When implementing 5G networks, some countries make sure to use Non-Standalone (NSA). But there are those who choose to apply the Standalone (SA) system. What's the difference between the two?
According to the 3GPP Release 15 standard covering 5G networks, the first batch of networks and devices will be classified as Non-Standalone (NSA), i.e. 5G networks supported by existing 4G infrastructure. The 5G smartphones will connect to 5G frequencies for increased data throughput, but will still use 4G for non-data things such as connections to base stations and servers.
Initial plans for 5G cellular infrastructure will focus on enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) to provide higher data bandwidth and better connection reliability over two new radio frequency spectrums:
1. Frequency Spectrum 1 intersects with and extends the 4G LTE frequency, operating from 450MHz to 6,000MHz. They are numbered 1 through 255, and are usually referred to as New Radio (NR) or sub-6GHz.
2. Frequency Spectrum 2 operates at much higher frequencies, ie 24,250MHz (~24GHz) to 52,600MHz (~52GHz). They are numbered from 257 to 511 and are usually referred to as millimeter waves (mmWave), although the actual 'millimeter' frequencies start at 30GHz.
Not all of the above large frequency spectrum will be used as the availability of frequency zones varies by country, so different sub-slices will be available depending on where the device operates. This is a major technical challenge for smartphone designers, who must minimize design costs with a simple single platform, while simultaneously supporting all frequency combinations with the best performance, connection reliability, and power efficiency.
Meanwhile, Standalone (SA) networks have the advantage of greater simplification and efficiency, which will reduce costs and increase throughput performance to the end of the network, while helping the development of new cellular use cases such as ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC). Fortunately, the migration from 5G NSA to SA by telecom operators should happen seamlessly without being felt by users.
What is the difference between 4G and 5G?
The 5G internet network is said to offer better features than the previous generation.
1. Speed
The 5G network is the fifth generation that has a higher speed than the previous generation, namely 4G LTE. The 5G networks rely on new transmission technologies such as antenna array MIMO and carrier aggregation that increase speeds over 4G-LTE. In fact, the 5G network is said to have 100 times the speed compared to 4G.
2. Range
The 5G networks require more investment and bandwidth. Therefore, 5G network coverage is still not accessible in various areas, like 4G networks. The 5G network requires a minimum bandwidth of 100 Mhz and is contiguous. Meanwhile, it has not been implemented in various regions.
3. Device
The 5G technology has the ability to work at various frequencies or bands, namely High Bands (24GHz-40 GHz), Mid Bands (1GHz-2.6GHz, and 3.5Ghz-6GHz), and Low Bands (below 1GHz).
4. Efficiency
With high speed, the 5G internet network is more efficient than the 4G. This is because the travel time for 5G access is shorter than for 4G. Stable and faster data transfer speeds will save time and internet quota.
5. Latency
The 5G network latency will be faster than 4G. Latency is the time it takes to send an SMS to another phone, and when the phone registers, it receives a new message. As opposed to speed, which is the time the phone downloads the content of a web page. Even though the time to send and send messages on the 4G network is already fairly low, the 5G network will make it almost zero. This is important because it can support other technologies, such as driverless cars, that need to send signals about their environment over the internet to computers in the cloud.
This is the latest information about difference between 5G and 4G technology in smartphones. I hope this article will be useful. Thank you all for visiting my blog and waiting for the next information to be up to date. ☺
