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%Start 5G Spectrum and Frequencies: Everything You Need to Know GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Internet, Networking, & Security &gt; The 5G Connection Corner 652 652 people found this article helpful <h1> 5G Spectrum and Frequencies: Everything You Need to Know</h1> <h2> The radio spectrum is split into sections that 5G uses</h2> By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years&#39; of professional technology experience.
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%Start 5G Spectrum and Frequencies: Everything You Need to Know GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Internet, Networking, & Security > The 5G Connection Corner 652 652 people found this article helpful

5G Spectrum and Frequencies: Everything You Need to Know

The radio spectrum is split into sections that 5G uses

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience.
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He&#39;s been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 27, 2021 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25&#43; years&#39; experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on March 27, 2021 Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Reviewed by Michael Barton Heine Jr Michael Heine is a CompTIA-certified writer, editor, and Network Engineer with 25+ years' experience working in the television, defense, ISP, telecommunications, and education industries.
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lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email <h3> In This Article</h3> Expand Jump to a Section Defining the 5G Spectrum Frequency Determines 5G Speed & Power Why the 5G Spectrum Matters 5G Spectrum Usage by Carrier 5G carries information wirelessly through the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically the radio spectrum. Within the radio spectrum are varying levels of frequency bands, some of which are used for this next-gen technology.
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lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section Defining the 5G Spectrum Frequency Determines 5G Speed & Power Why the 5G Spectrum Matters 5G Spectrum Usage by Carrier 5G carries information wirelessly through the electromagnetic spectrum, specifically the radio spectrum. Within the radio spectrum are varying levels of frequency bands, some of which are used for this next-gen technology.
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With 5G still in its early stages of implementation and not yet available in every country, you might be hearing about the 5G bandwidth spectrum, spectrum auctions, mmWave 5G, etc. Don’t worry if this is confusing. All you really need to know about 5G frequency bands is that different companies use different parts of the spectrum to transmit data.
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With 5G still in its early stages of implementation and not yet available in every country, you might be hearing about the 5G bandwidth spectrum, spectrum auctions, mmWave 5G, etc. Don’t worry if this is confusing. All you really need to know about 5G frequency bands is that different companies use different parts of the spectrum to transmit data.
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Sebastian Silva 1 minutes ago
Using one part of the spectrum over another impacts both the speed of the connection and the distanc...
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Using one part of the spectrum over another impacts both the speed of the connection and the distance it can cover. Lots more on this below.
Nathan Chen Member
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Using one part of the spectrum over another impacts both the speed of the connection and the distance it can cover. Lots more on this below.
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<h2> Defining the 5G Spectrum </h2> Radio wave frequencies range anywhere from 3 kilohertz (kHz) up to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Every portion of the spectrum has a range of frequencies, called a band, that go by a specific name.
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Defining the 5G Spectrum

Radio wave frequencies range anywhere from 3 kilohertz (kHz) up to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Every portion of the spectrum has a range of frequencies, called a band, that go by a specific name.
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Sofia Garcia 25 minutes ago
Some examples of radio spectrum bands include extremely low frequency (ELF), ultra low frequency (UL...
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Natalie Lopez 9 minutes ago
mmWaves are a popular choice for 5G but also has application in areas like radio astronomy, telecomm...
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Some examples of radio spectrum bands include extremely low frequency (ELF), ultra low frequency (ULF), low frequency (LF), medium frequency (MF), ultra high frequency (UHF), and extremely high frequency (EHF). One part of the radio spectrum has a high frequency range between 30 GHz and 300 GHz (part of the EHF band), and is often called the millimeter band (because its wavelengths range from 1-10 mm). Wavelengths in and around this band are therefore called millimeter waves (mmWaves).
Isabella Johnson Member
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Some examples of radio spectrum bands include extremely low frequency (ELF), ultra low frequency (ULF), low frequency (LF), medium frequency (MF), ultra high frequency (UHF), and extremely high frequency (EHF). One part of the radio spectrum has a high frequency range between 30 GHz and 300 GHz (part of the EHF band), and is often called the millimeter band (because its wavelengths range from 1-10 mm). Wavelengths in and around this band are therefore called millimeter waves (mmWaves).
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Daniel Kumar 6 minutes ago
mmWaves are a popular choice for 5G but also has application in areas like radio astronomy, telecomm...
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Emma Wilson 6 minutes ago
The UHF band has a frequency range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz, and is used for everything from TV broadcast...
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mmWaves are a popular choice for 5G but also has application in areas like radio astronomy, telecommunications, and radar guns. Another part of the radio spectrum that’s being used for 5G, is UHF, which is lower on the spectrum than EHF.
Amelia Singh Moderator
access_time 40 minutes ago
mmWaves are a popular choice for 5G but also has application in areas like radio astronomy, telecommunications, and radar guns. Another part of the radio spectrum that’s being used for 5G, is UHF, which is lower on the spectrum than EHF.
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The UHF band has a frequency range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz, and is used for everything from TV broadcasting and GPS to Wi-Fi, cordless phones, and Bluetooth. Frequencies of 1 GHz and above are also called microwave, and frequencies ranging from 1–6 GHz are often said to be part of the &#34;sub-6 GHz&#34; spectrum.
Evelyn Zhang Member
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The UHF band has a frequency range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz, and is used for everything from TV broadcasting and GPS to Wi-Fi, cordless phones, and Bluetooth. Frequencies of 1 GHz and above are also called microwave, and frequencies ranging from 1–6 GHz are often said to be part of the "sub-6 GHz" spectrum.
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<h2> Frequency Determines 5G Speed &amp Power </h2> All radio waves travel at the speed of light, but not all waves react with the environment in the same way or behave the same as other waves. It's the wavelength of a particular frequency used by a 5G tower that directly impacts the speed and distance of its transmissions.
Nathan Chen Member
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Frequency Determines 5G Speed & Power

All radio waves travel at the speed of light, but not all waves react with the environment in the same way or behave the same as other waves. It's the wavelength of a particular frequency used by a 5G tower that directly impacts the speed and distance of its transmissions.
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Andrew Wilson 31 minutes ago
Higher Frequency Faster speeds. Shorter distances. Lower Frequency Slower speeds....
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Higher Frequency Faster speeds. Shorter distances. Lower Frequency Slower speeds.
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Higher Frequency Faster speeds. Shorter distances. Lower Frequency Slower speeds.
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Amelia Singh 40 minutes ago
Longer distances. Wavelength is inversely proportional to frequency (i.e., high frequencies have sho...
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Longer distances. Wavelength is inversely proportional to frequency (i.e., high frequencies have shorter wavelengths).
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Longer distances. Wavelength is inversely proportional to frequency (i.e., high frequencies have shorter wavelengths).
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Ella Rodriguez 2 minutes ago
For example, 30 Hz (low frequency) has a wavelength of 10,000 km (over 6,000 miles) while 300 GHz (h...
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Emma Wilson 11 minutes ago
Speed is another factor. Bandwidth is measured by the difference between the highest and lowest freq...
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For example, 30 Hz (low frequency) has a wavelength of 10,000 km (over 6,000 miles) while 300 GHz (high frequency) is just 1 mm. When a wavelength is really short (such as the frequencies at the higher end of the spectrum), the waveform is so tiny that it can become easily distorted. This is why really high frequencies can&#39;t travel as far as lower ones.
Evelyn Zhang Member
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For example, 30 Hz (low frequency) has a wavelength of 10,000 km (over 6,000 miles) while 300 GHz (high frequency) is just 1 mm. When a wavelength is really short (such as the frequencies at the higher end of the spectrum), the waveform is so tiny that it can become easily distorted. This is why really high frequencies can't travel as far as lower ones.
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Aria Nguyen 29 minutes ago
Speed is another factor. Bandwidth is measured by the difference between the highest and lowest freq...
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Hannah Kim 8 minutes ago

Why the 5G Spectrum Matters

Since the frequency used by a 5G cell dictates the speed and ...
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Speed is another factor. Bandwidth is measured by the difference between the highest and lowest frequency of the signal. When you move up on the radio spectrum to reach higher bands, the range of frequencies is higher, and therefore throughput increases (i.e., you get faster download speeds).
Joseph Kim Member
access_time 70 minutes ago
Speed is another factor. Bandwidth is measured by the difference between the highest and lowest frequency of the signal. When you move up on the radio spectrum to reach higher bands, the range of frequencies is higher, and therefore throughput increases (i.e., you get faster download speeds).
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Isaac Schmidt 58 minutes ago

Why the 5G Spectrum Matters

Since the frequency used by a 5G cell dictates the speed and ...
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<h2> Why the 5G Spectrum Matters </h2> Since the frequency used by a 5G cell dictates the speed and distance, it&#39;s important for a service provider (like Verizon or AT&amp;T) to use a part of the spectrum that includes frequencies that benefit the job at hand. For example, millimeter waves, which are in the high-band spectrum, have the advantage of being able to carry lots of data. However, radio waves in higher bands are also absorbed more easily by gases in the air, trees, and nearby buildings.
Madison Singh Member
access_time 60 minutes ago

Why the 5G Spectrum Matters

Since the frequency used by a 5G cell dictates the speed and distance, it's important for a service provider (like Verizon or AT&T) to use a part of the spectrum that includes frequencies that benefit the job at hand. For example, millimeter waves, which are in the high-band spectrum, have the advantage of being able to carry lots of data. However, radio waves in higher bands are also absorbed more easily by gases in the air, trees, and nearby buildings.
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Audrey Mueller 1 minutes ago
mmWaves are therefore useful in densely packed networks, but not so helpful for carrying data long d...
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Henry Schmidt 18 minutes ago
One way to get around the limitations of millimeter waves is to diversify and use lower bands. A fre...
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mmWaves are therefore useful in densely packed networks, but not so helpful for carrying data long distances (due to the attenuation). For these reasons, there isn&#39;t really a black and white &#34;5G spectrum&#34;—different parts of the spectrum can be used. A 5G provider wants to maximize distance, minimize problems, and get as much throughput as possible.
Liam Wilson Member
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mmWaves are therefore useful in densely packed networks, but not so helpful for carrying data long distances (due to the attenuation). For these reasons, there isn't really a black and white "5G spectrum"—different parts of the spectrum can be used. A 5G provider wants to maximize distance, minimize problems, and get as much throughput as possible.
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James Smith 39 minutes ago
One way to get around the limitations of millimeter waves is to diversify and use lower bands. A fre...
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One way to get around the limitations of millimeter waves is to diversify and use lower bands. A frequency of 600 MHz, for example, has lower bandwidth, but because it’s not affected as easily by things like moisture in the air, it doesn&#39;t lose power as quickly and is able to reach 5G phones and other 5G devices further away, as well as better penetrate walls to provide indoor reception. The 9 Best Smartphones of 2022 For comparison, low-frequency (LF) transmissions in the range of 30 kHz to 300 kHz are great for long-distance communications because they experience low attenuation, and therefore don&#39;t need to be amplified as often as higher frequencies.
Alexander Wang Member
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One way to get around the limitations of millimeter waves is to diversify and use lower bands. A frequency of 600 MHz, for example, has lower bandwidth, but because it’s not affected as easily by things like moisture in the air, it doesn't lose power as quickly and is able to reach 5G phones and other 5G devices further away, as well as better penetrate walls to provide indoor reception. The 9 Best Smartphones of 2022 For comparison, low-frequency (LF) transmissions in the range of 30 kHz to 300 kHz are great for long-distance communications because they experience low attenuation, and therefore don't need to be amplified as often as higher frequencies.
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They&#39;re used for things like AM radio broadcasting. A service provider might use higher 5G frequencies in areas that demand more data, like in a popular city where there are lots of devices in use.
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They're used for things like AM radio broadcasting. A service provider might use higher 5G frequencies in areas that demand more data, like in a popular city where there are lots of devices in use.
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However, low-band frequencies are useful for providing 5G access to more devices from a single tower and to areas that don&#39;t have direct line-of-sight to a 5G cell, such as rural communities. Here are some other 5G frequency ranges (called multi-layer spectrum): C-band: 2–6 GHz for coverage and capacity.Super Data Layer: Over 6 GHz (e.g., 24–29 GHz and 37–43 GHz) for high bandwidth areas.Coverage Area: Below 2 GHz (like 700 MHz) for indoor and broader coverage areas. <h2> 5G Spectrum Usage by Carrier </h2> Not all service providers use the same frequency band for 5G.
Elijah Patel Member
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However, low-band frequencies are useful for providing 5G access to more devices from a single tower and to areas that don't have direct line-of-sight to a 5G cell, such as rural communities. Here are some other 5G frequency ranges (called multi-layer spectrum): C-band: 2–6 GHz for coverage and capacity.Super Data Layer: Over 6 GHz (e.g., 24–29 GHz and 37–43 GHz) for high bandwidth areas.Coverage Area: Below 2 GHz (like 700 MHz) for indoor and broader coverage areas.

5G Spectrum Usage by Carrier

Not all service providers use the same frequency band for 5G.
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Jack Thompson 13 minutes ago
Like we mentioned above, there are advantages and disadvantages to using any part of the 5G spectrum...
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Like we mentioned above, there are advantages and disadvantages to using any part of the 5G spectrum. T-Mobile: Uses use low-band spectrum (600 MHz) as well as 2.5 GHz spectrum. Sprint has been merged with T-Mobile and claimed to have more spectrum than any other carrier in the US, with three spectrum bands: 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz.
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Like we mentioned above, there are advantages and disadvantages to using any part of the 5G spectrum. T-Mobile: Uses use low-band spectrum (600 MHz) as well as 2.5 GHz spectrum. Sprint has been merged with T-Mobile and claimed to have more spectrum than any other carrier in the US, with three spectrum bands: 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 2.5 GHz.
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Verizon: Their 5G Ultra Wideband network uses millimeter waves, specifically 28 GHz and 39 GHz. AT&amp;T: Uses millimeter wave spectrum for dense areas and mid and low-spectrum for rural and suburban locations.
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Verizon: Their 5G Ultra Wideband network uses millimeter waves, specifically 28 GHz and 39 GHz. AT&T: Uses millimeter wave spectrum for dense areas and mid and low-spectrum for rural and suburban locations.
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Amelia Singh 94 minutes ago
5G spectrum has to be sold or licensed to operators, like through auctions, in order for any company...
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5G spectrum has to be sold or licensed to operators, like through auctions, in order for any company to use a specific band. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) regulates the use of the radio spectrum around the world, and domestic use is controlled by different regulatory bodies, such as the FCC in the US.
Mason Rodriguez Member
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5G spectrum has to be sold or licensed to operators, like through auctions, in order for any company to use a specific band. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) regulates the use of the radio spectrum around the world, and domestic use is controlled by different regulatory bodies, such as the FCC in the US.
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