What is the C-Band in 5G, and how is it obtained? [Complete Understanding for 2024]

Introduction

To deliver on the promise of far greater user experiences than 4G, 5G needs wide, dedicated swaths of bandwidth, ideally 50 megahertz or more. And that is exactly what the C band can provide.

After months of wrangling with airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), AT&T and Verizon launched their C-band 5G networks. Here's hoping that all goes well, with no major flight disruptions or threats to aviation safety.

After more than two years of AT&T and Verizon's “nationwide 5G” networks feeling a lot like 4G, the C band is finally going to make a big difference in speeds. What is C-band and 5G? What's a C-band phone? Should you be afraid of the C band? Let's talk about it!

What is the C band?

The 4- to 8-gigahertz range of the electromagnetic spectrum, known as the C band, is reserved for satellite communications. C-band satellite antennas are widely used in areas where signals can weaken because of heavy rain or other adverse weather conditions. Typically, C-band satellite antennas are between 1.8 and 2.4 meters long. Though C-band satellite communications require larger dishes and are mainly used in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, they are more resistant to rain fade.

C-band functionality

• Re-establishing communications and enabling humanitarian aid: When public need is greatest, C-band provides emergency support. In crises, when terrestrial infrastructure is damaged, access to information can be a matter of life and death for those seeking help and coordinating relief efforts. In such situations, C-band satellite connectivity is essential to restoring communications services.
• Improving community life: Most NGOs and humanitarian organizations use C-band for e-learning and e-health services. One of satellite communications' greatest values is empowering people in remote areas with access to medical and educational opportunities.
• Serving businesses: The commercial maritime sector, the oil-and-gas industry, and mobile-backhaul services for land-based VSAT applications in challenging terrains and remote areas all rely heavily on C-band to establish their most critical and available links.

• Broad broadcast transmission: Because C-band is highly resistant to heavy rain, it is relied upon by millions of households for television reception, especially in tropical regions like Latin America, Africa, and Asia. More than 1,300 television channels in Latin America use C-band for transmission, as do satellite operators distributing content to 140 million people in Africa, and most TV viewers in Indonesia and India. Of the 145 C-band satellites currently in orbit, 115 are used for broadcasting, supplying signals to terrestrial networks, cable headends, and, in some rural areas, direct-to-home (DTH) services, for everything from live sports and news to public events and international programming.
• Weather forecasting: Governments can share critical meteorological data with the public quickly, enabling early warning of dangerous weather events that, with proper planning, can save thousands of lives.

What is the C-band used for, and what are its advantages? The C-band is a range of electromagnetic frequencies typically lying between 4 and 8 gigahertz (GHz) and is used in various communication applications. Here are some primary uses and advantages of the C-band: 1. **Satellite Communications**: The C-band is one of the most commonly used frequency bands in satellite communications, serving purposes such as television broadcasting, data transmission, and distance education. It offers relatively stable signal transmission even in adverse weather conditions. 2. **Radar Systems**: C-band frequencies are suitable for radar applications like weather radar and air traffic control since they can penetrate clouds and detect targets. 3. **Wireless Networks**: The C-band is also employed in wireless networks, especially in earlier WiFi standards. Its frequencies allow for longer transmission distances, although they may be blocked by buildings and other obstacles. 4. **Broadcasting**: The C-band plays a significant role in terrestrial television and cable broadcasting due to its wide geographic coverage and relatively inexpensive receiving equipment. 5. **Military Applications**: C-band frequencies are utilized in military communications and radar systems for command, control, and intelligence gathering. 6. **Optical Communications**: While not directly involving C-band electromagnetic waves, in fiber-optic communications, the C-band (1530-1565 nanometers) is an important wavelength window for long-distance, high-capacity data transmission. Advantages of the C-band include: - **Penetration Ability**: C-band frequencies can penetrate through rain, fog, etc., providing more reliable communication. - **Coverage Range**: In wireless applications, the C-band allows for longer transmission distances. - **Cost-Effectiveness**: C-band technology is mature, resulting in relatively lower costs for associated equipment. - **Interoperability**: Many existing communication systems are based on the C-band, leading to better interoperability and compatibility with other systems. However, the C-band also faces challenges, such as spectrum congestion, vulnerability to interference, and in some cases, lower transmission speeds compared to higher-frequency bands.

C-Band Characteristics

• C-band frequencies typically come in figures of four, such as 4103, 3096, and 3085.
• C-band works within the frequency range of 3.7 to 4.2 GHz (or 3700 to 4200 MHz).
• Though frequencies with an H or V may also fall under the C-band, typical C-band frequencies have L or R polarity. Due to the lower frequencies, C-band wavelengths are longer.
• Keep in mind that a Mesh feedhorn cannot be used with KU-band frequencies and LNBs; a C-band is required here.
• Given that we're dealing with longer wavelengths, a larger dish antenna is needed to receive these frequencies.
• C-band frequencies are received through a prime focus antenna.

A C-band LNB is therefore required to receive these frequencies, and the smallest commercially available prime-focus dish diameter is 1.8 meters.

The Case for C

• C-band can support fast speeds of up to 100 megabits per second on a mobile device.
• C-band signals can travel long distances with few cell sites.
• Telecom companies already hold large amounts of C-band spectrum for wireless use.

Here is a comparison of C-band with other frequency bands:

What is the difference between C-band and L-band?

• L Band: The radio frequency spectrum operating range between 1 and 2 GHz is known as the L Band, with wavelengths ranging from 30 to 15 centimeters. The L Band is one of the primary operating bands for numerous applications, including radar, GPS, radio communications, telecommunications, and aircraft surveillance. It is commonly used due to its lower frequencies and limited bandwidth, making it easier and more cost-effective to build the necessary equipment. L Band satellite stabilization systems are the easiest to install. The RF equipment required for L Band processing is less expensive and less complex, and its wider beamwidth means that antenna pointing accuracy is less critical than with higher frequency bands. The lower frequency range of 1-2 GHz.
• C Band: The C Band (4 to 8 GHz) typically transmits around 6 GHz and receives around 4 GHz. It requires larger (2.4-3.7 meters) antennas. The C Band falls within a lower frequency range that is more suitable for voice and ISP requirements. As the signal strength in the Ku Band's spot beam areas is usually higher, signals can be received on smaller dishes (antennas).

C-band and 5G Basics

1. Will C band be used for 5G only?

C-band sits right in the middle of the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi channels, and just above the 2.6 GHz band that Clearwire, Sprint, and later T-Mobile used for their 4G service starting in 2007, and which T-Mobile is now using for mid-band 5G.

What does all this mean for the future of 5G?

Ask the man on the street what he knows about 5G, and his first thoughts are likely to be of smartphones. If you were to have asked in 2019, when the roll-out of 5G began, you would not have been far wrong. 5G is 4G LTE's faster successor.

Yet the 5G landscape in two to three years' time will look very different from what it is now, both in terms of how 5G is deployed and what it looks like. In buzzword terms, 5G New Radio (NR) technology is “disruptive.”

And yet the next generation of wireless-network technology will enable many industries and use cases, and will doubtless inspire new ones.

These days, one hears a lot about 5G. But what, exactly, does it mean?

The fifth generation (5G) of broadband cellular-network technology, which is set to replace 4G, the standard that currently connects most modern smartphones, began rolling out globally in 2019.

In that case, you might be wondering how to quickly transfer large files over the network.

4. The relationship between C-band and 5G, or C-band, 5G, and the C-band spectrum.

Our mobile devices will receive 5G signals over a range of radio bands. Much attention has been focused on millimeter-wave frequencies (24-47 gigahertz), which can transmit gigabits of data within line of sight, above the radio band but below the C band. And C-band frequencies, which are higher than those of low-frequency 5G (600 megahertz-1 gigahertz), offer similar speeds and coverage to 4G.

C-band, located in the middle of the electromagnetic spectrum, between millimeter wave and lower frequencies, offers a sweet spot of greater speed and reach.

Why is C band so important?

To gain access to this highly sought-after spectrum, US telecoms giants including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile have together spent more than $95 billion in auctions. The federal government has approved the start of C-band deployment in multiple US cities as of January 2022.

Mobile internet connections are delivered over the air by wireless carriers using radio waves in the electromagnetic spectrum. The 5G networks that are now being rolled out will also use part of the C band, a slice of spectrum ranging from 3.7 to 3.98 gigahertz (GHz), according to federal regulations. This is toward the lower end of the C band, which has long been used for satellite television broadcasting and distribution, dating back to the 1970s.

Unlike millimeter-wave spectrum (24-47 gigahertz), a much-hyped 5G technology that enables multigigabit speeds over short line-of-sight distances, C-band frequencies sit lower in the radio spectrum. And they are higher than those of low-band 5G (600 megahertz-1 gigahertz), which has similar speeds and range to 4G.

Well, the C band sits right in the middle of the spectrum, so it offers a nice balance between higher frequencies that allow for faster speeds but shorter range, and lower frequencies that give you longer range but slower speeds.

How to get C-band 5G?

The two major mobile carriers that currently offer C-band 5G are Verizon and AT&T, so if you have a plan with either of those companies, you should be able to access it. Of course, you will also need a 5G phone capable of connecting to the C band.

So far, 46 major US cities have C-band 5G, covering 60% of the population. Though Verizon and AT&T will need to add cell sites to fill in C-band coverage in these areas, the service will be more widely available in 2022.

Starting in December 2023, an additional 53 important markets will get access to the second chunk of C-band spectrum. This includes a significant part of T-Mobile's C-band spectrum, which it is using for its slower-speed low-band 5G.

Allnet Insights & Analytics lists where C-band 5G is available as of January 2022 and where it will be turned on starting in December 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about 5G in the C-Band

1. Do you know what is specifically meant by C-band 5G?

Mobile networks will use the newly accessible C-band frequencies to transmit 5G signals, which will allow for stronger reception and faster downloads. The C-band is already in use in many countries, and its adoption is trending in Europe, Japan, and elsewhere in Asia.

2. Do you know which are the best phones supporting C-Band 5G?

Yes, here is the list:

• Any iPhone 13 model
• Any iPhone 12 model
• iPhone SE (2nd generation)
• Any Samsung Galaxy S22 model
• Any Samsung Galaxy S21 model, including the Galaxy S21 FE
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3
• Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro
• Samsung Galaxy A13 5G

Please provide the English content you would like translated, and I will do my best to translate it into Chinese.

Do you need a 5G phone that supports the C band?

Any 5G service, including C-band, requires a 5G phone to access. But you do not need C-band on your phone right now unless you are a Verizon or AT&T customer keen to get the most out of your 5G experience. While C-band deployment is still unfolding, its availability will increase in 2022, and having a 5G phone will ensure that you get the fastest speeds where it is available.

Bottom line

The main purpose of this article is to give readers a sense of what the C-band is and its relationship to 5G. The 4- to 8-gigahertz range of the electromagnetic spectrum designated for satellite transmission is known as the “C-band.”

If you're a T-Mobile customer, don't worry about spending a lot of money on a phone that works only on the C band. T-Mobile isn't expected to light up its C-band service until the end of 2023, by which time there will likely be even more 5G phones on the market, and most (if not all) of them will support the C band.

When comparing 5G phones and networks, it's essential to check your home internet options. See what's available in your area and compare it with the 5G capabilities.