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Comment by hn_throwaway_99 | Hacker News Reader

You can't have it all? This quote from the article makes it sound like you can barely have anything:

> In fact, recent tests of newly launched commercial 5G networks in the United States are showing that millimeter wave signals are not traveling more than 350 feet, even when there are no major obstructions. They are also not penetrating walls or windows, making indoor coverage difficult.

350 ft with no walls or windows in the way?? So you'd need about 4 antennas just to cover the vertical height of the Empire State Building? How is this considered in any way viable, even in urban areas. Why not just build out a WiFi mesh network instead if the numbers are that poor.

Really hoping there are some important details missing here.

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Short range is a feuture of 5G not a bug, to prevent congestion.

Probably it will not be usefull outside really crowded areas or a set of high throughput sensors that need to be wireless for some reason.

If it's a feature, not a bug, why are all the other countries outlined in the article choosing bands with greater range?

I just can't imagine anyone being happy with 5G if it doesn't work in your car.

I don't really know the trade offs. Maybe they believe a longer short range would be best?

There's a vehicle test track with Ericsson 5G in Sweden (Astazero) where you can stream while driving. I don't know how many radios they use. There are more installations around the globe for showcasing that.

There has been trails of multiple Gbit link to race cars, but that's more or less lab tests. With more cars you will need to share the spectrum.

> Really hoping there are some important details missing here.

The laws of physics dictate that the only way we can have large bandwidth AND large number of simultaneous users is to have tiny cells which cover only a few square meters.

5G, and future Gs will put these micro cells everywhere, on top of each street light, buried under the sidewalk...

Just like in a building every apartment has it's own private Wifi and all of them have fast Wifi, while at the same time all of them have mediocre mobile connection.

It could have some serious niches. For example sensor/camera networks on an airport site. Or as a cheaper alternative for short range microwave fixed links.

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