5G has ushered new wave of excitement for a hyper-connected world. The new wireless technology is looking to bring the ability to play interactive games on the go, stream high-quality content, download heavy files in a jiffy, and more. So much so that smartphone makers are launching 5G-ready devices even when 5G is not rolled out in many countries including India. That said, there are many tidbits about 5G that we keep hearing in our current discourse. For example, not many know what are 5G bands and the differences between the sub-6 GHz band and mmWave network. So if you want to learn about 5G bands in great detail, follow along.

Here, we have explained every technical term in lucid language along with some practical examples so you get a good grasp of 5G bands. We have also discussed the current status of 5G bands across the world. You can click on the link below to move to the relevant portion.

  • What are 5G Bands?
  • What is sub-6 GHz Frequency Band in 5G?
  • What is mmWave Frequency Band in 5G?
  • What is SA and NSA in 5G?
  • What Should Consumers Keep in Mind Before Buying a 5G Device?

What are 5G Bands?

According to 3GPP, the consortium that heads the development of mobile telecommunication, 5G Bands have been broadly divided into two categories: sub-6 GHz (also called, FR1) and mmWave (FR2). The sub-6 GHz band means the band frequency will be below 6GHz and mmWave will have frequencies above 24GHz and below 52GHz. Source: Qualcomm

Just like the 5G frequency band that has been divided into two categories, the sub-6 GHz band has also been categorized into two parts: low-band and mid-band. The low-band frequency ranges from 600MHz to 2.4GHz. This frequency spectrum is very similar to 4G’s operational range, however, you will get a slightly better speed due to Massive MIMO, and other 5G improvements. It’s being claimed that you will get at least 100Mbps on a low-band 5G network. However, let me tell you that many have reported that in the US, low-band 5G is only able to deliver up to 50Mbps so there is that.

What is mmWave Frequency Band in 5G?

Now coming to mmWave frequency band in 5G. Think of it as the elite spectrum. It has a frequency band from 24GHz to 52GHz. While the 5G spectrum can theoretically go up to 100GHz, telecom regulators around the world have not even started licensing spectrums beyond 50GHz so that is a distant dream. The FCC in the US just auctioned 37GHz, 39GHz, and 47GHz spectrums in March 2020. As of now, 26GHz, 28GHz, 39GHz, and 41GHz frequency bands are being used by major carriers around the world. Source: Jeremy Horwitz / VentureBeat

While we are at it, let us also learn about SA and NSA 5G that we keep hearing in current discourse. SA means Standalone 5G which entails a network infrastructure where the base station, radio antenna, and end-device (smartphones), all are built on 5G architecture. In this setup, you will get unparalleled speed and you can enjoy features like beamforming and ultra-low latency. This kind of 5G infrastructure is very rare to find across the world.

On the other hand, an NSA 5G (Non-standalone 5G) is where the base station has 4G architecture, but radio antennas and smartphones are built on 5G architecture. This is the setup that is being deployed all over the world as it’s cheaper and faster to implement. Here, you won’t get the ultra-fast speed, but it will have good coverage and better speed.

While that was all about the technicalities behind 5G bands, let’s find out what are the key points consumers should focus on. Before buying a device, make sure to check whether it has support for multiple sub-6GHz frequency bands. Look for how many bands the smartphone supports based on the region where you live. You can find the complete list of 5G bands from this Wikipedia article. iPhone 12’s 5G Band Support in the US