How 5G frequency affects range and speed
While 5G technology offers enormous improvements over previous-generation licensed wireless networks, much of the impetus for pushing 5G into new frequency bands comes from old-fashioned physics, according to experts.
It can be difficult to nail down precisely which frequencies 5G technology will use, in part because it varies heavily across different countries and even among different carriers. There are, however, three main groupings into which most 5G frequencies will be able to fit.
The low end: 650MHz to 1GHz
Lower frequencies – from around 650MHz at the lowest up to around 1GHz – are particularly prized by wireless companies deploying 5G. Signals in this range propagate over relatively long distances, meaning that service providers can cover a huge area with a single access point.