of wireless communication, the demand for faster, more reliable, and ubiquitous connectivity continues to rise. To address this need, the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) has emerged as a private networking solution. It leverages shared spectrum to optimize wireless networks and empower various industries. This article delves into the CBRS framework, its benefits, and its potential to revolutionize the way we connect.

Understanding CBRS

CBRS is an innovative wireless communication framework that operates in the 3.5 GHz band, also known as the “innovation band.” It represents a novel approach to spectrum allocation, aiming to maximize the utilization of available resources while ensuring efficient coexistence among different users. Unlike traditional spectrum allocation models, which are often rigid and exclusive, CBRS introduces a spectrum-sharing paradigm.

Dynamic Spectrum Access

At the heart of CBRS lies the concept of dynamic spectrum access. The shared spectrum is divided into three tiers: Incumbent Access, Priority Access, and General Authorized Access. The Incumbent Access tier is reserved for existing users such as government and military entities, while the Priority Access tier is allocated to commercial users who obtain licenses through an auction process. The remaining spectrum is available for General Authorized Access, enabling opportunistic usage by anyone without the need for licensing.

Spectrum Access System (SAS)

To enable efficient spectrum sharing, CBRS implements a Spectrum Access System (SAS) as the governing entity. The SAS dynamically manages spectrum allocation, ensuring that incumbents are protected and that priority users receive the necessary resources. It employs a combination of databases, algorithms, and real-time monitoring to facilitate coordination between different users and prevent interference.

Benefits of CBRS

  • Enhanced Wireless Capacity: CBRS introduces the concept of spectrum sharing, which optimizes spectrum utilization and allows for increased wireless capacity. This leads to improved network performance, reduced congestion, and better user experiences.
  • Cost-Effective Solution: By enabling the use of unlicensed spectrum for commercial users, CBRS eliminates the need for expensive spectrum licenses. This affordability makes it more accessible for a wide range of businesses and organizations, including small and medium-sized enterprises.
  • Private Cellular Networks: CBRS provides the opportunity for enterprises to deploy private cellular networks within their premises. This allows organizations to have greater control, security, and customization over their wireless infrastructure, leading to improved operational efficiency and enhanced IoT connectivity.
  • Rural Broadband Expansion: CBRS has the potential to bridge the digital divide in rural areas. The shared spectrum and cost-effective deployment models can enable wireless internet service providers (WISPs) to offer high-speed broadband connectivity to underserved communities. This can unlock new opportunities for education, healthcare, and economic development.
  • Innovation and Industry Transformation: CBRS opens up new avenues for innovation across various industries, including manufacturing, transportation, logistics, and agriculture. With improved connectivity, businesses can leverage advanced technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence, and automation to transform their operations and unlock new revenue streams.

Future Potential

CBRS represents a significant step forward in wireless communication, offering a more efficient and flexible approach to spectrum allocation. As the demand for connectivity continues to grow, CBRS has the potential to play a pivotal role in supporting emerging technologies like 5G and beyond. Its ability to facilitate widespread adoption, promote innovation, and bridge the digital divide makes CBRS a promising solution for a more connected future.

By embracing CBRS, stakeholders from governments and enterprises to service providers and end-users can unlock the vast potential of shared spectrum, leading to a more inclusive and connected world. As technology continues to advance, CBRS serves as a testament to the power of collaboration and adaptive approaches in meeting the ever-increasing demand for wireless connectivity.

By 5G , , , , , , ,

What is the Status of 5G in the U.S.

While carriers in the U.S. continue to challenge and compete with one another, both China and Korea are still miles ahead of the U.S. when it comes to the 5G race. It looks like it will be a repeat of what happened with 4G LTE as our country was behind back then as well. 

The importance of 5G

It’s been found that 5G could contribute an estimated $565 billion in value to the global economy by 2034, according to research results from GSMA. This has however been shadowed by how slowly the technology has been to roll out. 

Sadly, the truth is that shifting to 5G service may not change our everyday lives. Instead, we expect that due to the limited availability, the service will apply more to businesses and government. The importance of 5G lies in the ability to provide faster connectivity and lower latency, which will impact many industries and alter how businesses do work. 

How Does 5G Work?

Not all 5G is created alike. Some connections may only be a fraction faster than LTE service. In comparison, a fully operational 5G network should be at least 10x faster than an LTE network. Theoretically, many experts have even estimated it to be 100x faster. These kinds of bandwidth speeds is what can make IoT (Internet of Things) and IIoT (Industrial IoT) more of a reality as it can enable self-driving cars and robots in factory settings.

“Network Slicing” is something that will likely be used to showcase 5G in the immediate future. This is a practice that allows multiple networks to operate on one dedicated platform. This represents a radical change from current approaches and would enable industries like automotive, government, logistics, media and healthcare to benefit from customized data processing.

Take how quickly Uber works to connect you with drivers, map the driving route and then process your payment — all in just a few clicks. Before LTE networks, an application like Uber or Lyft would have been nearly impossible because of the speeds and latency.

4G LTE technology opened up countless possibilities and introduced new types of connectivity that seem commonplace now. Just like digitization transformed our current market, 5G will prompt new business practices that can be difficult to imagine now.

Why is 5G Taking So Long to Deploy?

Like we mentioned earlier, not all 5G is alike. Neither are all cellular spectrums. There have been safety concerns and auctions over what carrier gets to use what spectrum. The U.S. found itself in a bit of a spectrum crisis amid the push for 5G.

Due to the FCC’s constraints on cellular, 5G can only operate on certain frequencies of the radio frequency spectrum in the U.S. The FCC controls and allocates the spectrum for nonfederal use by public and private organizations. The “mid-band” spectrum, which is best for 5G service, was allocated in the U.S. for federal use. It wasn’t until recently that more of this spectrum has been made available for carriers. 

In 2019, the U.S. pursued mmWave for its 5G deployments. This turned out to be a costly mistake, which has since been acknowledged by FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “If we just relied on millimeter wave spectrum, we’d actually grow the digital divide with 5G,” said Rosenworcel in 2020. 

It’s true that mmWave supports a large capacity, but the problem is that the signals do not travel long distances and do not easily penetrate obstacles. This requires expensive investments in ground infrastructure to achieve full functionality. In contrast, other countries run their 5G deployments with the mid-band spectrum. This is known as the sweet spot for 5G because of its combination of capacity and ability to send signals over relatively long distances.

How Can We Move Things Along?

The FCC recognizes the importance of the mid-band spectrum and what it can do to help the U.S. achieve what our competitors overseas have done. They have started to make more of the spectrum available by auctioning off frequency bands in record-breaking auctions through 2020 and 2021. In 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) also announced an initiative that aimed to share the spectrum on a widespread basis with commercial interests.

Keep in mind that each spectrum has limited use. As it is auctioned off for more uses, we are confronted with new challenges in sharing the spectrum between highly sensitive DoD assets and commercial interests. There are still several things we don’t know or understand about using the spectrum efficiently and how to make spectrum-sharing a viable solution for all parties involved.

You may recall that in late 2021, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) raised urgent concerns about potential interference occurring between 5G C-Band and sensitive aircraft communication systems. As a result, Verizon and AT&T agreed to delay some of their 5G rollouts. 

These somewhat avoidable delays just goes to show how much more organizations need tools to monitor and understand radio frequency spectrums. Still, limited resources are currently available. 

By 5G , , , , , ,

Who is the fastest 5G carrier in the US?

According to the latest report from RootMetrics T-Mobile may have the fastest 5G speeds and greatest 5G availability, but what about reliability?

When measuring only 5G reliability, a different carrier, Verizon, came out on top.

The timing of this testing however, is important to note. 5G performance was done during the second half of 2021. At the start of the New Year, you may recall that Verizon and AT&T were finally able to turn on their new C-Band 5G coverare, which brings faster average speeds to a greater number of people (more than 90 million, according to Verizon). AT&T has only a handful of cities covered at this point.

The RootMetrics report gathered results from tests that were run in 125 of the largest cities in the U.S. In the end, they found T-Mobile had the fastest 5G download speeds in 48 markets, compared to three for Verizon and zero for AT&T. Median download speeds for T-Mobile topped 100 Mbps in more than half the cities RootMetrics tested in. In 26 markets, the speeds topped 200 Mbps.

T-Mobile was also determined to have the best 5G availability. With the highest availability in 83 tested markets, T-Mobile topped AT&T (62 markets) and Verizon (6 markets).

In comparison with 5G reliability, T-Mobile was actually found to have the lowest amount at 19. Verizon had the best in 93 markets, also topping AT&T, which only showed in 67 markets. 

These findings weren’t just determined by RootMetrics either. Their results are right inline with what has been seen from other third party testers. Back in January, OpenSignal published a 5G performance report in which T-Mobile not only had the fastest 5g download speeds, but was 93.9 Mbps faster than its closest rival. T-Mobile also came out on top for availability and reach.

When comparing T-Mobile’s approach to the 5G rollout to that of AT&T and Verizon’s, it’s clear that T-Mobile got ahead by using sub-6GHz spectrum to create a far-reaching 5G nationwide network. The network now reaches more than 310 million people. More recently, they’ve begun using mid-band spectrum — much of it obtained through the merger with Sprint — to boost speeds. T-Mobile calls this their Ultra Capacity 5G service and it covers some 210 million people.

Verizon and AT&T started their 5G journey by concentrating on mmWave-based 5G. This can be very fast, but has a limited range. mmWave-based towers are in select cities. To provide more coverage, but at slower speed, the two carriers use sub-6GHz 5G.

After a few delays and limitations AT&T and Verizon were able to roll out more coverage in January, this time on the faster C-Band spectrum. The higher band spectrum has a wider reach than mmWave, enabling both carriers to reach more people with faster 5G service. In Verizon’s case, they have more than 90 million people being covered with the carrier’s fastest Ultra Wideband 5G. AT&T is rolling out its C-Band 5G, though on a more limited basis currently.

C-Band tests have been done in a number of different locations and already seems to be improving performance for Verizon. Right after C-Band 5G went live, testing firm Ookla published a report claiming that Verizon’s average 5G download speed jumped to 116.3 Mbps from 76.5 Mbps within the course of a week. For comparison, T-Mobile speeds increased from 182 Mbps to 187.1 Mbps in that same time period.

With the recent upgrades and third party tests that have come out, it would seem the leader board is bound to shift by RootMetrics’ next test. Only time will tell!

By 5G , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

T-Mobile Wins Big in New Ookla Performance Study

T-Mobile is boasting about its 5G service again, with an announcement that it came out on top in a new Ookla study. This measured things like 5G speed, performance and availability. In the announcement, they added that it would be moving forward with turning on its 5G carrier aggregation (CA), both with 2.5 GHz and 2.5 Ghz combined with 600 MHz. 

Ookla’s nationwide network performance analysis had T-Mobile at the top of all 6 categories. These include: fastest provider, latency, consistency, 5G performance, 5G availability and 5G consistency. Considering the 5G coverage T-Mobile has had in place compared to its competitors, it’s not much surprise they ruled here. This is in part thanks to their ability to rollout coverage on mid-band spectrum that isn’t causing interference risks like the C-Band is for AT&T and Verizon. 

According to an article from FierceWireless, the mid-band spectrum they are using (2.5 GHz), which was acquired from Sprint, provides about 40% faster speeds. Currently, download speeds are running at a top average speed of 187 Mbps nationwide. According to T-Mobile, this is faster than most home WiFi connections, two times faster than Verizon 5G and over 2.5 times faster than AT&T 5G. More importantly, customers were more likely to connect to 5G than Verizon or AT&T customers. Again, this could simply be due to the delays both carriers have experienced with their 5G rollouts. 

With regards to the 5G carrier aggregation, this combines two channels of 2.5 GHz mid-band spectrum for greater speed and capacity. It’s much like bonding in this case, but happens within the one carrier’s network. This should allow for less congestion as there will be more service to go around. 

5G standards set the maximum bandwidth for a sub-6 GHz 5G channel at 100 MHz of spectrum. That is a lot of capacity, but with 5G CA, the operator is able to provide customers with more than 100 MHz of 2.5 GHz Ultra Capacity 5G spectrum, starting with 120 MHz in many places. So, customers in those areas will see a significant boost in speed and performance.

According to T-Mobile, tests have been completed that show 2.5 GHz 5G CA can improve speeds by about 20%. Also, devices reach speeds greater than 100 Mbps twice as often as those without 5G carrier aggregation. In addition, T-Mobile noted that it’s expanded NR CA with 2.5 GHz and 600 MHz to cities across the country.

“These capabilities are live across much of T-Mobile’s network today for customers with the Samsung Galaxy S21 and another popular flagship device, becoming more broadly available – with additional devices – in the coming months,” said a T-Mobile representative.

T-Mobile also highlighted results of record-breaking 5G upload speeds with 5G Dual Connectivity. The test was done by Ericsson and Qualcomm. They found T-Mobile exceeded 1 Gbps on upload – 1005 Mbps, to be precise – by combining 2.5 GHz spectrum with millimeter wave.

“Today’s wins confirm what over a dozen other studies have found in the last year: T-Mobile 5G is #1 in performance and/or coverage,” said T-Mobile President of Technology Neville Ray in a statement. “Our competitors bet on the wrong spectrum for 5G. Now, they’re years behind and scrambling to catch up. We’ll keep blazing ahead, reaching more and more people with Ultra Capacity 5G and spearheading new technologies. This is what you get when you combine the best damn 5G network with the hardest working team in the industry.”

By 5G , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

AT&T and Dish Network win big in latest 5G spectrum auction

As wireless carriers in the U.S. look to build out their 5G networks, they’ve partly looked to acquire mid-band spectrum through auctions held by the FCC. Most talked about has been the C-Band. This was acquired by AT&T and Verizon and has experienced serious delays due to possible interference with aircraft tools. However, another major auction just took place. This time for licenses of wireless spectrum that sits between the 2.5 gigahertz and 3.5 gigahertz range of radio frequencies. In comparison, it was smaller than the previous C-Band auction. 

This auction, for the 3.45 GHz spectrum, started back in October. It has finally come to an end with AT&T and Dish network as its big winners. AT&T spent $9.1 billion and Dish spent $7.3 billion. T-Mobile was the third-highest bidder in the auction, spending $2.9 billion. Verizon Communications did not participate in the auction, likely because of the millions (together with AT&T) already spent on the C-Band.  

Per the FCC this past Friday, the auction brought in more than $22.5 billion in total proceeds for the 5G wireless spectrum. Congress required a portion of the proceeds, which are going to be used to pay for new equipment. This is meant to ensure that existing military equipment can coexist with cell towers and other gear used by wireless carriers when they deploy 5G service. All other money from the auction will go to the US Treasury. 

Overall, AT&T is still coming in at the bottom when compared to T-Mobile and Verizon in 5G coverage, though that could change with the addition of this mid-band spectrum. These airwaves were once reserved for the military, but will soon be used for 5G wireless service, hopefully without any delays! The mid-band spectrum has the ability to connect more devices and offer real-time feedback, which is helping to advance things like self-driving cars and advanced augmented reality experiences. Mid-band spectrum provides more-balanced coverage and capacity due to its ability to cover a several-mile radius with 5G, despite needing more cell sites than lower-tiered spectrum bands. 

Even after all the mid-band coverage, there is still demand for more mobile services. Wireless carriers have all been asking for more airwaves to be made available. In response, the FCC has been working to repurpose spectrum from other industries, including TV and satellite broadcasters. They’ve also looked to commercial entities for spectrum and are coordinating with certain government agencies like the Defense Department, to provide commercial providers with more access to spectrum. 

In recent years, the wireless industry has dedicated more than $100 billion into acquiring these airwave licenses. The FCC is planning for even more auctions in the future.

By 5G , , , , , , ,

5G Frequency Band Information

With the growing 5G coverage and release of more 5G modems on the router market, we thought it would be nice to ring in the new year with some facts about 5G frequency bands. 

  • Low-band 5G operates between 600-850 MHz. This is similar to what 4G networks currently use and is only moderately faster than 4G, between 50-250 Mbps offering similar coverage areas for each cell tower. Not all cities and regional operators are deploying low-band 5G towers; some are opting to start with mid-band towers. Even so, it’s possible for a 5G device to connect to a low-band 5G network and achieve speeds similar to 4G/LTE.                                                                       
  • Mid-band 5G operates in the 2.5-3.7 GHz range and delivers speeds between 100-900 Mbps. While offering less range per cell tower, this type of 5G is going to be the most common implementation of 5G networks for many years to come. It’s a reasonable compromise between network speed and range in both medium-density urban areas and less dense rural regions. 
  • High-band 5G is the band that is most commonly associated with 5G. Operating at 25-39 GHz, this is known as the “millimeter wave” spectrum and delivers gigabit speeds (some tests have shown as high as 3 Gbps). The tradeoff is that millimeter wave transmitters have very limited range and require the deployment of many small transmitters, so it’s only viable in urban areas where transmitters can be near closely spaced homes and buildings.
  • ISM Band (Industrial, Scientific and Medical band) This is not usually discussed, but it is a part of the radio spectrum that can be used for any purpose without a license in most countries. In the US, the 902-928 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5.7-5.8 GHz bands were initially used for machines that emitted radio frequencies, such as RF welders, industrial heaters and microwave ovens, but not for radio communications. In 1985, the FCC Rules (Part 15.247) opened up the ISM bands for wireless LANs and mobile communications. In 1997, it added additional bands in the 5 GHz range under Part 15.407, known as the Unlicensed National Information Infrastructure (U-NII). Europe’s HIPERLAN wireless LANs use the same 5 GHz bands, which are titled the “Broadband Radio Access Network.” Numerous applications use the ISM/U-NII bands, including cordless phones, wireless garage door openers, wireless microphones, vehicle tracking and amateur radio.

By 5G , , ,

How Does 5G Work?

5G is the fifth generation in cellular networks, but there are many layers to consider as we start to become immersed in this new technology. Using a different type of encoding than 4G LTE service, 5G is designed for much lower latency and greater flexibility. Its method for dispersing signals is almost spider web like in the way the infrastructure is set up. A system of cell sites are divided amongst different territories and send encoded data through radio waves. These cells are connected to the network backbone and can change size and shape as network capacity requires. This only adds to the complexity of maintaining LTE. 

As you may have seen just about anywhere, 5G coverage is not very expansive at this time. The industry is fixated on that, as well as increasing capacity (ideally by 4x over current networks). Accomplishing this will require leveraging new frequencies and antenna technologies. Believe it or not, but in addition to more coverage and capacity, there’s buzz about speeds up to 20Gbps and latency as low as 1ms! We’ll just wait and see.

Now with all the different names 5G has picked up over the last year, it’s important to know that not all 5G is created equal! There’s low band, middle band, and high band. If you’ve noticed different “Cat” versions of LTE modems, you’ve seen some support more frequencies than others (i.e. Cat 12 supports more than 6 and Cat 18 supports more than 12). 5G works similarly, and can run on the same bands as LTE, but as it is set on a range of airwaves – low, middle, and high. It’s also much like LTE band aggregation, which allows the cellular modem to connect to the cellular network using multiple frequency bands. The wider channels and range of frequencies 5G can operate over gives it the advantage. 

When it comes to low, middle, and high, it’s all about how many channels you can use when connecting, and the frequency at which they’re operating on. More channels won’t always mean more bandwidth in this case. Since 5G has the flexibility to work on any band, carriers can share those from 4G – this is known as dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS). This is how Verizon is able to say they have “nationwide” 5G. It’s just reusing some old LTE spectrum.

Low-band 5G operates in frequencies below 2GHz. While the coverage is great, the channels aren’t very wide and some are primarily for 4G, which makes this type slow.

Mid-band 5G is in the 2–10GHz range. These networks have decent range and because of that, it will likely be the one to carry the most traffic. T-Mobile’s “ultra capacity” 5G network runs on this mid-band, as well as low band at this time. AT&T and Verizon just bought into some spectrum here also, which they’ll likely start rolling out in late 2022.

High-band 5G, or millimeter-wave, is the newest and quite a bit faster than LTE. This is a range of spectrum that has never been used in the consumer market before. It’s very short range, but it can get to speeds over 3Gbps. This is what Verizon uses for their “ultra wideband” 5G network. AT&T and T-Mobile also have some high-band, but there hasn’t been much information about this.

For even more technical details about the differences in 5G, as well as application examples, check out the source article from PC Magazine.

By 5G , , , , , , ,