The Science Behind 5G
5G Recap
My previous blogs have taken a deep dive into what 5G is and why you should care about this very young exciting technology, I’m here today to talk about the technology and science behind 5G and how the implementation will take place I would like to thank you for taking the time to learn about such a exciting topic and I hope you enjoy my final blog on 5G.
The 5G and 4G Tango
The fully realized goal of 5G is complete coverage but at the moment this goal is seemingly not plausibly on a large scale. This has caused companies to make 5G networks designed to take advantage of the existing large coverage of 4G to work in tandem for the maximum speed and coverage that is currently possible.
We’ll now take a look at how this is possible, when a 5G connection is established the device will connect to both a 5G network to provide maximum speed and a 4G network to provide control signaling with a significant amount of the data traveling through the 4G network, but even still using this method you will still see an improvement in speed. This strategy will be used a majority of the time in places with very limited 5G coverage such as rural towns or highways and would not have to be used in very densely populated cities where true high band 5G can be utilized.
Obviously this strategy is not ideal due to the whole point of 5G is to be a significant improvement on the 4G technology but at this point 5G just doesn't have the range to make full high band coverage possible, but like all technology it evolves and improves and its a guarantee that 5G will follow suit.
How Does 5G Deliver
5G is based on the radio frequency spectrum ranging from 30 Hz to 3000 GHz like mostly ever other wireless based technology, your data travels along the wavelength from the end users device to a cellular base and vise versa when you receive data. But as you increase the radio frequency the smaller and more concise the wavelength becomes causing a reduction in the distance the wavelength can travel. This holds true for 5G as well as its based on this technology this is the cause behind 5Gs reduction in range but increase in speed, so let’s take a look at where 5G falls in this spectrum.
Currently the existing mobile spectrum uses below 6 GHz wavelengths 5G signal will use a significantly higher frequency wavelength at this stage of 5G around 26–39 GHz which is often referred to as millimeter wave (mmW) with hopes that in the future that 5G will take advantage of mmW frequencies up to 86 GHz which is still completely safe cause it still falls below the ionizing threshold which is about 300 GHz. This provides a 5G network with the capability to handle more users, more data and faster speeds compared to the older 4G technologies 6 GHz. But also leads to its reduction in range as I went into detail about earlier.
The Implementation
5G network architecture is made up of two main components, the ‘Radio Access Network’ and the ‘Core Network’.
- Radio Access Network: This consists of small cells, 5G towers, and dedicated built in home systems that will connect the end users 5G capable device to the core network. Small cells will be a major part of any 5G network they will deployed in clusters to be used as a sort of booster for the high band signals extending the coverage.
- The Core Network: This is the place where the mobile exchange and data network that handles all the mobile voice calls, the data interactions and internet connections for the 5G network.
This network architecture will be providing faster connections and more end devices being able to connect at one point. It will also introduce a great framework to build off of for 5G in the future and will be able to handle any improvements to the tech.
References
- https://venturebeat.com/2019/12/10/the-definitive-guide-to-5g-low-mid-and-high-band-speeds/
- https://www.buildings.com/articles/27358/benefits-using-5g-technology-commercial-building
- https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing-strategy/062916/5g-network-3-companies-invest-2020-qcom-nok.asp
- http://www.emfexplained.info/?ID=25916
- https://yatebts.com/documentation/concepts/radio-waves/radio-concepts/
