n77: Introducing 5G NR Frequency Band

n77 is a frequency band designated by the 5G NR standard. Note that in 5G, the NR bands are defined with prefix of “n”. When the NR band is overlapping with the 4G LTE band, they share the same band number.

5G Band Name

TD 3700

Duplex Mode

TDD

Operating Band (MHz)

3300 to 4200 MHz

NR-ARFCN

620000 to 680000

Supported Channel Bandwidths

10 15 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 MHz

Summary:

In many countries, n77 (3700 MHz), or commonly referred to as the 3.7 GHz 5G band, or C-band 5G, is the most commonly tested and deployed 5G frequency. The n77 band’s popularity is due to its relatively common availability, compared to lower cellular spectrum (below 2700MHz) already widely in use by 3G and 4G networks.

Key performance objectives of the 5G NR standard require large blocks of contiguous spectrum to operate large channel widths and hence offer users high capacity throughput. With spectrum a valuable resource, operators have to implement 5G NR on higher cellular bands. The 3.7 GHz band has been historically used in small, adhoc WiMAX and proprietary format point-to-multipoint (P2MP) wireless networks. Many countries therefore have to ask ISP operators to vacate spectrum from 3300 to 4200 MHz ahead of national auctions to reallocate the band for 5G services.

n77 Coverage

n77 coverage is naturally limited in range and building penetration by the propagation characteristics of the higher frequencies used, however the effect has in some ways been mitigated by advanced processing techniques such as massive MIMO, beam-forming, and beam-tracking. Measured propagation has been reported to be similar to early B3 (1800 MHz) 4G networks. The shorter wavelength does have the advantage of making the complex antenna technologies used in 5G (such as Massive MIMO 128T128R) more compact and hence more feasible to deploy.

Some early n77 networks such as those deployed prior to spectrum auctions use smaller channel widths. The most popular channel width for fully deployed n77 5G networks is the maximum 100 MHz.

5G gNodeB Base Station Products supporting n77

CableFree Emerald 5G NR Base Stations are available in versions supporting n77. These base stations are available in various versions:

• Macro Cell configuration with 3 or 6 sectors per base site
• Small Cell configuration with 1 or 2 sectors per Small Cell unit
• Choice of 2×2 or 4×4 MIMO

For More Information

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