What do the hieroglyphics 3G, 4G and 5G actually mean? A lot more than you might think.

Anyone who looks at the screen of their smartphone can see which network they’re currently connected to. But what does this mean for you as a customer? What advantages do the various network technologies offer – especially the latest and fastest 5G? And why will we need 5G in the future? Roland (Roli) Eisenhut , Senior Director of Radio Engineering at Sunrise, gives us the answers. 

When «connect» – the most renowned trade magazine – carries out its annual mobile-network tests in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Sunrise is regularly awarded the highest rating of «Outstanding». And Roland Eisenhut, Senior Director Radio Engineering at Sunrise, is delighted about it: «Good connections are crucial for our customers. The fastest and most reliable connections form the backbone of everyday digital life – both for business and pleasure.»  

However, the volumes of data we’re transmitting via mobile networks are increasing every year. We’re reaching the limits of the older 3G and 4G technologies. The introduction of 5G NSA (see box) in 2019 was an important evolutionary step that among other things made it possible to have a higher number of simultaneous connections (capacity) and significantly faster data transmission. 5G SA paves the way for more and new areas of application, such as slicing, guaranteed service quality and real-time applications, which are required in smart industries or for autonomous driving. 

Mobile network: the invisible network in the air  

How should a layperson imagine a mobile network? Roli explains it to us in simple terms: «A mobile network is like an invisible fishing net, with its knots (antennas) and meshes (radio cells) distributed across our country. You can also think of it as a huge, invisible network of roads on which information is transported from one place (cell) to another. The antennas correspond to the road junctions where the signal is transmitted.» 

Electromagnetic fields are used for the wireless transmission of voice calls and data. These propagate at the speed of light, like waves in free space, and can transmit information even over long distances. We differentiate between low, medium and higher frequency bands within which these waves move.  

Roli points out that the range of «a wave» or signal varies depending on the frequency band. «The higher the frequency, the shorter the signal reach.» He explains what this means for 3G, 4G and 5G as follows: «Imagine waves in the water. 3G only operates in the low-frequency range with relatively flat waves, which follow each other at greater distances and have a virtually constant geographical range. These waves are good at penetrating buildings, but offer only low data speeds and have high latencies that are no longer sufficient for today’s data-transmission requirements.» The situation is different with 4G, which is currently the most widely used technology, as it uses a wider range of frequency bands. Compared to 3G, 4G has higher frequency bands with higher waves in faster succession; huge amounts of data are transmitted each second. This means that geographical range, coverage and speed are better. «Data transmission with 4G offers significantly higher volumes compared to 3G,» says Roli. 4G allows for applications like HD streaming, video conferencing and fast downloads.  

You can find more information on the 3G network switch off here.

The (current) premium class 5G 

«5G uses the widest range of frequencies, including the low 900 MHz (Megahertz) band as well as the fast and newer 3.7 GHz (Gigahertz) band,» explains Roli. By using the lower frequency, 5G achieves good geographical range and coverage, and can transmit huge data packages extremely fast in the higher frequency ranges. 

«5G Standalone» is ready to go! 

Bear in mind that not all 5G is the same. When we talk about 5G, we distinguish between 5G Non-Standalone (NSA) and 5G Standalone (SA). To understand the differences between 5G Standalone and Non-Standalone, it’s important to know the following terms:  

• 5G core network: This is the backbone and central nervous system of a mobile network. Put simply, it’s responsible for the connections between mobile devices and other networks, such as the Internet, landline network or the mobile networks of other providers.   
• Radio Access Network, RAN: This establishes the connection between the 5G core network and the end devices via «5G New Radio» (NR). 

In order to accelerate 5G expansion, 5G technology has initially been implemented on the basis of the predominant 4G network since its introduction in 2019. 5G NSA uses the 4G core network and, in addition to «normal radio connectivity», offers the basic 5G functions with massively faster data transmission (eMBB = Enhanced Mobile Broad Band) and improved latency.

5G Standalone is completely different: it stands alone, as the name suggests. This technology isn’t based on 4G, but is instead an independent, end-to-end 5G network, right from the radio access network (RAN) with 5G New Radio through to the 5G core network. In addition to the basic 5G properties, Standalone technology makes it possible to use additional functions that open up completely new applications, primarily in the business sector but also for residential customers.  

Advantages of 5G Standalone for residential customers 

The Sunrise 5G network, with its 5G core network, makes streaming, gaming and working more reliable and convenient. Even if thousands of people are online at the same time at a public event, they can still stream and post things on Instagram and other sites. 

In the future, dedicated 5G standalone solutions will offer:

• Extremely short latency times in data transmission
• Higher capacities for a higher number of simultaneously connected end devices (up to 1 million per km2)  
• Reliable and more stable connections 
• Longer battery lives for end devices (up to 20% more) because they only connect via one network, namely 5G SA  
• Generally better mobile coverage inside buildings (indoor coverage) 

Advantages of 5G SA for the business sector 

For business customers, the benefits currently lie mainly in slicing, virtually guaranteed service quality and real-time applications, e.g., for smart industries, autonomous driving and massive IoT (with «eMTC» – a network with low energy requirements for end devices, lower device complexity and expanded coverage), which allows for an almost-unlimited number of connections. 

Applications and future aspirations with 5G SA 

Slicing: The customer – up until now mainly business customers, but in future this could also be possible for residential customers – receives a «personal» piece of the public 5G network. For example: this technology could enable an editor at a TV station or streaming provider to live-stream a video with the highest quality and no interruptions, despite hundreds of thousands of people attending a major event, thanks to the bandwidth reserved for them.  

Dedicated network: The business customer gets their own self-contained mobile private network (MPN). Networks like this are used when data security is crucial and must not under any circumstances be incorporated into the public network.  

Hybrid network: A combination of the two network architectures – slicing and dedicated network 

In the future, these technologies will enable applications such as automation and teleoperation (remote control) of moving entities in real time. This includes self-driving buses, trucks, cars or drones. Various pilot tests are currently underway in Switzerland for passenger and freight transport, with one example being self-driving buses in Schaffhausen. 5G SA will play a key role for new applications in the future.  

As well as transportation, a wide variety of industries could use 5G SA, including energy, construction and manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, retail, banking, insurance, tourism and media. The areas of application are just as diverse: sales, customer support, work smart, monitoring/ remote monitoring, supply-chain management, logistics, robotics, gaming/streaming, marketing and many more.  

Conclusion: We’re ready!

Sunrise has consistently positioned itself as a pioneer in mobile-network technologies. While 3G and 4G have played an important role in the past, the focus is now on the further rapid development of 5G. «The transition from 5G Non-Standalone to 5G Standalone is the next step in mobile communication and will enable a variety of new and innovative services,» says Roli with a smile. 

Sunrise mobile network is first in Switzerland ready for 5G SA 

Just as we were the first network operator to launch 5G non-standalone (NSA) in 2019, we’re now also the first to offer 5G Standalone (SA). For customers, this means that with a subscription from the new Swiss Connect product portfolio and a 5G SA-enabled mobile phone, they can now use 5G SA with all its advantages, such as improved network coverage, longer battery life and increased connection security. 

A smartphone’s 5G SA capability depends on its certification by the device manufacturer and the availability of a firmware update. 5G SA-enabled devices currently include Samsung's S21 series and, probably by the middle of the year, Apple’s iPhones from iPhone 14 onwards. 

Here you’ll find a list of devices that are currently 5G SA-enabled.