Types of 5G: Which type is right for your organization?

5G technology is not an all-purpose solution that can enable digital innovation at the touch of a button. There are three types of 5G that business leaders need to understand, each with unique use cases and capabilities.

5G radios are categorized into three types: low-band, mid-band, and high-band, named according to the radio frequency spectrum they support.

• low band 5G It transmits data at frequencies between 600 and 900 MHz.
• Mid-band 5G Transmit between 1GHz and 6GHz
• High-bandwidth 5G Transmits between 24 and 47 GHz.

All major North American carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and Google (and most carriers worldwide) offer all three bands. Before we look at what each band offers, let’s take a closer look at the 5G technology itself, how it works, and why companies around the world are interested in its potential.

What is 5G?

5G, or fifth generation mobile technology, is a new specification for wireless networks developed in 2018 by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3DPP) to guide the development of devices including smartphones, PCs, tablets, and more. 5G network.

Like previous wireless technology standards such as 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE, 5G sends and receives data over radio waves. However, thanks to improvements in latency and bandwidth, 5G networks can deliver much faster upload and download speeds. Download speeds on some 5G networks can reach 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), making them ideal for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of Things (IoT).

As 5G use cases increase, so does the demand for networks that can support devices running on 5G. In North America alone, more than 200 million households currently have access to 5G connection speeds (link resides outside ibm.com), and this number is expected to double in the next four years.

How 5G works

Like other types of wireless networks, 5G technology operates in geographic areas of coverage divided into “cells.” Within each cell, devices such as 5G mobile phones, PCs, IoT sensors, etc. can be connected to the Internet through radio waves. This same method of establishing a connection was used in previous generations of wireless networks, but technological improvements in 5G allow for much faster speeds.

New RAT standard

The 5G New Radio (NR) standard for cellular networks, established by 3DPP in 2018, defines the next-generation radio access technology (RAT) specifications for all 5G mobile networks. Crucially, the new RATs launched in 2018 open up the 5G spectrum above 6 GHz, a frequency band previously unused by cellular devices.

network slicing

Another major development in the 5G rollout in 2018 was the addition of network slicing. 5G gives telecom operators the ability to deploy independent virtual networks in addition to public networks using the same 5G infrastructure. This feature, unique to 5G, gives users more functionality when working remotely while maintaining a high level of security.

private network

5G-enabled enterprises can build fully private networks with personalization and security features that allow more control and mobility for employees across a wide range of use cases.

How 5G differs from other networks

5G has been recognized as having transformative potential across a variety of industries, thanks to the higher frequencies it uses and its new capabilities to transmit large amounts of data quickly and securely. Since the introduction of broadband technology in the early 2000s, the amount of data generated by wireless devices has grown exponentially. Today, cutting-edge technologies like AI and ML require too much data to run on traditional networks. On the other hand, 5G devices are perfectly suited for applications with large data requirements. Here are the key differences between 5G and previous generations:

• Smaller physical space: 5G transmitters are smaller than those used in 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE networks, and small cells with segmented coverage areas require less power.
• Improved error rate: 5G deployments use adaptive modulation and coding scheme (MCS), a data transmission schematic that is much more powerful than the schemes used in 3G and 4G networks. As a result, the block error rate (BER), which is the frequency of network errors in 5G, is much lower.
• Better Bandwidth: By using a wider range of radio frequencies than previous generations of networks, 5G can support more devices on the network at once.
• Low Latency: 5G’s low latency (a measure of how long it takes for data to travel between devices on a network) will make activities like playing video games, downloading files, and working in the cloud much faster than on other types of wireless networks.

5G network type

Here’s a closer look at the three types of 5G networks and why businesses should consider them.

Low-band 5G

Low-band 5G operates at frequencies between 600 and 900 MHz, which is very close to the frequencies of TV and radio stations. While not “lightning fast” by any means, these frequencies are still significantly faster than 4G speeds (in some cases up to 10 times) and can travel long distances and cover large areas. For users willing to sacrifice speed for reach, low-band 5G is a great option.

Mid-band 5G

Although faster than low-band, mid-band 5G still cannot reach the speeds needed for cutting-edge applications such as AI, ML, and IoT. Mid-band 5G operates at frequencies ranging from 1 to 6 GHz, giving it more capacity to move larger amounts of data, but not over large areas. One important consideration for businesses looking to leverage mid-band 5G networks is the fact that buildings and other solid structures can impede connections, especially at the higher end of the bandwidth.

High-bandwidth 5G

High-bandwidth 5G may not be able to travel as far, but it can deliver the ultrafast speeds that 5G’s most exciting applications require. High-bandwidth 5G sets the standard for a variety of innovative technologies, including autonomous vehicles, robotics, and smart cities. Much of this vaunted speed and performance is thanks to 5G’s millimeter wave (mmWave) technology, a specific spectrum between 30 and 300 GHz.

• Millimeter Wave (wwWave): The use cases for mmWaves are slightly different from other types of 5G networks and include data centers, streaming video, and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) that require higher speeds and performance than low-band spectrum and mid-band 5G networks can deliver. ) includes. . Although mmWave 5G is superior to other types of 5G in terms of speed and performance, it suffers from the same limitations related to line-of-sight interference. For example, buildings, dense foliage, and even heavy rain can disrupt 5G mmWave connections.
• Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS): To combat some of the line-of-sight issues that arise with higher-band 5G frequencies, some carriers are deploying 5G on the same frequencies typically used by 4G phones and devices. Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, or DSS, technology allows organizations to achieve 5G speeds without replacing existing infrastructure.

5G features and standards

In addition to speed, 5G technology is more secure and reliable than previous generations of wireless networks, bringing new features and benefits that businesses of all kinds should consider.

• Highly reliable, low-latency communication: Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC) is a new communications capability specifically designed to support the latency and reliability requirements of IoT and other high-demand applications running on 5G networks. With URLLC, communication speeds are instantaneous, no matter where both parties are physically located. URLLC uses AR/VR headsets to enable a wide range of tasks, from automation and remote vehicle operation to gaming.
• Enhanced Mobile Broadband: Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) technology is a new standard for 5G services that improves bandwidth and reduces latency compared to 4G. The eMBB guidelines, developed by 3GPP as part of the 5G NR standard, serve to improve a wide range of media services by increasing data rates, bandwidth, and throughput across 5G networks. Applications covered by the eMBB standard include video streaming, gaming, and AR/VR workloads.
• Large machine type communication: Massive Machine Type Communication (MMTC) is another standard released by 3GPP as part of the 5G NR guidelines to specifically address services and applications leveraging IoT technologies. mMTC typically addresses network architectures designed for high-speed, low-latency communication between multiple IoT devices and/or machines on a single network. Examples of mMTC include smart transportation networks, smart factories, and smart energy grids.

5G use cases

Due to its speed, latency requirements, and reliability, 5G is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about enabling technologies today. From driverless cars to smart energy grids to remote operating rooms, here are the most exciting developments enabled by 5G.

• Self-driving cars: From taxis and drones to pilotless airplanes, 5G is powering the most advanced designs of self-driving cars. Before 5G, driverless cars were little more than a dream due to data requirements that previous wireless network standards could not meet. Today, the connection speeds of 5G are enabling breakthroughs in remote or autonomous driving operations of cars, trains, airplanes, and more.
• Smart Factory: Along with AI, ML, and IoT technologies, 5G will help factories become safer, smarter, and more efficient, thanks to breakthroughs in everything from fuel efficiency and equipment repairs to remotely operated cameras that can help prevent theft and make the workplace safer. I’m making it. For example, in a busy warehouse, IoT-connected drones and cameras running on 5G networks can help find and transport goods faster and more efficiently than human workers, all with a lower carbon footprint.
• smart city: Hyper-connected urban environments are starting to rely on 5G networks to fuel innovation in areas such as law enforcement, waste management, and disaster mitigation. Some cities are using 5G-enabled sensors to track traffic patterns in real time and adjust signals to alter flows, minimize congestion, and improve air quality. 5G power grids will also monitor supply and demand in populated areas and deploy AI and ML applications to “learn” when energy demand is high or low.
• Smart Healthcare: The healthcare industry has been one of the biggest and earliest beneficiaries of 5G connection speeds. One example is the field of robotics and remote surgery using high-definition live streams connected to the internet via 5G networks. Another is mobile healthcare, where 5G will allow healthcare workers in the field to quickly and securely access patient records, allowing them to make faster, more informed decisions with the potential to save lives. Lastly, during the pandemic, contact tracing and outbreak mapping via 5G has played a huge role in keeping people safe.
• Edge Computing: Edge computing, a computing framework that allows computations to be performed closer to the data source, is quickly becoming the standard for companies that view data processing as one of their core competencies. According to a Gartner white paper (link resides outside ibm.com), by 2025, 75% of enterprise data will be processed at the edge (compared to just 10% today). These changes, powered by 5G connectivity and speeds, will save businesses time and money, and enable them to control large amounts of data more efficiently.

5G solutions with IBM Cloud Satellite

Before businesses can fully take advantage of 5G, they need a platform built for it. IBM Cloud Satellite enables businesses of all kinds to deploy and run apps consistently across on-premises, edge computing, and public cloud environments in 5G networks. And all of this is made possible through secure, auditable communications within the IBM Cloud.

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