5G can offer game-changing benefits such as high speed, low latency and massive capacity. As Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg says, it isn't "just another tech innovation, it's the platform that makes other innovations possible."
That said, the coverage and performance of 5G depends on the spectrum—lowband, midband, or highband—used to deliver it. Here are some things you need to know about 5G spectrum bands and spectrum.
Which part of the radio spectrum is used by 5G that wasn’t used in 4G?
The millimeter frequencies in the high band of the radio spectrum are available for the first time with 5G. As part of the extremely high frequency (EHF) band, it has a frequency range between 24 GHz and 53 GHz. Verizon's millimeter wavelength (mmWave)-based 5G operates at frequencies of about 28 GHz and 39 GHz.
Why are 5G spectrum bands so important?
Different 5G spectrum bands offer different performance characteristics. Millimeter wave spectrum offers 5G with the fastest speeds, lowest latency and highest capacity. These high band radio waves have limited range and are more easily absorbed by trees and nearby buildings. This makes them suitable for densely packed open areas where thousands of people are in a tight space such as a stadium, where users are in close proximity to cell transmitters. By contrast, lowband 5G–below 1 Ghz for instance–doesn't lose signal power as quickly, so it can offer broader coverage and provide better indoor reception because it can penetrate walls. But its performance is like 4G LTE.
What is 5G operating on mmWave or C-band best suited for?
The 5G spectrum that leverages millimeter or C-band improves user experience and enables expanded use cases for the Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial automation. It is also critical for smart cities, as 5G capacity is necessary for handling many devices that require large amounts of data in a short period of time. The 5G spectrum also enables reliable data transmission in high-density areas such as airports, factories, stadiums and large urban centers.
How might a wireless provider allocate 5G spectrum?
Carriers use different 5G spectrum bands depending on the service area and application types. Areas that demand more data, such as a large city, can benefit from the deployment of 5G using higher frequencies.
Why is C-band important?
C-band offers the potential to deliver a fast internet experience to consumers, and support innovative business use cases across multiple sectors. C-band operates at the mid-band spectrum of cellular broadband network frequencies between 3.7 GHz and 3.98 GHz to balance performance and coverage.
Verizon's ongoing rapid 5G Ultra Wideband expansion includes deploying new C-band equipment on macro cell towers. This massive expansion also involves deploying the new 5G Ultra Wideband service using small cells, enhancing both access to and the capacity of 5G using C-band spectrum.
Learn more about the different use cases of Verizon's 5G for business.
The author of this content is a paid contributor for Verizon.