5G Towers: What You Need to Know

By: Jeff Fischer

By now, you have heard of 5G and might even have a mobile device with 5G capabilities. However, you may not know how 5G works. Mobile providers and third-party providers, such as Mercury Communications, have been hard at work constructing 5G towers across the country. You may not even have noticed them, but we are here to tell you everything you need to know about these towers and how they work.

5G towers are constructed to contains masts. Small cell 5G towers are constructed with masts. According to 5Gradar, hidden antennas “transmit data to and from a device to the wider network.” No one likes looking at a large, bulky piece of technology right outside their window, so these masts are designed to be as discreet as possible, so they blend in with the surrounding environment. However, in suburban and rural areas, they may be more obvious than in more densely populated areas. In large cities, you might even see the masts on the rooftop of a building. Click here to view a video showcasing each element of a 5G tower and its function.

Each 5G tower is considered its own “site” and each of these sites is connected to the wider network via a fixed or wireless connection and host antennas. So, how do these towers reach everyone and their multiple devices? According to 5Gradar, site operators “will use a combination of low, mid, and high range spectrum to support different 5G use cases. Some applications will require high bandwidth and constant connectivity. This means that in addition to using traditional mobile masts for 5G, operators will need to densify their networks in urban areas through microinfrastructure such as small cells.” Click here to learn more about Mercury’s small cell capabilities.

5G networks are going to bring unprecedented speeds and capacity to our mobile devices. These networks will be powered by the cloud, so it is important that new technologies are installed directly on towers in order for ease of use and smoother software upgrade rollouts. While supporting various functions and standards, manufacturers and providers are working hard to keep everything as compact as possible. Lighter equipment is easier to install leading to quicker completion and rollout. Click here to read 5Gradar’s full guide on what you need to know about 5G towers.

Click here to learn more about 5G and how it is going to impact the ways in which we live, work, and play. Check back soon to learn about the groundbreaking Internet of Things (IoT).

Mercury Communications is proud to a small part of constructing America’s 5G infrastructure. Click here to learn more about our services.