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5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade so far in the long-term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. The 5G technology mainly works in 3 bands, (low, mid and high–frequency spectrum). The important feature of 5G is:
- 5G services will provide up to 1 Gbps (Gigabit per second) of download speed. It is 100 times higher than the existing network speed. The upload time will also increase drastically.
- The energy efficiency of devices and stability of network connections will improve further with the 5G technology.
- 5G services work across the low, medium and high–frequency spectrums. This will avoid any network congestions.
- 5G services will have ultra-low latency (time taken by a network to respond). Latency for is predicted to be below 10 milliseconds, and in best cases around 1 millisecond.
- A government panel report expects the peak 5G data speeds are to be in the range of 2-20 Gbps.
- 5G technologies are the enabler of AI technologies, IoT ecosystems etc.
Three bands of 5G and their characteristics:
| 5G Spectrum band | Characteristics of Spectrum |
| low band spectrum | Higher coverage with low-speed internet
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| mid-band spectrum | Higher speed but has lower coverage area and penetration of signals compared to the low band.
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| high-band spectrum | Offers highest speed, but has extremely limited coverage and signal strength
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