You’ve probably heard that 5G uses the millimeter wave spectrum to reach its 10 Gbps speeds. But it also uses the low- and mid-band spectrums, just like 4G. Without all three spectrums, 5G wouldn’t be reliable.
So, what’s the difference between these spectrums? Why do they transfer data at different speeds, and why are they all critical to 5G’s success?
How Do Electromagnetic Frequencies Transfer Data?
Before we get too deep into low-band, mid-band, and millimeter wave, we need to understand how wireless data transmission works. Otherwise, we’ll have trouble wrapping our heads around the differences between these three spectrums.
Radio waves and microwaves are invisible to the naked eye, but they’re literally shaped like waves. As a wave’s frequency increases, the distance between each wave (the wavelength) gets shorter. Your phone measures wavelength to identify frequencies and to “hear” the data that a frequency is trying to transmit.
But a stable, unchanging frequency can’t “talk” to your phone. It needs to be modulated by subtly increasing and decreasing the frequency rate. Your phone observes these tiny modulations by measuring changes in wavelength and then translates those measurements into data.
If it helps, think of this as binary and Morse code combined. If you’re trying to transmit Morse code with a flashlight, you can’t just leave the flashlight on. You have to “modulate” it in a way that can be interpreted as language.
RELATED: What Is 5G, and How Fast Will It Be?
5G Works Best with All Three Spectrums
Wireless data transfer has a serious limitation: frequency is tied too closely to bandwidth.
Waves that operate at a low frequency have long wavelengths, so modulations happen at a snail’s pace. In other words, they “talk” slow, which leads to a low bandwidth (slow Internet).
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Source : Not All 5G Is Equal: Millimeter Wave, Low-Band, and Mid-Band Explained
