5G technology has been making headlines for quite some time now. It promises faster speeds, lower latency, and the ability to connect more devices simultaneously. However, there is another term that often comes up in discussions about 5G: 5G mmWave. So, what exactly is the difference between 5G and 5G mmWave? In this article, we will break down the two terms and explain their distinctions.

To understand the difference, we must first understand what 5G is. 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology, succeeding 4G LTE. It is designed to provide faster speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections compared to its predecessors. 5G operates on three different frequency bands: low-band, mid-band, and high-band (also known as millimeter wave or mmWave).

Low-band 5G operates at a frequency below 1 GHz and offers the widest coverage area. It can penetrate buildings and other obstacles, providing a more reliable connection indoors. However, it does not offer the same speed and capacity as the other bands.

Mid-band 5G operates at a frequency between 1 GHz and 6 GHz. It offers a balance between coverage and capacity. Mid-band signals can travel further than high-band signals, but they do not penetrate obstacles as well as low-band signals.

High-band or mmWave 5G operates at a frequency above 24 GHz. It offers the fastest speeds and the highest capacity of the three bands. However, it has the shortest range and is easily blocked by buildings, trees, and other obstacles. To overcome this limitation, mmWave 5G requires a dense network of small cells to provide coverage.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the different bands of 5G, let’s dive deeper into the differences between 5G and 5G mmWave.

Coverage Area

One of the main differences between 5G and 5G mmWave is the coverage area. As mentioned earlier, 5G operates on three different frequency bands, each with its own coverage area. Low-band 5G offers the widest coverage area, while mmWave 5G has the smallest coverage area.

Low-band 5G can cover large areas, including rural and suburban areas. It can reach several miles from the cell tower, providing coverage to a large number of people. Mid-band 5G offers a smaller coverage area than low-band 5G but still covers a significant distance from the cell tower.

On the other hand, mmWave 5G has a much smaller coverage area. It can only cover a few city blocks from the cell tower. Due to its short range and limited ability to penetrate obstacles, mmWave 5G is primarily deployed in dense urban areas.

Speed

Another significant difference between 5G and 5G mmWave is the speed. While both offer faster speeds compared to 4G LTE, mmWave 5G provides even faster speeds than low-band and mid-band 5G.

Low-band 5G offers speeds similar to or slightly faster than 4G LTE. It provides a good user experience for most applications, including web browsing, streaming, and video calling. However, it does not offer the same blazing-fast speeds as mmWave 5G.

Mid-band 5G offers faster speeds than low-band 5G but is still slower than mmWave 5G. It strikes a balance between coverage and capacity, providing good speeds and capacity for most users.

On the other hand, mmWave 5G offers the fastest speeds of the three bands. It can provide multi-gigabit speeds, allowing users to download large files, stream 4K videos, and play online games without any lag. However, due to its limited coverage area, users may experience fluctuations in speed as they move in and out of mmWave coverage zones.

Capacity

Capacity refers to the ability of a network to handle a large number of devices simultaneously. 5G technology aims to provide higher capacity compared to 4G LTE, allowing more devices to connect to the network without experiencing congestion.

Low-band 5G offers the lowest capacity of the three bands. While it can handle more devices than 4G LTE, it does not provide the same level of capacity as mid-band and mmWave 5G.

Mid-band 5G offers a higher capacity than low-band 5G but is still not as high as mmWave 5G. It can handle more devices connecting to the network simultaneously, making it suitable for areas with a moderate number of users.

On the other hand, mmWave 5G offers the highest capacity of the three bands. It can handle a large number of devices connecting to the network simultaneously, making it ideal for crowded areas such as stadiums, concert venues, and shopping malls.

Applications

The difference in coverage area, speed, and capacity also affects the applications that can be supported by 5G and 5G mmWave.

Low-band 5G can support most applications that users are accustomed to, such as web browsing, streaming, and video calling. It can also support some IoT (Internet of Things) applications, connecting devices such as smart home devices, wearables, and sensors.

Mid-band 5G can support the same applications as low-band 5G but offers faster speeds and higher capacity. It can handle more users and devices connecting to the network simultaneously.

On the other hand, mmWave 5G can support all the applications that low-band and mid-band 5G can support, but with even faster speeds and higher capacity. It can handle more users and devices simultaneously, making it suitable for applications that require large amounts of data transfer, such as autonomous vehicles, virtual reality, and augmented reality.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the main difference between 5G and 5G mmWave lies in their coverage area, speed, capacity, and supported applications. 5G operates on three different frequency bands: low-band, mid-band, and high-band (mmWave). Low-band 5G offers the widest coverage area, mid-band 5G offers a balance between coverage and capacity, and mmWave 5G offers the fastest speeds and highest capacity but with the smallest coverage area. While low-band and mid-band 5G can support most applications, mmWave 5G is ideal for applications that require large amounts of data transfer.