@Mac_man wrote -
I wondered if you could help me. My questions apply to EE but kind of all network operators in the UK. I’m looking at getting a 5G mobile router and the bands that it states it uses for 5G are N1, N28, N77 and N78. It says these are NR bands? What are they?
I know that these are not the ultra fast short length mmWave bands as we don’t have them in the UK yet I’m just wanting to know does these 4 bands cover most of the 5G UK spectrum at the moment? I’ve tried to look and I’m not sure what I’m looking for.
Just want to make sure it lasts a while compatibility wise.
NR Band or n Bands are just a name given to 5G, the n and NR stands for New Radio, another name for current 5G Tech, until 5G came along the Bands where given a B before the Band number (Frequency Band), the letter 'B' is now replaced with an 'n' to signify its now used for 5G, at the moment the UK has only allocated 2 New 5G Bands, n28 and n78, all the other Bands we talk about are existing B Bands that have been re used or shared (Re Farmed) to 5G from existing technology (1, 2, 3, 4G), ie, older Bands B1, B3, B7 now get called n1, n3, n7 when used as 5G, same Frequencies just different Tech Generation, so it can be a bit confusing trying to work out which are New or Existing Bands being used, this format is Global and different New Allocations and Existing Bands again exist between differing Countries and Regions.
Current 5G NR Bands for the EE Network are -
n78 - 3500Mhz New 5G Allocated Band Block
n28 - 700Mhz New 5G Allocated Band Block
n1 - 2100Mhz Re Farmed from Existing EE 3/4G Allocation
n3 - 1800Mhz Re Farmed from Existing EE 2/4G Allocation
n7 - 2600Mhz Re Farmed from Existing EE 4G Allocation
The above are pretty much all of EE available Bands apart from the highly used B20 (800Mhz) and in some areas B38 (2600Mhz) which is still only used on the existing Networks but could get used in the future for 5G so it will be called Band n20 and n38.
Currently in the UK only Bands n78 and n28 are Newly Allocated for 5G use, all the other Bands being used for 5G are Re farmed Bands that the 4 Networks already use for 2, 3, 4G.
If you want to short term future proof your Router (or Phone for that matter) for All the Networks in terms of current and possible 5G Bands then you need to add a few more to the list.
For Three add n20 and n32,
Vodafone add n20, n8, n32 and n38,
and for O2 also add n20, n8, n38 and n40.
So to recap on a current Device for potential 5G Bands for All the Networks in the UK (until the next batch of Band Allocations) you would Ideally be looking at,
n1, n3, n7, n8, n20, n28, n32, n38, n40, n78 and possibly n77 (see below).
Band n77 is a bit of an Odd Ball at the moment depending on what part of the Planet you live on as the Band covers 3300 to 4200Mhz, so the Band n78 (3300 to 3800Mhz) is actually a Sub Band of n77, in the UK the upper part of n77 (3800 to 4200Mhz) is planned for Private Network and or Shared Access Use, but that could all change, hence why I hinted it should go on the UK 5G Band List.
On the mmWave Bands, difficult one, Phones and Travel Routers yes, CPE Routers not so sure at this stage, due to their intended Static Locations, mmWave Band Tech cannot really be rolled out at a National Network level, any Network planning on doing so will be committing Financial Suicide. mmWave will have very limited Range and Coverage even with some of the Planned Beam Forming use, so in terms of Everyday Data it will be limited initially to Extremely High Population Areas, ie, Shopping Centres, Stadiums, Airports etc, to name a few, as well the progression of The Internet of Things, having said all that, who knows, 20 years down the road, Market Trends and Demand, 6, 7 and 8G Tech?, assuming of course that we can afford to pay for the Electricity to charge our Phones and plug in the Routers by then.
