NIST Finds 5G Performance Consistent Across High-Frequency Bands

National Institute of Standards and Technology researchers determined performance is consistent across various millimeter-wave bands that have been targeted for 5G. Researchers used a new method to measure frequency effects across 26.5-40 GHz. “After extensive study in the laboratory and two real-world environments, NIST results confirmed that the main signal path -- over a clear ‘line of sight’ between transmitter and receiver -- does not vary by frequency, a generally accepted thesis for traditional wireless systems but until now not proven for the mmWave spectrum,” said the agency Tuesday. Researchers found signal losses in secondary paths “where transmissions are reflected, bent or diffused into clusters of reflections … can vary somewhat by frequency, depending on the type of path,” NIST said: “Reflective paths, which are the second strongest and critical for maintaining connectivity, lost only a little signal strength at higher frequencies.”