University of São Paulo: Implementation of 5G still requires technical and legislative changes
The month of August was marked by the activation of 5G technology in some capitals of the country. This was the case of the capital of São Paulo, which saw the city of São Paulo receive the technology on the 8th. The fifth generation of mobile networks is the next evolutionary step for wireless broadband, bringing improvements in terms of video playback speed, greater data storage capacity and the so-called internet of things, in addition to consuming up to 90% less energy than current networks.
Marcelo Zuffo – Marcos Santos/USP Images
In Brazil, the immediate implementation of the new mobile data update presents some impediments. Here, the bands in the 3.5 GHz frequency chosen to transmit the new generation of mobile data are the same as the satellite dishes. The decision arose from the need to allocate data on a frequency that was accessible, even though it was not considered a “good transmission band”, since 5G can also work in the 700 MHz and 26 gig bands.
This is what Professor Marcelo Zuffo, from the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering at the Escola Politécnica da USP, says, who also adds: “There was a consensus that the most suitable range for the transmission of services to the population was the range of 3, 5 GHz”.
Benefits
Prioritizing the replacement of satellite dishes over new mobile data was followed by the idea that more individuals would benefit from 5G. It would also be more advantageous in economic terms, by stimulating changes in the technological concept, with streaming leading entertainment, rather than television.
The researcher at the Institute of Technological Research, Matheus Jacon Pereira, explains that, in order to reduce the impacts of the demand of users of satellite dishes, “kits with specific decoders will be distributed to the population”. Low-income families will be the main beneficiaries of the measure.
Full implementation
When the challenges are resolved, and following the schedule established by Anatel, Pereira says that, until July 31, 2029, the Brazilian territory will have complete coverage. In the context of Brazilian capitals, 5G will have to be commercially activated by November 27 of this year, and the forecast is that cities with more than 30 thousand inhabitants will be provided with at least one base radio station for every 15 thousand users for the dispersion of the signal.
From a legal point of view, Pereira highlights that, for full implementation, some laws will have to be changed and revised, to adapt the rules established for antennas in the municipalities. Technically, it will also be necessary to change the antennas of the satellite dish transmission from the C band, which corresponds to the 3.5 GHz frequencies, which will transmit 5G, to the Ku band, commercially found in the frequency bands between 10.7 GHz and 18 GHz.