Facts and fiction you must know

5G networks continue to roll out around the world. This next generation of wireless communications is powered in part by a new technology known as millimeter wave (mmWave). US carriers are particularly enthusiastic about the technology, and it is also a key part of their rollout in China and Japan. Eventually, it will be used to varying degrees throughout the world. However, not all His 5G networks necessarily use mmWave technology, and some His 5G is sub-6GHz.

As with any new technology, there will inevitably be problems and hurdles to overcome before it becomes mainstream. In recent years, quite a few people have questioned mmWave technology, including its suitability over long distances, how well it can penetrate walls, and even whether the signal can be blocked by rain or the user’s hands. Questions arise as to whether Some of these issues are unfounded, but most have been resolved in recent years.

Although MmWave and 5G are often used almost synonymously, there are important differences between the two. Millimeter wave technology is just one of the technologies that can be used in 5G networks. You may have also heard of “low-band” frequencies and “sub-6GHz.” These are both part of the standard. Together, these technologies are designed to offer customers benefits such as much faster data speeds and more bandwidth.

The term millimeter wave refers to a specific part of the radio frequency spectrum between 24 GHz and 100 GHz, which has very short wavelengths. This section of the spectrum is largely unused, so millimeter wave technology aims to significantly increase the amount of available bandwidth. Lower frequencies are further congested by current 4G LTE networks, which typically range between 800 and 3,000 MHz, as well as TV and radio signals. Another benefit of this shorter wavelength is that data can be transferred faster, albeit over shorter distances.

Simply put, low frequency bands cover much longer distances but have slower data speeds, and high frequency bands cover a much smaller area but can carry more data. MmWave is just one part of the 5G picture, but carriers specifically talk about it because it delivers extremely high bandwidth and boasts some of the most impressive data speed numbers.

The purpose of mmWave is to increase the data bandwidth available to smaller, more densely populated areas. This will be a key part of 5G in many cities, powering data not only in sports stadiums, shopping malls, and convention centers, but basically anywhere data congestion can be an issue. Masu. In rural towns and villages, low bands below 6GHz and below 2GHz play a more important role in ensuring consistent coverage over large areas.

Millimeter waves do not penetrate walls

This is probably the most commonly cited issue with 5G phones and networks, and it’s true to some extent. Most building materials, such as cement and brick, attenuate and reflect very high frequency signals, resulting in high losses and little chance of receiving very useful signals traveling from inside to outside. Signal loss also occurs in air, so frequencies above 28GHz are anyway limited to about 1 kilometer. He may be able to use 5G mmWave even next to a window, since the degree of attenuation of high-frequency signals by wood and glass is small.

This reflective property works both ways. Line-of-sight with the 5G antenna is not required to receive the signal. 5G networks use beamforming to direct radio waves away from obstacles and toward your phone. One reason this works is because 5G equipment uses multiple antennas to send and receive signals, combining data from multiple streams to strengthen the overall signal and increase bandwidth. This works both outdoors, where buildings reflect the signal, and indoors, where walls reflect the signal. Carriers could definitely install beamforming transmitters inside stadiums and large malls.

In summary, very high frequency 5G signals don’t travel very far and don’t transfer well from indoors to outdoors. However, with massive MIMO and beamforming, strict line-of-sight is no longer required to take advantage of mmWave. Millimeter wave signals may not be able to penetrate deep into a building, but will reflect around the building to ensure a good signal. Indoors, people have to rely more on sub-6GHz and low-band signals.

I can’t even get through it

This is also partially true, for similar reasons mentioned above. The human body is pretty good at blocking high frequency radio waves. Part of our body is water, which has a moderate density. This is one reason why Bluetooth headphones don’t always work if your phone is blocked by your body.

Perhaps the hands aren’t enough to block the entire signal, but they can certainly be in the way enough to make an already mediocre or poor signal worse or even useless. At the very least, it may slow down or disrupt the flow of data.

In the worst case scenario, grabbing your phone or not can be the difference between a 1 signal bar and a 0 signal bar. That’s obviously no good.

However, there is a solution to this problem. It involves placing multiple millimeter wave antennas around the phone. After all, it almost never covers the sides and top of your phone at the same time.

Qualcomm’s 5G reference design smartphone suggests that the handset should use three antenna modules to ensure robust signal coverage. Four if you move to a 5G hotspot that can handle the additional power consumption. Millimeter wave smartphones on the market implement similar multi-antenna designs for this very reason. Although battery life is an issue with some mmWave phones, there is no need to turn on all three antenna modules at the same time. The smartphone turns these modules on and off depending on which module is receiving the best coverage to reduce power consumption.

This sounds pretty awful. It’s not that 5G won’t work in the rain at all, but there’s some truth to this.

Similar to the previous two points, rain in the air adds even more density and attenuates the signal as it travels. Moisture can cause the same problem. However, this is not a new phenomenon for his 5G. “Rain fade” is a problem for modern GPS and other high frequency satellite communication systems. True, they work far into space, and 5G can run into problems at just a few hundred meters.

When it rains, the millimeter wave signal strength decreases slightly, which may initially result in a slight decrease in speed and then cause connection issues. The extent to which it deteriorates depends on other factors, such as the intensity of the rain and the distance from the cell tower. Rain is most problematic when connecting to the edge of a mmWave base station’s range.

Millimeter waves are harmful to health

I’ve covered this before, but I’m not going to dignify the conspiracy theory any further. No, that’s not true. Of course, we always welcome new and thorough research that helps us better understand the risks, but there are currently no reliable indications of health risks.

Millimeter wave is arguably the shortest range technology being used in next-generation networks, but it’s not so short that it’s useless. A base station may provide a direct communication range of up to 1 kilometer, but 500 meters (approximately 1,500 feet) is probably safer considering obstructions and foliage.

It’s obviously not a huge area. To cover the same area that 4G networks currently cover, more base stations will need to be placed closer together. This is why mmWave is unlikely to be deployed in rural areas or small towns. It will probably be used only in urban centers, covering the maximum number of consumers in a small space.

Remember, millimeter wave is just one part of the larger 5G spectrum. Sub-6GHz and low-band spectrum, like Wi-Fi, provides a backbone that provides coverage where high-frequency signals cannot reach and provides high data speeds.

We’ve already seen the first Gigabit LTE networks delivering faster speeds than you can actually use. So what’s the point of expensive new 5G technology?

Bandwidth, speed, and to a lesser extent latency are big selling points for consumers, and 5G makes this easier to achieve. 4G LTE can reach gigabit speeds or higher in ideal circumstances, but in many countries current LTE networks do not have the spectrum or capacity to deliver these speeds to all consumers. Especially not when hundreds or thousands of users are online at the same time. 5G aims to use a wider range of spectrum to increase the amount of available bandwidth and deliver ultra-fast speeds for real-world use cases.

Additionally, many backend enhancements and new use cases will emerge with the eventual rollout of 5G standalone specifications over the next few years. This will lead to more meaningful changes, especially in the types of use cases that 5G can enable, such as mass Internet of Things and smart cities.

MmWave technology is the basis of 5G networks, enabling faster data speeds and much higher bandwidth than ever before. This technique has limitations, primarily in terms of area and susceptibility to obstacles, but it works.

Carriers and equipment vendors such as Samsung and Qualcomm have demonstrated some of the benefits and are already offering mmWave technology to consumers. Telecom operators love to show off their flashy new technology, but mmWave isn’t the only frequency range that will help build next-generation networks.

I’m still on the fence about how big of a change 5G will bring to the way we use our smartphones. We are still waiting for its mandatory application, so to speak. 5G’s promise of high data speeds could replace the need for wired fiber, enable low-latency AR and VR applications, and improve connectivity on the move, all of which sounds like a very good thing. I think so. MmWave is a critical part of building these next-generation applications, but we’re still waiting for them to change our lives for the better.