Innovation Marks America’s Plans for 5G

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5g towerWith plans for 5G to hit the airwaves anywhere from 2017 to 2020, communications companies are looking at ways to make the United States the global leader in this technological innovation.

Investors Business Daily reports one way could be to challenge cable TV’s broadband. Airwaves would been to be “freed up for 5G,” the news site reports, with high-frequency radio spectrum, or millimeter wave on the forefront. A 28 GHz frequency that failed in the 1990s-2000s but now has a shot due to technology advances, would be ideal, according to analysts. We now have broadband backhaul to deal with high demand with a more mature mobile data landscape. The FCC has started a study looking at different levels of GHz waves as bands for 5G, and told IBD the 28 GHz research “shows promise” and “while international coordination is preferable,” moving forward with 28 GHz needs more exploration. The FCC’s chairman Tom Wheeler hopes that the United States will be “faster than any nation on the planet.”  

Last month, Inside Towers reported that Verizon has stuck a deal to lease XO’s wireless spectrum in the 28 GHz to 31 GHz bands and has an option to buy it  $200 million by the end of 2018. The wireless giant has licenses from the FCC for 28 GHz trial purposes.

Other researchers are skeptical that 28 GHz is the way to go for 5G due to availability and viability in mobile wireless networks. Another approach could be to use more small cell antennas.

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