5G is the new generation of mobile internet, with the potential to completely revolutionize the way people and things communicate. Given the many changes that are occurring with the expansion of this technology in the world, the appearance of various terms related to 5G is also becoming more frequent in our daily lives.
In order to better understand everything that involves this increasingly real universe in our lives, we need to know more about what latency, UWB, 5G SA, 5G NSA, etc. mean. Therefore, let's take a closer look at some of the main terms about 5G.
5G NR and 5GE
The standard name for 5G coverage is 5G NR (New Radio), which refers to the radio waves that transmit the signals of the new mobile internet. 5G NR is a global standardization term for the air interface of 5G networks developed by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project – organization made up of mobile technology companies from Europe, Asia and North America).
A kind of 5G Evolution alternative has emerged in the United States by the operator AT&T, announcing a 5GE, which is not 5G. In other words, it is fake, as it is an advanced 4G or advanced LTE (LTE and 4G, in Brazil, are the same thing). Advanced 4G can be 10 times faster than the original (but it is not 5G, again).
Claro and TIM in Brazil have featured 4,5G (which is LTE Advanced Pro) in recent ads and have been criticized for possible dishonesty in emphasizing the number 5 and the letter G in advertisements. The differences between LTE Advanced Pro and 5G are very large, with the new mobile internet being far superior.
5G NSA and 5G SA
The deployment of 5G goes through stages and advances, as it did with the previous 3G and 4G networks. 5G NSA maintains its dependence on the 4G network core to function properly, because it is not yet standalone (Non-Standalone, or NSA).
5G NSA is not autonomous, as it requires the entire existing antenna structure and even devices. Some of the networks and devices in the world can already support 5G through software updates. However, the evolution of the network tends to achieve autonomy.
So, 5G SA (Standalone, or SA) is the future of 5G NR deployment, when the new mobile network will be able to operate on its own. 5G SA will likely enable cheaper deployment and distribution, with a wide range of speeds, throughput, and latency offerings.
That's why 5G SA will provide unique networks for different scenarios and uses in commercial, residential, industrial and public areas. For devices, the modem will dictate whether a smartphone will be NSA or SA, for example. Devices need to support 5G networks and advances in this segment even present potential for future 5G upgrades, as is the case with Qualcomm's 5G Snapdragon X65.
DSS
DSS is the term in 5G used for Dynamic Spectrum Sharing, used by Claro in Brazil. When an operator wants to use its 4G spectrum for 5G, it has to decide between discontinuing 4G service or sharing 4G service with 5G. DSS is the best way to do this sharing.
For example, tower equipment changes how much spectrum should be available for each type of connection in real time, i.e. dynamically. Thus, in milliseconds, the network can be adjusted to suit different types of loads.
In short, 5G DSS is a 5G NSA that uses LTE Advanced Pro or 4G, or even 3G or 2G as a transmission structure. Therefore, a 5G DSS network is 5G, but it cannot offer all the efficiency that a 5G SA network can offer, especially with regard to latency, which is much lower in 5G SA than in 5G DSS.
Latency
When a device attempts to load content online, it makes a request, which is sent to the server. The server then sends back the file that was requested by the device. The time it takes for this execution takes is called latency. There are many variables that affect whether latency is high or low, however, the configuration of the cell phone antennas that serve the numerous devices connected to them is a key factor.
Measured in milliseconds, the longer it takes for a task to complete, transmission, the higher its latency. One of the main focuses in the development of 5G technology is to reduce latency (to 1ms), and this is one of the clearest characteristics that the average user will notice in the change in relation to the current internet.
Bands
If latency has to do with speed, bandwidth has to do with capacity. The measurement of the network's transmission capacity determines the speed at which data travels. Bands are like pieces of frequency reserved for a company that has licensed them with the regulatory agency in a country. This is why, for example, radio does not interfere with television or Wi-Fi.
5G technology can utilize a wide range of bands, ranging from low bands like 3G and 4G to very high frequency bands that offer tremendous speeds. It is important to keep in mind that lower bands are good for greater distances and higher bands are good for speed and capacity.
In Brazil, mobile phone companies use 4G in bands between 700MHz and 2600MHz. 5G supports a range of bands ranging from 400MHz to the n259 band, at 41GHz.
Sub-6 Band, Low Band, Mid Band and C Band
There are also terms that differentiate frequency ranges from bands. Sub-6 Band deals with frequency ranges below 6GHz. When the band has a frequency range below 1GHz, it is called Low Band.
The Mid-Band is in the frequency ranges between 1GHz and 6GHz. And when the band uses bands in satellite systems, between 3700MHz and 4200MHz, the term in 5G used for it is C-Band.
UWB and mmWave
According to Anatel, when the bandwidth is 25% greater than its central frequency, or when it is greater than 1,5GHz, the term used is UWB (Ultra Wideband). With UWB technology, there is short-range communication with much more precision, much faster and much more reliability.
Extremely High Frequency (EHF) also has a specific term in 5G, being called mmWave. These are frequencies with a range of 30GHz to 300 GHz, considered the highest in radio frequency. They have a wavelength of ten to a few millimeters, hence the abbreviation mmWave (millimeter wave).
ToF, MIMO and Beanforming
ToF is the term used in 5G for the calculation of variation time in communication between devices that use UWB technology. When smartphones, or any other device with UWB support, are close to other devices with UWB, they begin to identify each other, as a kind of mapping, a scan. The variation time interval is a kind of calculation of the Time of Flight between devices, so much so that it shows the distance between them, the positioning, the packet transfer time, etc.
The technique that allows the transmission of several signals simultaneously in a network 5G is called MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output). Beam steering, in other words, pointing the 5G signal towards the receiver is understood by the term Beanforming.
RAN (Radio Access Network) or Radio Access Network and Core Network
A RAN, or radio access network, consists of the equipment that exists between the wireless device and the connection in general. RAN development technology has been constantly evolving, bringing devices that act as a middleman between the cell phone and the Central Network with much greater ease.
The Core Network is where every connection goes after being routed by the RAN of a tower, for example. It could be the conexão existing in a subnet, such as a connection made in a building or even in larger networks, directing traffic to the entire world.
These were some of the most common and important terms used when we talk about 5G. Of course, a multitude of acronyms, nomenclatures and less common definitions were left out, given the vastness of the universe of this new mobile network technology.
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