Network operators are on the cusp of delivering a wide variety of 5G services and applications. To deliver many of these new experiences, operators need to consider diverse technical requirements. Many of the requirements can be addressed through the proper use of frequency bands as each one of the bands has distinctive characteristics. For example, traditional wireless voice calls do not require much bandwidth and are not latency sensitive. In contrast, smart manufacturing operations need massive connections and high data speed to control their production and quality control systems.
Think of the bands as being different highways that carry data from one point to another. These “highways” are either long and narrow or short and wide, allowing the network to meet the various needs of different applications. The 5G spectrum is generally classified as either sub-6 GHz or mmWave, and the characteristics of these two spectrum ranges allow operators to deliver distinct services to enterprises and users.
Sub-6GHz Spectrum (Low- and Mid-Band)
Sub-6 GHz spectrum, which usually operates at frequencies below 6 GHz, is a spectrum that can provide wide coverage and good speed. Think of the spectrum as the traditional interstate highway system that spans the east and west coasts and the northern and southern borders that carry goods across the U.S. The sub-6 GHz spectrum offers distinctive “highways” that can support the needs of various services. It has excellent propagation characteristics, which means that the signal travels long distances and penetrates buildings well, allowing 5G services in this spectrum to cover a larger geographic area, albeit at a comparatively lower speed than services offered in higher band spectrums. This is because the lower frequency is more like a narrow lane, limiting the speed at which data can be transmitted, but offers much better coverage (i.e., distance traveled).
The sub-6 GHz spectrum can be further divided into the lower band, which is typically below 1 GHz frequency, and the mid-band, which is a range between 1 and 6 GHz frequencies. The low-band spectrum provides the widest coverage; this is where traditional services like 2G, 3G, and more recently 4G operate. Operators use the low-band spectrum to provide services that require blanket-like indoor and outdoor coverage. They include voice and data services for end-users and enterprises, and highly scalable enterprise IoT applications, which do not require ultra-high speed.
Today, regulatory bodies in the U.S. are making more mid-band frequencies available for 5G operations. Channels in the mid-band ranges like in C-Band (3.7-3.98GHz) and CBRS (3.55-3.7GHz) offer an excellent balance of speed and coverage, without higher operating costs incurred when supporting more cell sites. The recent C-Band auction of 280 MHz spectrum range from 3.7 to 3.98 GHz, completed in the U.S. in January 2021, saw winners investing more than US $80B – far exceeding all previous auctions – to support 5G deployments.
mmWave Spectrum (High-Band)
Millimeter-wave or mmWave spectrum has abundant lanes. Bands in this range operate at frequencies currently above 24 GHz. This range is called the high-band and offers exceptionally high data speeds and data throughput. In other words, on these lanes, more cars (virtually unlimited) can travel simultaneously at extremely high speeds – for a certain distance.
The high data speeds, achieved in the mmWave spectrum, serve as a foundation to push the limit of 5G and as a catalyst to bring new, immersive services to our lives. Potential use cases of this band could be high-frequency stock trading, 4K live broadcasting, AR/VR entertainments and more. In addition, the venues, where highly concentrated data traffic is expected to arise, are ideal places for mmWave. For instance, in a smart factory, numerous IoT devices are connected with each other to perform mission-critical operations, creating hot spots. Moreover, in large public venues, such as stadiums and shopping malls, waves of spectators and shoppers use various immersive 5G use cases to enjoy the new mobile experiences. To support such high mobile data traffics in both cases, mmWave is a key to bringing these new use cases into reality, since it has ability to lay down “wide highways.”
Samsung’s Solutions
Samsung is driving the next wave of innovation in 5G by providing radio solutions in the sub-6 GHz and mmWave spectrum, powering multiple industry verticals such as manufacturing, utilities, government, education, logistics, and healthcare, as well as enabling better indoor experiences for residential consumers and small businesses.
Samsung’s latest offering includes C-Band Massive MIMO radio, which is based on Samsung’s field-proven Massive MIMO technologies used to provide nationwide 5G services in Korea. The C-Band Massive MIMO radio has three times higher bandwidth capacity and two times higher output power to the previous platform, enabling mobile operators to increase their coverage range, boost data speeds and offer enriched 5G experiences to users in the U.S.
