Comment by bee_rider
I don’t 100% get the story. TLDR, skeptical due to the issue of the two 5G frequency ranges.
> Because 5G networks include spectrum comprising higher frequencies than 4G, base stations for 5G networks serve a smaller coverage footprint.
Sure
> It [the window antenna] is compatible with frequencies in the 5G Sub6 band—meaning signals that are less than 6 gigahertz (GHz). Sub6 antennas represent critical portions of a 5G deployment, as their lower frequency ranges penetrate barriers like walls and buildings better than the substantially higher-bandwidth millimeter-wave portions of the 5G spectrum.
But 4G seems to go into at least the 3-ish GHz range just fine. At least my layman understanding is that sub-6Ghz doesn’t have the range problem, the whole point of adding that (IMO, less-than-intuitive-to-consumers) frequency band was that (while it didn’t fulfill the bandwidth promises of 5G) it also didn’t have the range problem. So it is there to fill the gaps.
The ability to deploy sub-6GHz antennas everywhere seems like it misses the whole point of that band.
I’m sure there’s some advantage to the 5G tech in general, because it is newer. But that’s a different pitch, right?
Sub6 is more or less the same frequencies as 4G. I know there's more low frequency (additional spectrum formerly used for over the air TV), and there might be some slightly higher frequency too, but this is the general purpose stuff. The mmWave stuff is really for locations with dense crowds like stadiums and maybe airports and busy train/transit stations.
5G is still better than 4G on sub6 for lots of reasons, but yeah, it doesn't have the oodles of bandwidth that 5G promised.
Being able to put more sub6 base stations in more places is still good though. There's plenty of areas with poor coverage, and sometimes the reason there's no coverage is the aesthetics of the base stations are poor. Blending in helps. Which is why some antennas look like weird saguaro or palm trees and pine trees. It might be nice to have antennas in windows in office buildings instead hanging on the side, and it might be easier to install as well.