How will this possibly work? It is my understanding that 5g operates on microwaves. Microwaves are only good for short distances. Maybe 5g isn't what they are telling us it is.
You are correct. From what I have read, satellite communications using C band (TV broadcast station, Mhz waves) transmissions will be used with the satellites.
The SpaceX project is called Starlink, and it will use the Ku and Ka bands, which are in the mm wave length. These bands have already been used for satellite communication previously, so it does work. The atmosphere only attenuates the signals, it does not block them.
Starlink satellites would orbit at 1⁄30 to 1⁄105 of the height of geostationary orbits, and thus offer more practical Earth-to-sat latencies of around 25 to 35 ms, comparable to or exceeding existing cable or fiber networks[49] (although transmitting a signal halfway around the globe takes at least 67 ms at the speed of light).
Wow. That's a seriously ambitious project! It looks like it's still a few years away though.
While details are lacking, it appears that they plan to make this work by utilizing powerful earth based antennas, mounted to some type of base station. And from there, utilize standard 5G cell transmissions.
So the signal will "slow down" to get from tower to satellite and vice versa but "speed up" again from tower to tower. Call me skeptical, but the only advantages to this will be for AI and not humans.
The satellite transmissions are to connect remote areas, similar to how satellite internet connections work today.
Normal 5G networks use wireless (high frequency) transmissions within their cell zones, and then pass that data off to a fiber optic backbone to move the data to connect cells over long distance. The satellite transmissions will be much, much slower, so I expect they will only be used for 5G cells that can't get a fiber connection.
5G is just the carrier wave frequency, the amount of data you can transmit does have a relationship to the carrier but you can change the carrier frequency.
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CarpenterforChrist ago
How will this possibly work? It is my understanding that 5g operates on microwaves. Microwaves are only good for short distances. Maybe 5g isn't what they are telling us it is.
VOALTRON ago
You are correct. From what I have read, satellite communications using C band (TV broadcast station, Mhz waves) transmissions will be used with the satellites.
Satellites will be used to assist 5G networks, but they're not going to be using 5G frequencies. https://www.rcrwireless.com/20180108/5g/the-role-of-satellites-in-delivering-5g-tag17-tag99
qwop ago
The SpaceX project is called Starlink, and it will use the Ku and Ka bands, which are in the mm wave length. These bands have already been used for satellite communication previously, so it does work. The atmosphere only attenuates the signals, it does not block them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_(satellite_constellation)
VOALTRON ago
Wow. That's a seriously ambitious project! It looks like it's still a few years away though.
While details are lacking, it appears that they plan to make this work by utilizing powerful earth based antennas, mounted to some type of base station. And from there, utilize standard 5G cell transmissions.
CarpenterforChrist ago
So the signal will "slow down" to get from tower to satellite and vice versa but "speed up" again from tower to tower. Call me skeptical, but the only advantages to this will be for AI and not humans.
VOALTRON ago
The satellite transmissions are to connect remote areas, similar to how satellite internet connections work today.
Normal 5G networks use wireless (high frequency) transmissions within their cell zones, and then pass that data off to a fiber optic backbone to move the data to connect cells over long distance. The satellite transmissions will be much, much slower, so I expect they will only be used for 5G cells that can't get a fiber connection.
Jewed ago
5G is just the carrier wave frequency, the amount of data you can transmit does have a relationship to the carrier but you can change the carrier frequency.
CarpenterforChrist ago
Did you read the linked article? It states the frequency used will be in the Mhz spectrum, not microwave.
Jewed ago
The article is crap, so no. 300+ MHz is considered microwave by many.
glassuser ago
Not by anyone who isn't a conspiracy retard. 300 MHz is the bottom of the UHF band.
CarpenterforChrist ago
Do you know anything about radio waves and micro waves? Science bro.
Jewed ago
I know how to use a spectrum analyzer and design RF filters. Maybe that's enough to know that microwaves are radio waves.
CarpenterforChrist ago
What's your theory on radiation?