What Every Business Should Know About Working in a 5G World

5G is here, and it's revolutionizing every aspect of how we communicate and do business. In order to enable 5G in your building, however, it's important to consider the cellular signal technology you're using. You may find that you need to make some updates to this technology in order to support the future of communication as brought to us by 5G. With 5G infrastructure continuing to evolve and expand, let’s take a look at some common questions about 5G technology and how you can employ cellular signal repeaters to support early adoption in your business.

What is 5G? 

So, first of all, let's get into exactly what 5G is. You may have heard about 5G when it was announced as a feature of last year's iPhone release, or maybe your cell carrier has started to roll it out in your area. Simply put, 5G is the next generation of mobile wireless technology. In fact, it's the 5th generation. Following up on 4G LTE, 5G brings some big improvements, including higher speeds, greater reliability, increased network capacity and lower latency. With all of those benefits, it's obvious why everyone is clamoring to get their hands on this technology. However, 5G just isn't available everywhere yet. It's expensive for carriers to install the necessary infrastructure and, of course, it takes time. 

What's the 5G Spectrum? 

5G also isn't just one band - it's a spectrum. Low band 5G is the most common type you'll find, since carriers can build upon their existing 4G LTE infrastructure to offer it. Some carriers even implement carrier aggregation, meaning they bring together multiple channels and bands to create a 5G-like experience for the customer without offering "true" 5G. Then, there's mid-band, which offers a higher range than low-band, as well as higher capacity; it's kind of a "sweet spot" amongst the various band configurations. Finally, we have high-band, otherwise known as mmWave. This is the gold standard in 5G - it's extremely fast and supports a much higher capacity. However, mmWave doesn't travel very far. Thus, in order to provide the best possible experience, the 5G you encounter will include a combination of these three bands. 

Is 5G Available Today? 

You bet! The answer is a little different for the various carriers, but overall, the answer is the same: 5G is available in some capacity throughout the country. Let's explore what each carrier offers to give you some insight into how 5G is being implemented. 

• Verizon
  • 5G Nationwide: uses existing 4G LTE on the low-band spectrum
  • 5G Ultra Wideband: uses mmWave 5G on 28 GHz spectrum
• T-Mobile
  • 5G Extended Range (Nationwide 5G): uses existing 4G LTE carrier aggregation on the low-band spectrum and low-band 600 MHz spectrum on Band 71 to support greater speed and capacity
  • 5G Ultra Capacity: combines mid-band and high-band 5G signals
• AT&T
  • Nationwide 5G: uses existing 4G LTE carrier aggregation on the low-band spectrum
  • 5G+: uses the mmWave spectrum to deliver 5G 

How Will 5G Impact Businesses? 

In some pretty exciting ways! The increased speed, capacity and bandwidth that are characteristic of 5G will bring about what some are terming the "4th Industrial Revolution." This is an unprecedented opportunity to do more, faster. Think of all the ways a faster network with lower latency can impact your industry. Imagine telemedicine, supply chains and point-of-sale devices powered by 5G. And that's just the beginning. 5G brings access to new efficiencies that can help you evolve your business for the future. Of course, as 5G continues to advance, you'll need to ensure that you're taking full advantage of this technology in order to stay competitive in this 5G-enabled world. 

Do Cellular Signal Repeaters Work with 5G?

WilsonPro supports carrier aggregation across all of their amplifier solutions, meaning you can bring lower latency and faster speeds to everyone who uses your building if you have an amplifier. They also have a 5G-specific cellular amplifier, the WilsonPro Pro 710i. The Pro 710i makes strong, reliable 5G signal available for your employees and guests who already use their carriers' low-band 5G plans. This is a great way to bring the faster speeds and higher capacity that your customers and employees now expect to your building. 

WilsonPro is also continuing to develop a cellular signal booster solution for mmWave 5G. Stay tuned for more information on that!  

How Do I Bring 5G into My Business?

The million-dollar question! It's actually not as hard as it may seem. WilsonPro can help you enable early 5G adoption in your building, and Accu-Tech can help you make it happen. Contact your local Accu-Tech representative to learn more about WilsonPro's solutions.