WIRELESS NETWORKS
By Dan Payerle Barrera, Global
Product Manager – Data Cable
Testers, IDEAL Networks
23
While 5G promises improved mobile performance,
cable providers and LAN cabling installers
shouldn’t panic just yet
www.idealnetworks.net
Interest around 5G built significantly during 2018, with
major mobile network providers across the world conducting
testing and smartphone manufacturers preparing to
release 5G enabled handsets. So, how did we get here? To
understand why 5G is different, it’s necessary to look back at
the progress of mobile or cellular systems.
Having started out with AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone
System) analogue mobile telephones, the first phones
with data capability were launched around the turn of the
century with GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) systems.
This offered advanced text messaging capability, MMS
(multi-media messaging) and basic web page browsing.
However, it wasn’t until the introduction of 3G that data
rates supported an Internet experience somewhat like the
way you would on a home Internet connection.
The big step forward was the advent of 4G (aka LTE
– long term evolution), which saw a huge change in the
core technology used for mobile network infrastructure
and mobile devices. 4G provided a significant increase
in bandwidth to mobile devices, while in some cases the
upgrades to the network infrastructure were limited to
replacing equipment and didn’t necessarily require the
installation of new towers/cells in areas that already had
3G coverage.
How 5G is different
It would be easy to presume that 5G is a straightforward
upgrade from 4G, using the existing cell towers and updated
software to enhance performance. In fact, 5G requires a
significant infrastructure change. Not only will existing
mobile towers require updating, but additional towers will
need to be added. However, the big difference is that 5G
will rely on the seamless integration of mobile broadband
networks operating at new frequency spectrums with Wi-Fi
hotspots to provide network users with the required level of
consistent service. In other words, a phone will switch from
a mobile signal to a provider’s Wi-Fi automatically when in
range to preserve capacity on the mobile network.
The limitations of 5G
The big promise of 5G is higher data rates compared to
previous generations. However, as we already know from
PEAK DATA RATES
Frequency
Spectrum
Windows
4G
0.1-0.5 Gbit/s
5G
0.1-0.5 Gbit/s
Approx.
Distance
700 MHz 4000 m
900 MHz 3100 m
1.8 GHz 1500 m
2.1 GHz 1300 m
2.3 GHz 1200 m
Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz
2.6 GHz
*200 m
1100 m
3.4-3.8 GHz 750 m
Wi-Fi 5.8 GHz *80 m
24-27 GHz 110 m
37-44 GHz 70 m
66-71 GHz 40 m
*Wi-Fi power limited to approximately 85% less than cellular
common Wi-Fi frequencies, there’s a relationship between
data speed and the distance that the signal can travel.
For instance, while a 5.8GHz Wi-Fi frequency offers clear
advantages in terms of the amount and speed of data, users
tend to find that the lower 2.4GHz frequency offers stronger
signal strength with distance and therefore better service
if you’re further away from the Wi-Fi access point. Lower
frequencies can also penetrate through walls and other
physical obstructions.
Mobile frequencies, such as 5G, are no different. The
further the signal reaches, the fewer cell towers are needed
to provide service. As 5G will utilise higher frequency
windows, around 30-70GHz depending on the carrier, it will
www.networkseuropemagazine.com