The global adoption of 5G technology has been far more complicated than the previous wireless standards.

Considering 5G requires new levels of performance, carriers must negotiate a treacherous sea of radio frequencies in order to provide the highest speeds and coverage possible. Previous GSM, 3G, and 4G/LTE technologies operated on a very restricted spectrum of frequencies, limiting carriers’ options for network deployment. 5G, on the other hand, spans the full spectrum, from low-band 600MHz to extremely high 47GHz frequencies.

As a result, 5G provides carriers with a plethora of alternatives for how to effectively build out their 5G networks, allowing them to strive for an optimum mix of coverage and performance. In an ideal world, this would give the finest 5G for everyone. However, things are far more difficult in the actual world.

The mmWave explained

The mmWave, or “millimeter wave,” frequencies, which span from 24GHz to 47GHz, are located at the upper end of the 5G spectrum. Millimeter wave is technically described as the Extremely High Frequency (EHF) range from 30GHz to 300GHz, so termed because wavelengths can be as small as one millimeter at these frequencies.

Nevertheless, similar to the C-band spectrum, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) redefined the lower end of the mmWave range in the United States to begin in the upper range of the Super High Frequency (SHF) zone, beginning at 24GHz and crossing into EHF on the way to 47GHz, which is currently the top end of the spectrum allocated for 5G.

The FCC intends to license even higher mmWave spectrum in the future, including the currently unlicensed 57–64GHz band as well as the little utilized 71GHz, 81GHz, and 92GHz frequencies. However, it is still a few years away, especially as carriers have yet to fully utilize the mmWave spectrum they now have.

Speed and range

The 2.4GHz signal from your network will most certainly cover your entire home but at slow speeds, whereas the 5GHz frequencies give outstanding performance for gaming and streaming but may not reach your basement or back room.

When it comes to radio waves, this is exactly how the rules of physics function. Higher frequencies move quicker but not as far as lower and slower frequencies.

Cellular carriers confront the same issues in providing strong and fast signals to their consumers as you would in locating the best location for your Wi-Fi router. It’s just that carriers face this on a much wider scale.

Only Verizon spent extensively on mmWave in its early 5G installations among US operators. AT&T experimented with it, whereas T-Mobile mostly avoided it.

Verizon’s risk enabled it to advertise blisteringly fast 5G speeds early on. According to an OpenSignal 2020 analysis, Verizon has a vast worldwide advantage, with average download speeds more than twice as fast as its nearest competitor, South Korea’s LG U+.

Rather than basing its whole 5G network on mmWave, like Verizon did, AT&T has concentrated on supplementing its lower-frequency 5G with mmWave cells in densely populated regions such as stadiums and airports.

This takes use of one of mmWave’s most significant advantages. The incredibly high frequencies not only provide additional bandwidth for individual users, but also allow it to handle congestion significantly more effectively.

Other mmWave spectrum has been licensed by several carriers as well, however much of it is unlikely to be used anytime soon.

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