Technical Benefits
5G Signal Strength and 5G-NR Bands
5G NR stands for 5th Generation New Radio. It is the latest mobile network technology that provides faster speed and lower latency than 4G-LTE mobile networks. The 5G router has a 5G cellular modem inside to connect to the 5G cellular networks and provide an internet connection.
If you wonder if the 5G router works in your area, the first thing to do is check the 5G signal strength. Then ensure you have an activated 5G SIM card. Remember that the 5G modem router and 5G antennas should cover the 5G bands used by your carrier.
How to check the 5G signal strength?
To get the fast speed and stable connection from the 5G router, it should install in a suitable location, such as elevated, near a window, and away from obstructions and RF equipment.
You can run a field test at the position you want to install the 5G router and check the signal strength. The easiest way is to use a 5G smartphone and check the 5G signal bars. As long as you have a “Good” 5G signal reception, the 5G router could generally work well.
Now we can go further to ensure the 5G router works stable and provides fast speed. There are multiple key parameters used to measure the 5G signal strength, including RSRP, RSRQ, and SNR.
5G Cellular Signal Parameters
RSRP stands for Reference Signal Received Power. It is the main parameter for measuring the 5G reference signal power level received from the cell tower.
RSRQ stands for Reference Signal Received Quality. It measures the received 5G signal quality by comparing the power level to the overall noise level.
SNR, also called S/N and SINR, stands for Signal to Interference Plus Noise Ratio. It compares the 5G signal to the combined interference and noise levels. A lower SNR value will lead to slow data speeds. When SNR is below 0 dB, interference is higher than the signal level, which could severely impact 5G internet connectivity.
Note: RSRP and RSRQ are negative values with 2~3 digits — the closer number to zero means the better signal. SNR is a positive number — the larger number means the lower RF signal interference.
5G Sub-3GHz Signal Definition Chart
RSRP (dBm) | RSRQ (dB) | SNR (dB) | |
Excellent | > -80 | > -10 | > 20 |
Good | -80 to -90 | -10 to -15 | 13 to 20 |
Poor | -90 to -100 | -15 to -20 | 0 to 13 |
Bad | < -100 | < -20 | < 0 |
Definition of 5G Signal Strength
Excellent: Maximum speed and data throughput.
Good: Stable connection and good data throughput.
Poor: Maintain data connection with restricted throughput.
Bad: Connection drop or unable to keep a stable connection.
Cellular 5G-NR Frequency Bands
5G NR operates across diverse spectrum bands from 600 MHz to mmWave. The most used and widely deployed 5G-NR networks are Low-band 600 MHz to 1 GHz and Mid-band 1 GHz to 6 GHz. Here are the general divide types of the Sub-6 5G-NR frequency spectrums:
LB (Low-band) – 617~960 MHz
MB (Mid-band) – 1452~2400 MHz
HB (High-band) – 2300~2690 MHz
MHB (Mid-high band) – 1452~2690 MHz
UHB (Ultra-high band) – 3400~3800 MHz
The 5G router and 5G cellular antenna should cover the 5G-NR frequency bands used by your mobile operator.
No. | Uplink | Downlink | Bandwidth | Duplex |
n1 | 1920 – 1980 MHz | 2110 – 2170 MHz | 60 MHz | FDD |
n2 | 1850 – 1910 MHz | 1930 – 1990 MHz | 60 MHz | FDD |
n3 | 1710 – 1785 MHz | 1805 – 1880 MHz | 75 MHz | FDD |
n5 | 824 – 849 MHz | 869 – 894 MHz | 25 MHz | FDD |
n7 | 2500 – 2570 MHz | 2620 – 2690 MHz | 70 MHz | FDD |
n8 | 880 – 915 MHz | 925 – 960 MHz | 35 MHz | FDD |
n12 | 699 – 716 MHz | 729 – 746 MHz | 17 MHz | FDD |
n13 | 777 – 787 MHz | 746 – 756 MHz | 10 MHz | FDD |
n14 | 788 – 798 MHz | 758 – 768 MHz | 10 MHz | FDD |
n18 | 815 – 830 MHz | 860 – 875 MHz | 15 MHz | FDD |
n20 | 832 – 862 MHz | 791 – 821 MHz | 30 MHz | FDD |
n24 | 1626.5 – 1660.5 MHz | 1525 – 1559 MHz | 34 MHz | FDD |
n25 | 1850 – 1915 MHz | 1930 – 1995 MHz | 60 MHz | FDD |
n26 | 814 – 849 MHz | 859 – 894 MHz | 35 MHz | FDD |
n28 | 703 – 748 MHz | 758 – 803 MHz | 45 MHz | FDD |
n29 | N/A | 717 – 728 MHz | 11 MHz | SUL |
n30 | 2305 – 2315 MHz | 2350 – 2360 MHz | 10 MHz | FDD |
n34 | 2010 – 2025 MHz | 2010 – 2025 MHz | 15 MHz | TDD |
n38 | 2570 – 2620 MHz | 2570 – 2620 MHz | 50 MHz | TDD |
n39 | 1880 – 1920 MHz | 1880 – 1920 MHz | 40 MHz | TDD |
n40 | 2300 – 2400 MHz | 2300 – 2400 MHz | 100 MHz | TDD |
n41 | 2496 – 2690 MHz | 2496 – 2690 MHz | 194 MHz | TDD |
n46 | 5150 – 5925 MHz | 5150 – 5925 MHz | 775 MHz | TDD |
n47 | 5855 – 5925 MHz | 5855 – 5925 MHz | 70 MHz | TDD |
n48 | 3550 – 3700 MHz | 3550 – 3700 MHz | 150 MHz | TDD |
n50 | 1432 – 1517 MHz | 1432 – 1517 MHz | 85 MHz | TDD |
n51 | 1427 – 1432 MHz | 1427 – 1432 MHz | 5 MHz | TDD |
n53 | 2483.5 – 2495 MHz | 2483.5 – 2495 MHz | 11 MHz | TDD |
n65 | 1920 – 2010 MHz | 2110 – 2200 MHz | 90 MHz | FDD |
n66 | 1710 – 1780 MHz | 2110 – 2200 MHz | 70/90 MHz | FDD |
n67 | N/A | 738 – 758 MHz | 20 MHz | SDL |
n70 | 1695 – 1710 MHz | 1995 – 2020 MHz | 15/25 MHz | FDD |
n71 | 663 – 698 MHz | 617 – 652 MHz | 35 MHz | FDD |
n74 | 1427 – 1470 MHz | 1475 – 1518 MHz | 43 MHz | FDD |
n75 | N/A | 1432 – 1517 MHz | 85 MHz | SDL |
n76 | N/A | 1427 – 1432 MHz | 5 MHz | SDL |
n77 | 3300 – 4200 MHz | 3300 – 4200 MHz | 900 MHz | TDD |
n78 | 3300 – 3800 MHz | 3300 – 3800 MHz | 500 MHz | TDD |
n79 | 4400 – 5000 MHz | 4400 – 5000 MHz | 600 MHz | TDD |
n80 | 1710 – 1785 MHz | N/A | 75 MHz | SUL |
n81 | 880 – 915 MHz | N/A | 35 MHz | SUL |
n82 | 832 – 862 MHz | N/A | 30 MHz | SUL |
n83 | 703 – 748 MHz | N/A | 45 MHz | SUL |
n84 | 1920 – 1980 MHz | N/A | 60 MHz | SUL |
n85 | 698 – 716 MHz | 728 – 746 MHz | 18 MHz | FDD |
n86 | 1710 – 1780 MHz | N/A | 70 MHz | SUL |
n89 | 824 – 849 MHz | N/A | 25 MHz | SUL |
n90 | 2496 – 2690 MHz | 2496 – 2690 MHz | 194 MHz | TDD |
n91 | 832 – 862 MHz | 1427 – 1432 MHz | 30/5 MHz | FDD |
n92 | 832 – 862 MHz | 1432 – 1517 MHz | 30/85 MHz | FDD |
n93 | 880 – 915 MHz | 1427 – 1432 MHz | 35/5 MHz | FDD |
n94 | 880 – 915 MHz | 1432 – 1517 MHz | 25/85 MHz | FDD |
n95 | 2010 – 2025 MHz | N/A | 15 MHz | SUL |
n96 | 5925 – 7125 MHz | 5925 – 7125 MHz | 1200 MHz | TDD |
n97 | 2300 – 2400 MHz | N/A | 100 MHz | SUL |
n98 | 1880 – 1920 MHz | N/A | 40 MHz | SUL |
n99 | 1626.5 – 1660.5 MHz | N/A | 34 MHz | SUL |
n100 | 874.4 – 880 MHz | 919.4 – 925 MHz | 5 MHz | FDD |
n101 | 1900 – 1910 MHz | 1900 – 1910 MHz | 10 MHz | TDD |
n102 | 5925 – 6425 MHz | 5925 – 6425 MHz | 500 MHz | TDD |
n104 | 6425 – 7125 MHz | 6425 – 7125 MHz | 700 MHz | TDD |
n105 | 663 – 703 MHz | 612 – 652 MHz | 40 MHz | FDD |