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Apple Granted License to Test Next-Generation 5G Wireless Technology
The FCC has granted Apple a license to test next-generation 5G wireless technologies, as brought to our attention by DSLReports.
In May, Apple submitted an application for an experimental license to test wireless technology on millimeter wave spectrum bands. Millimeter wave bands provide higher bandwidth and throughput up to 10Gb/s, but they are limited by line of sight issues that can cause problems in dense urban areas.
An excerpt from Apple's application with the FCC:
Apple will use the 28 and 39 GHz bands, which were among those opened up by the FCC last year for the purpose of next-generation 5G broadband.
It’s not entirely clear why Apple is planning to test millimeter wave performance, but it will join the likes of Google, Facebook, and major U.S. cellular carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, who are testing 5G networks in preparation to deploy the next-generation technology in the coming years.
Apple could perhaps be preparing its future iPhones to take advantage of 5G technology, or the company may have some other purpose in mind. The 28GHz band in particular has been earmarked for earth-to-space transmissions, an area Apple has been exploring based on recent hires with satellite expertise.
In May, Apple submitted an application for an experimental license to test wireless technology on millimeter wave spectrum bands. Millimeter wave bands provide higher bandwidth and throughput up to 10Gb/s, but they are limited by line of sight issues that can cause problems in dense urban areas.
An excerpt from Apple's application with the FCC:
Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum. These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers’ future 5G networks.Apple intends to transmit from two fixed points located at Apple-controlled facilities in Cupertino, California, where it is headquartered, and nearby Milpitas, according to its FCC application. Apple said it anticipates that it will safely conduct its experiments for a period not to exceed 12 months.
Apple will use the 28 and 39 GHz bands, which were among those opened up by the FCC last year for the purpose of next-generation 5G broadband.
It’s not entirely clear why Apple is planning to test millimeter wave performance, but it will join the likes of Google, Facebook, and major U.S. cellular carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, who are testing 5G networks in preparation to deploy the next-generation technology in the coming years.
Apple could perhaps be preparing its future iPhones to take advantage of 5G technology, or the company may have some other purpose in mind. The 28GHz band in particular has been earmarked for earth-to-space transmissions, an area Apple has been exploring based on recent hires with satellite expertise.
[ 44 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
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16 months ago
I opened up the MR front page and saw the antenna signal level icon and got excited. I thought the rumors were wrong ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/21/apple-ceases-airport-wireless/')and Apple was testing a new standard for AirPort.....
Oh well....
Oh well....
16 months ago
And no-one cares for the hazards with the constant increase in EMF's all around?
No-one but the hypochondriac wombles who maintain their delusions..
16 months ago
I opened up the MR front page and saw the antenna signal level icon and got excited. I thought the rumors were wrong ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/21/apple-ceases-airport-wireless/')and Apple was testing a new standard for AirPort.....
Oh well....
16 months ago
Nice and all, but show me a carrier that actually provides the "theoretical" bandwidth 4G (or even 3G for that matter) promises. You can have all the jiggabytes/sec you want on paper, if it only means 30 MB/sec in the real world then what's the point.
16 months ago
All this speed is irrelevant with current data caps. Even "unlimited" is throttled after 25 GB or so. Being able to reach your data cap in 10 seconds isn't exactly something to get excited about.
Higher data caps? Most carriers do unlimited now
And again ... the "unlimited" is throttled after a certain point. It's not truly unlimited. Please don't buy into their marketing nonsense.
16 months ago
Welcome to the new world. Samsung will have 5g next year. Apple 3 years from now. And we're all stuck cause nobody here wants to use Android. And Tim knows it. Reminds me of when SJ talked about monopolies and the sales guys took over the company and eventually drove out the product guys.
16 months ago
Nice and all, but show me a carrier that actually provides the "theoretical" bandwidth 4G (or even 3G for that matter) promises. You can have all the jiggabytes/sec you want on paper, if it only means 30 MB/sec in the real world then what's the point.
I get over 110 Mbps on average so faster will be even greater ;-)
16 months ago
Lots of misinformation in this thread.
For one thing, no, the next Samsung phone, or any phone for that matter, does not have 5G.
5G's primary purpose is NOT to increase speeds, its primary purpose is densification – bringing better coverage to dense areas, areas where 4G coverage is overloaded.
Because of how short the 5g waves travel, and the fact that they don't pass through objects, it takes anywhere from 15-25 5G cells to cover the same area as a single 4G cell. Because of this, significant investment is required in order to stand up a 5G network. We likely won't see 5G widely rolled out for 10 or more years. And some towns just don't make sense at all for 5G. Dry, open cities like Phoenix are good candidates and will likely see it first. Humid areas dense with trees, like Atlanta, are very poor candidates. 5G even can be disrupted by rain. It just won't be as ubiquitous as 4G, likely ever. But it will have practical uses.
The standardization process for 5G isn't even complete. Right now companies are in the exploratory process, learning how to best use the technology and what it's applications will be, but no network has rolled out 5G for consumer use. Any network advertising 5G is lying to you.
At the moment, the technology required to receive 5G signal does not fit inside a device smaller than a router, much less a phone.
Source: worked with and have been involved with testing of 5G technology for a major carrier.
For one thing, no, the next Samsung phone, or any phone for that matter, does not have 5G.
5G's primary purpose is NOT to increase speeds, its primary purpose is densification – bringing better coverage to dense areas, areas where 4G coverage is overloaded.
Because of how short the 5g waves travel, and the fact that they don't pass through objects, it takes anywhere from 15-25 5G cells to cover the same area as a single 4G cell. Because of this, significant investment is required in order to stand up a 5G network. We likely won't see 5G widely rolled out for 10 or more years. And some towns just don't make sense at all for 5G. Dry, open cities like Phoenix are good candidates and will likely see it first. Humid areas dense with trees, like Atlanta, are very poor candidates. 5G even can be disrupted by rain. It just won't be as ubiquitous as 4G, likely ever. But it will have practical uses.
The standardization process for 5G isn't even complete. Right now companies are in the exploratory process, learning how to best use the technology and what it's applications will be, but no network has rolled out 5G for consumer use. Any network advertising 5G is lying to you.
At the moment, the technology required to receive 5G signal does not fit inside a device smaller than a router, much less a phone.
Source: worked with and have been involved with testing of 5G technology for a major carrier.
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