5G technology operates across a wide range of frequencies, divided into three main categories: low-band, mid-band, and high-band (millimeter wave or mmWave). Here’s a detailed breakdown:
1. Low-Band 5G
- Frequency Range: Below 1 GHz, typically between 600 MHz and 1 GHz.
- Characteristics:
- Coverage: Excellent for wide-area and rural coverage due to its ability to travel long distances and penetrate buildings.
- Speed: Lower speeds compared to mid-band and high-band, often similar to 4G LTE.
- Use Cases: Ideal for broad coverage and basic connectivity.
2. Mid-Band 5G
- Frequency Range: Between 1 GHz and 6 GHz, with a common focus around 3.3 GHz to 3.8 GHz.
- Characteristics:
- Coverage: Good balance between coverage and capacity, suitable for urban and suburban areas.
- Speed: Higher speeds than low-band, offering a good mix of coverage and performance.
- Use Cases: Enhanced mobile broadband, IoT applications, and general urban connectivity.
3. High-Band 5G (mmWave)
- Frequency Range: Typically between 24 GHz and 39 GHz, but can extend up to 71 GHz.
- Characteristics:
- Coverage: Limited range and poor penetration through obstacles like buildings and trees.
- Speed: Extremely high speeds and low latency, capable of delivering gigabit-per-second data rates.
- Use Cases: Dense urban areas, stadiums, and other high-traffic environments where high capacity and low latency are crucial.
Technical Details
- Frequency Range 1 (FR1): Covers sub-6 GHz frequencies, including traditional cellular bands and new spectrum allocations from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz.
- Frequency Range 2 (FR2): Includes mmWave frequencies from 24.25 GHz to 71.0 GHz.
Why Different Frequencies Matter
- Low-Band: Provides broad coverage and reliable connectivity over long distances, but with lower data rates.
- Mid-Band: Offers a balanced approach with decent coverage and higher data rates, making it ideal for most urban and suburban deployments.
- High-Band (mmWave): Delivers ultra-fast speeds and low latency but is limited to short-range applications due to its inability to penetrate obstacles effectively.