What Are the Differences Between a 4G and a 5G Tower?

4G Towers:

• Size and Structure: 4G towers are the large, noticeable masts equipped with multiple antennas. These structures are designed to cover extensive areas and are often placed on tall masts or buildings, particularly in urban environments.
• Appearance: Due to their size, 4G towers are hard to conceal and are often disguised as trees or integrated into existing structures. Some even have trees planted around them to blend into the surroundings, though these can eventually obstruct the signal.
• Functionality: 4G towers are designed to provide widespread coverage, enabling voice, text, and data services over a large area.

5G Towers:

• Size and Structure: In contrast, 5G towers are significantly smaller and more discreet. They use a technology known as small-cell, which allows these towers to be spaced much closer together, typically 150 to 300 meters apart.
• Appearance: 5G equipment is compact, often just small boxes mounted on utility poles or the sides of buildings. These towers are designed to blend into their surroundings, making them much less visible than 4G towers.
• Technology: 5G towers transmit using high-bandwidth millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequencies, which enable extremely fast data transmission. Additionally, they can operate on mid-band frequencies, such as the C-band, which offers a balance between speed and coverage.

The large, generic cell phone towers that you see all around the country are 4G towers. Their equipment might be put on large masts or on buildings in the city. Large metal frames covered in antennas and dishes are difficult to conceal, hence they are frequently made to resemble trees. Many 4G towers had trees planted around them when they were first built to help them blend in. However, when the trees grew, they eventually blocked the signal from the very towers they had been placed to conceal. 5G equipment can be installed in 4G towers as well.

How Many 5G Towers Will There Be?

Compared to 4G, 5G has a higher frequency network. The signal doesn't travel as far, but it is faster. We require more 5G towers per area to solve this. Although there are more towers per square kilometre, they are smaller, and their hardware is capable of supporting the widest range of operations and requirements. This means that they will require less maintenance and upgrades in the future. When a 5G tower is built in your neighbourhood, you might not even notice. They are made to blend in with the surroundings and offer a quick, reliable connection without interfering with your daily activities.

Why are 5G Towers So Small?

The core of 5G technology lies in its use of small-cell technology. These small cells are essentially miniature radio transceivers that operate at high frequencies, requiring minimal power and space. Unlike the large towers of previous generations, 5G’s small cells create a mesh-like network, offering blanket coverage with faster data transmission capabilities. These small cells can be installed almost anywhere, from light poles to the sides of buildings, providing seamless connectivity without the need for large, obtrusive structures.

There are antennas and network-specific radios within each of these little cell towers. These little radio receivers are connected via fibre, wired, or microwave backhaul. These small cell radios support a variety of frequencies and can establish connections with both 5G and 4G devices. These little cell towers have a range of 9 to 2400 metres. These small cells are crucial because when used as a group, they may create a network that is faster and able to transport more traffic than the previous 4G network.

Are 5G Towers Dangerous?

No, 5G towers are not dangerous. It's simply the most recent generation of cellular technology. The G in 4G and 5G stands for "generation". 1G existed as early as the early 1980s, but it could only transfer voice, not data. 2G enabled data transfer and marked the beginning of the smartphone revolution.

Cellular wireless technology has been around for nearly 50 years. The FDA has conducted numerous tests and research to determine whether the RF (radio frequency) radiation that they emit is harmful. Most of the frequencies used for 5G have previously been used for other purposes. If 5G is dangerous, we have already been using those so-called dangerous frequencies for a long time, and we should have seen the consequences ages ago.

How To Tell The Difference Between A 4G And A 5G Tower

Simply put, 4G towers are the large masts with numerous antennas that can be found throughout the country. 5G towers are unobtrusive boxes that are frequently mounted on utility poles. There are many more 5G towers than 4G towers, which are typically located in urban areas. However, the 5G network is expanding, and you can expect to see it in suburban and eventually outlying areas soon.

How May We Help You?

Bolton Technical is a leading provider of cell phone signal boosters, devices that amplify 4G & 3G LTE for any phone with any carrier for home, office, or car. We’ve boosted over 1,000,000 m² of signal for homes, buildings, and vehicles across America and Canada and now that same power is boosting signal across South Africa.

• Free consultation (ask us anything) with our South African-based customer support. Email us or JHB 011 749 3085 or CPT 021 879 3057.
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Our goal is simple: keep people connected. Ask us anything and we'll be glad to help.