Although we use them a lot, we do not always know the useful details of mobile internet networks. But, with more and more people using 4G, here are some things to know.
The speed of progress in the world of ICT in many cases completely surpasses us. However, little by little the use of smartphones is becoming more transversal in the population, both at a socioeconomic and age level, which forces many of these new users to have to catch up with a world that is advancing at a rapid pace.
An example of this is mobile internet networks. We realized that many people, despite being users of them, do not know what the networks and services they use daily have or what they mean. For example, many confuse and believe that 4G is the 4GB of the data plan, that is, the browsing quota.
But well, beyond that, today we want to explain a topic about 4G that is not talked about much, but that will begin to have greater relevance, especially in our region. What are 4G bands and why do they matter? In this case we will talk about two of the most used and that will serve as a reference: 700 MHz and 2600 MHz.
For this, we consulted with two experts in the area, José Otero, director of 5G Americas for Latin America and the Caribbean (previously known as 4G Americas - by the way, another indicator of the rapid advancement of the ICT world); and Patricio Soto, senior Telecommunications analyst at IDC Chile, one of the main technology consulting firms.
Some technical details
Firstly, Otero explains some basic concepts to understand this topic: “The radio spectrum is the resource that is used to offer wireless telecommunications services. To specify the location of services in this resource, it is divided into frequencies using the hertz (Hz) as a unit of measurement. One megahertz (MHz) is one million hertz.”
Patricio Soto also clarifies that for 4G there are several frequencies that work; for example, 700, 800, 2,100 and 2,600 (MHz) . In fact, why do we talk about bands? This is a name given to them for concessions among those interested in operating them and marketing 4G services. José Otero clarifies: “It is important to highlight that this does not imply that 4G can only be offered in these bands, but rather that it is the only technology that is allowed to be used to exploit these concessions. For example, there are LTE deployments in bands that were originally concessioned for voice or 3G services.”
With this in mind, we are left to understand the differences between the different frequencies. For this, we appeal to physical principles, which tell us that the higher the frequency, the less propagation the wave that is emitted will have. “In other words, the higher the frequency, the less coverage distance the signal would have. When we talk about 700 MHz vs 2600 MHz, this implies that to cover the same geographical area that is covered with a 700 MHz antenna, several 2600 MHz antennas would be needed,” adds Otero.
Then, the representative of the firm specializing in consulting services highlights the main difference: “The 2,600 MHz band is smaller in width, therefore it can carry much more information than the 700 MHz band, so to speak, it has a greater density of speed. But it has a limitation: because it is a short band, penetration is low, you need many antennas for good coverage. On the other hand, the 700 MHz band, although it transmits at a lower speed, being wider, allows better coverage and penetration through buildings or greater distances; you need fewer antennas to deploy complete coverage.”
This table, which the Chilean government published at the time, partially shows what the director of 5G Americas explained to us.
Another caveat that is important to make, even though this is a little more known by users, is the compatibility of the mobile phone you have with the networks you use. Simple. For example, if you hire a plan offered by an operator with 4G, it does not mean that you have it guaranteed. Only certain phones, basically the newer ones, are compatible with the fourth generation network. That is, by contracting a plan of this type with your operator, you will not be able to navigate on it, your mobile must be compatible. The good thing about this is that there are increasingly more and cheaper equipment enabled to work like this.
Where we should pay more attention is when we relate this issue to that of the two bands. The notable thing about this is that we must understand that the bands are not exactly rivals, but rather complementary or parallel, something known as LTE Advanced Carrier Aggregation and which allows us to reach much higher speeds. According to Soto, with the LTE Advanced service you can up to triple the download speed of a file thanks to the fact that you occupy both bands.
Another option or advantage that allows bidding for both bands is when considering deployment according to the area or locality to optimize user navigation. “For example, in places in hot areas (with higher data traffic density) they can occupy the network in the 2600 MHz band and in less hot areas the 700 MHz band . There you have a good combination of costs and investment to have broader coverage and provide a better customer experience. For example, deploying infrastructure in rural areas with the 2600 MHz band is expensive, there the 700 MHz band works better. When you have many buildings, putting a 2600 band means that you have to start going around them, with the 700 MHz you can pass them (penetrate)".
This use could be defined as a good relationship between cost/investment versus experience and coverage for customers, since you are optimizing the use of the spectrum with these bands. However, this is not an international standard, as there are countries that decide to tender only one of them.
Regarding the implementation of this technology in Latin America, there is not much news for now, there is still work to do. Although 4G services are offered in practically all countries, the use of the 700 MHz band has not spread. Otero tells us that the only country in the region that offers commercial mobile services in the 700 MHz band Asia Pacific channeling (APT) is Panama , although Chile should join during the third quarter of 2016. Meanwhile, in the United States channeling Bolivia and Puerto Rico offer commercial services for this band.
In the opinion of Patricio Soto, meanwhile, “although Chile was not the first to implement LTE, in general it is much more advanced than the rest of the countries. In terms of tenders, bands, use and deployment, it is much more advanced, even than Brazil.”
In any case, regardless of who leads this race, it is an issue that everyone will have to resort to sooner or later. Without going any further, 5G Americas reported that at the end of 2015 there were already more than 1 billion LTE connections around the world. Latin America had a 304% increase in the number of LTE connections between 2014 and 2015 , almost quadrupling from 13 million LTE connections towards the end of 2014 to 54 million at the end of 2015.
And this last one. It's good that we are advancing on this topic and becoming familiar with these concepts, but be careful, it is not something to stay calm. “The rapid growth in the number of LTE connections, not only in North America, but around the world, puts the industry in the right direction towards standardized commercial deployment of 5G in 2020 and beyond,” stated Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas. That's right, 5G is coming in a few years, so - for better or worse - there is little room left for us to continue updating.
