5G is the latest and greatest generation of wireless technology in a storied line of network standards (1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and now, 5G). There’s a reason why everyone’s talking about it. This technology has the ability to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity to our mobile devices, as well as our go-to gadgets, like camera doorbells, app-controlled lights, smart appliances, voice assistants, security systems and beyond. It’s allowed us to free ourselves from the confines of messy cords and wires and stay effortlessly connected like never before.
What you may not know is that there are many different layers within a strong 5G network—and each has different capabilities that serve different purposes. So, to answer the question, “What is 5G mmWave?” we need to take a closer look at the network as a whole to get a better understanding. Let’s get started.
- 5G Ultra Capacity (UC). Let’s begin with5G UC, a term that T-Mobile uses to describe a part of our 5G network that utilizes both mid-band and high-band 5G frequencies. mmWave is a high-band frequency. The benefits of 5G mmWave? This technology is amazing in that it delivers the ultra-fast speeds, low latency and massive capacity needed to enable once-futuristic technologies like autonomous vehicles and remote surgery, as well as real-time gaming and our favorite IoT devices, to name a few. It’s great for high-demand areas like big cities and other dense urban zones. But—it can’t work alone. Why? Because the signal doesn’t travel very well through obstacles, like buildings, walls, foliage and such. That’s why it’s important to supplement mmWave’s high-frequency benefits with mid-band technology (which is less impacted by obstacles) in order to provide better coverage. As good as these two technologies are together, they’re just a piece of the puzzle. That’s where the next few layers of our network come in to play.
- 5G Extended Range. While 5G UC uses both mmWave and mid-band frequencies, Extended Range uses a low-band frequency. Why? It can travel farther (over hundreds of square miles) and can pass through more obstacles, providing even more coverage and a stronger signal indoors and out. You’d think that would be enough, but there’s another important aspect to providing complete coverage.
If all of this seems like a lot to digest, here’s a quick breakdown:
Breakdown
5G high-band (mmWave)
- Support for a large number of connected devices; Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem
- High bandwidth enables faster data transfer rates and advanced applications needing high-speed data transmission
- Reduced latency (the time it takes for data to travel between devices)
- Good for densely populated urban areas where network congestion is a concern
- Challenges: Permeating buildings, thick walls, metal infrastructure & other obstacles
5G mid-band
- Travels through obstacles better than mmWave
- Good data rates compared to low-band
- Higher data capacity compared to low-band
- Good for supplementing coverage for things like video streaming, gaming, and high-speed internet access
- Challenges: Susceptible to interference; Limited data capacity compared to mmWave
5G low-band
- Can travel long distances
- Able to penetrate obstacles like buildings, walls, metal, foliage, etc.
- Reliable indoor coverage
- Less susceptible to interference compared to higher bands
- Challenges: Lower data capacity/slower data rates; struggles to support high-bandwidth applications like video streaming, online gaming & cutting-edge technologies
4G LTE
- Coverage in areas where 5G is unavailable (rural communities, limited infrastructure)
- Support for older phones & devices that aren’t 5G capable
- Challenges: Slower data speeds, lower capacity and higher latency compared to 5G.
Want to learn more about 5G? You may also be interested in:
Sources:
https://www.androidauthority.com/what-is-5g-mmwave-933631
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/coverage/t-mobile-network
https://www.t-mobile.com/coverage/coverage-map
https://www.t-mobile.com/home-internet/faq
https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/latest-sim-for-great-network-experience#FAQs