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WHAT IS 5G TECHNOLOGY?

Fifth-generation wireless (5G) is the latest iteration of cellular technology, engineered to greatly increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks. … 5G will also enable a sharp increase in the amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to more available bandwidth and advanced antenna technology.

China is set to have 5G technology commercially available in 2020.

HOW DOES 5G TECHNOLOGY WORK?

It promises mobile data speeds that far outstrip the fastest home broadband network currently available to consumers. With speeds of up to 100 gigabits per second, 5G is set to be as much as 100 times faster than 4G. Low latency is a key differentiator between 4G and 5G. … 5G will be able to fix bandwidth issues.

5G is an advanced wireless technology that has begun wide deployment in 2019. 4 million Koreans have 5G phones in October 2019, with 5 million expected by year end. China has deployed over 100,000 base stations. 150 million 5G mobile subscribers are expected by 2020 in China. Nine companies are shipping 5G phones in December 2019, driving prices as low as US$470 in China.^[1] Indoor hubs, sometimes called MiFi, are available from Verizon in the US, Optus in Australia, Three in the UK and others. Virtually every major telco in the developed world is deploying or intends to deploy.

SPEED

5G millimeter wave is the fastest, with actual speeds often of a gigabit or two. Verizon’s 28 GHz network is the largest. Frequencies are above 24 GHz and soon up to 72 GHz. The reach is short, so more cells are required. mmWave has difficulty traversing many walls and windows, so indoor coverage is limited.

BANDS

5G mid-band is the most widely deployed, in over 20 networks. Speeds in a 100 MHz band are usually 100-400 megabits. In the lab and occasionally in the field, speeds can go over a gigabit. Frequencies deployed are from 2.4 GHz to 4.2 GHz. Sprint and China Mobile are using 2.5 GHz spectrum. Others are mostly between 3.3 and 4.2 GHz. Reach is better. Many areas can be covered simply by upgrading existing towers, which lowers the cost.

5G low-band offers similar capacity to advanced 4G. T-Mobile and AT&T are launching the first week of December. T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray warns that speeds on his 600 MHz 5G may be as low as 25 Mbit/s down.^[2] AT&T, using 850 MHz, will also usually deliver less than 100 Mbit/s in 2019. The performance will improve, but cannot be much higher than good 4G in the same spectrum.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

Verizon, AT&T, and almost all 5G in 2019 have latencies between 25-35 milliseconds. The “air latency” (between your phone and a tower) in 2019 equipment is 8-12 ms. The latency to the server, further back in the network, raise the average to ~30 ms, 25%-40% lower than typical 4G deployed. Adding “Edge Servers” close to the towers can bring latency down to 10-20 ms. Lower latency, such as the often touted 1 ms, is years away and does not include the time to the server.

The industry association 3GPP defines any system using “5G NR” (5G New Radio) software as, “5G”, a definition that came into general use by late 2018. Previously, some reserved the term for systems that deliver speeds of 20 GHz shared called for by ITU IMT-2020. 3GPP will submit their 5G NR to the ITU.^[3] In addition to traditional mobile operator services, 5G NR also addresses specific requirements for private mobile networks ranging from industrial IoT to critical communications.

RADIATIONS

5G uses between 24 to 90 gigahertz frequency,” and then asserts that “Within the RF Radiation portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, the higher the frequency, the more dangerous it is to living organisms.” … 5G remains non-ionizing in nature.

Some 5G pundits contend that the new network generates radiofrequency radiation that can damage DNA and lead to cancer; cause oxidative damage that can cause premature aging; disrupt cell metabolism; and potentially lead to other diseases through the generation of stress proteins.

RADIATIONS FROM 5G TOWERS

You go out in the sun, and you’re bathed in electromagnetic radiation that’s far greater than these 5G cell towers.” It’s easy to find claims online that the greater frequency of 5G alone constitutes a risk. RadiationHealthRisks.com observes that “1G, 2G, 3G and 4G use between 1 to 5 gigahertz frequency.

HOW ARE AFFECTED FROM 5G SIGNALS

5G, in particular, has nothing to do with birds and it has not yet launched commercially in most of the countries across the globe. It’s the radiation from cell phone towers mostly 3G or 4G that is causing the real harm to the birds.