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5G spectrum bands
5G operates across three broad spectrum categories, each with different propagation and capacity characteristics.
| Band type | Frequency | UK example | Range | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-band | 600-900 MHz | 700 MHz (n28) | Several km | 50-150 Mbps |
| Mid-band | 2.5-4.2 GHz | 3.5 GHz (n78) | 500m-2km | 150-800 Mbps |
| mmWave | 24-100 GHz | 26 GHz (n258) | 100-300m | 1-10 Gbps |
For FWA deployments in the UK, mid-band n78 is the primary workhorse. It provides the combination of capacity and coverage that makes residential and commercial FWA practical. Low-band 700 MHz extends coverage to rural areas. mmWave is not yet widely deployed for FWA in the UK but is used in dense urban environments.
Radio access network
The radio access network (RAN) is the infrastructure that connects your CPE to the mobile network. In 5G, the key component is the gNodeB (gNB) – the 5G base station. These are often co-located with existing 4G equipment on masts, rooftops and street-level small cells.
The gNodeB communicates with your CPE using the 5G New Radio (NR) air interface, standardised in 3GPP Release 15. The air interface uses OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), which divides the available spectrum into many narrow subcarriers, each carrying data simultaneously. This makes the link highly resilient to interference and multipath reflections.
Massive MIMO and beamforming
Two technologies separate 5G from 4G in terms of capacity: Massive MIMO and beamforming.
Massive MIMO means base stations with large numbers of antenna elements – typically 32, 64 or 128 – compared to four to eight in 4G. More antennas mean more spatial streams and the ability to serve many users simultaneously without degrading individual throughput.
Beamforming uses phase relationships between antenna elements to focus the radio signal as a directed beam toward a specific user, rather than broadcasting in all directions. This concentrates signal energy where it is needed, improves signal quality at the CPE, and reduces interference to other users. For FWA deployments with a fixed CPE position, the base station can maintain a highly optimised beam continuously.
CPE hardware
The CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) is your end of the 5G radio link. It contains a 5G modem, antenna system, routing functions, and a Wi-Fi access point.
Indoor CPE units house all components in a compact desktop enclosure. They are positioned inside the property, close to a window facing the best signal direction. The limitation is that building materials – brick, concrete, double glazing – attenuate the signal before it reaches the internal antennas.
Outdoor CPE units are weatherproof enclosures mounted on an external wall, fascia or roof. The antennas have direct line-of-sight to the mast without building attenuation. The difference in received signal quality between an indoor and outdoor unit on the same network and site can be 10-20 dB, which translates to significantly better speeds and reliability.
A third option is an indoor router combined with an external antenna connected via coaxial cable. The router handles routing and Wi-Fi; the external antenna captures the signal. This is more flexible than a dedicated outdoor CPE because the same router can be used with different antennas, but requires running a cable through or around the building fabric.
Key CPE specifications to look for include the supported 5G bands (ensure they match your operator’s deployed bands), MIMO configuration (4×4 MIMO captures more spatial streams than 2×2), the quality of the integrated Wi-Fi, and port provision for wired devices.
NSA versus SA 5G
Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G uses the 4G core network (EPC) with a 5G radio layer on top. The 5G NR radio provides speed but the control plane and signalling still run on 4G. This was the first widely deployed 5G architecture because it could be built on existing 4G infrastructure without replacing the core.
Standalone (SA) 5G uses a purpose-built 5G core network (5GC). This unlocks capabilities that NSA cannot deliver: network slicing, ultra-low latency, improved power efficiency, and faster connection setup. EE launched SA 5G in the UK in 2023 and other operators have followed. SA 5G is important for FWA because it improves the management of fixed connections and enables quality-of-service guarantees.
For practical FWA use today, the difference between NSA and SA is less important than the operator’s spectrum deployment and your specific site conditions. Both deliver usable broadband. SA becomes more significant as operators build out advanced features.
Backhaul and core network
The base station is connected to the operator’s core network by backhaul – fibre in urban areas, microwave links in rural locations. The core network connects to the public internet. The quality of backhaul affects what throughput is actually available to users: a well-specced 5G base station on congested microwave backhaul will underperform its radio potential.
This is a factor in rural FWA performance that coverage maps and marketing materials do not address. If a rural mast is served by a capacity-constrained microwave backhaul link, peak-time throughput for FWA users on that cell will be limited regardless of the quality of the 5G radio layer.