The Full Spectrum of RF Congestion
Last week, the FCC unanimously approved a proposal opening up frequency bands above 28 GHz (millimeter waves), including licensed bands from 27.5 – 28.35 GHz, 37 – 38.6 GHz, and 38.6 – 40 GHz, and unlicensed band between 64 and 71 GHz. This proposal was brought forth as a result of successful testing for 5G networks, using small cells to send data to mobile devices, with significantly improved response times and download speeds than 4G. With anticipated public access in 2020, the enhanced speed and performance of 5G networks will bring better streaming quality, virtual reality, and seemingly “instant” downloads into the hands of the general wireless consumer.
Right now, this development doesn’t have a huge impact on the world of RF and EMC test and measurement. Most of our customers’ applications are at much lower frequencies. However in our environment already clogged with rampant wireless transmissions, the implication of future problems is clear. Having only been open for a week, there is ample elbow room and limited interference issues in those SHF and EHF ranges- white space like we haven’t seen since before the development of modern RF transmitters. But, as technological use and developments increase in this millimeter wave spectrum, we can expect just as much congestion there as we experience today in the 2.4 – 5 GHz band. New technologies for interference tracking and avoidance will be necessary, but are not widely available on the RF test and measurement market today.
RF Congestion Shown on AaroniaUSA MCS Software
While AaroniaUSA currently offers only a handful of RF antennas capable of detecting signals in these new millimeter spectrum ranges (maxing out at 40GHz with our new IsoLOG 3D Tracking Antenna), we are certainly eager to ride the millimeter wave of the future, and have already begun exploring options for interference tracking and frequency coordination in the newly opened bands. In the meantime, our focus continues to lie on making the already-congested world of RF and EMF easier to navigate, with our extensive line of RF and EMF spectrum analyzers and antennas, spanning from 1 Hz all the way up to 40 GHz.
View AaroniaUSA’s complete line of RF and EMF Antennas.
View the HyperLOG 60350 680MHz – 35 GHz Antenna
View the HyperLOG 30350 380MHz – 35 GHz Antenna
View the IsoLOG 3D 9KHz – 40 GHz Tracking Antenna
Source: Microwaves and RF