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Overview
Fifth Generation New Radio (5G NR) introduces significant advances in cellular performance including higher throughput, lower latency, enhanced reliability and support for massive machine-type communications. SNYPER-5G products can identify and analyse 5G networks, reporting a range of radio measurements, beam information and network identifiers that assist engineers in evaluating network performance and deployment suitability. This guide explains the terminology commonly encountered during 5G NR surveys.
| Product | Description |
|---|---|
| SNYPER-5G Graphyte (GL) | Global 5G NR Network Analyser |
| CloudSURVEY | Cellular Survey Visualisation Platform |
This guide explains:
Expected Result
At the end of this guide the user will understand the identifiers and radio measurements reported during 5G NR surveys and be able to assess network suitability more effectively.
5G NR (New Radio) is the radio access technology used by fifth generation cellular networks.
Compared with LTE, 5G introduces:
5G NR may operate as either:
Non-Standalone 5G uses LTE as the control and signalling anchor while 5G provides additional data capacity.
Many 5G deployments visible during SNYPER surveys are NSA networks.
Standalone 5G operates entirely on a dedicated 5G core network without LTE anchoring.
5G SA represents the long-term evolution of cellular networks.
A gNodeB (gNB) is the 5G equivalent of an LTE eNodeB.
All 5G devices communicate through a gNodeB.
NR Cell Identity uniquely identifies a 5G cell.
NCI allows engineers to:
NR Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number.
NR-ARFCN identifies the specific 5G carrier frequency used by the network.
NR-ARFCN identifies:
| NR-ARFCN | Example Band |
|---|---|
| 151600 | n28 |
| 428000 | n77 |
| 620000 | n78 |
NR bands define the frequency allocations used by 5G services.
| Band | Frequency Range | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|
| n1 | 2100 MHz | Refarmed cellular spectrum |
| n3 | 1800 MHz | Wide area coverage |
| n28 | 700 MHz | Long range coverage |
| n40 | 2300 MHz | Capacity enhancement |
| n41 | 2500 MHz | Capacity enhancement |
| n77 | 3300–4200 MHz | Mid-band 5G deployment |
| n78 | 3300–3800 MHz | Primary 5G capacity band |
| n79 | 4400–5000 MHz | Urban capacity deployment |
| n258 | 26 GHz | mmWave deployment |
Physical Cell Identity identifies a radio cell within a local geographical area.
0 – 1007
PCI assists devices in distinguishing neighbouring cells operating on the same frequency.
An SSB is the primary synchronisation signal transmitted by a 5G cell.
Provides:
SNYPER surveys often report measurements derived directly from SSB transmissions.
Identifies a specific synchronisation signal block within a cell.
Different SSBs may correspond to different beams.
This allows:
Beamforming focuses radio energy toward specific users rather than broadcasting equally in all directions.
Signal levels may vary significantly depending on beam orientation and position.
Beam Index identifies a specific radio beam transmitted by a 5G cell.
Allows engineers to analyse:
Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output uses a large number of antenna elements simultaneously.
| Configuration | Description |
|---|---|
| 32T32R | 32 transmit, 32 receive paths |
| 64T64R | 64 transmit, 64 receive paths |
| 128T128R | 128 transmit, 128 receive paths |
SSB Reference Signal Received Power.
Measures the received power of the synchronisation signal block.
SSB RSRP is the primary 5G signal strength measurement.
| 5G SSB RSRP Signal Strength Scale (dBm) | ||||
| Poor | Weak | Fair | Good | Excellent |
| < -110 | -110 to -100 | -100 to -90 | -90 to -80 | > -80 |
SSB Reference Signal Received Quality.
Measures 5G signal quality.
Indicates:
| 5G SSB RSRQ Signal Quality Scale (dB) | ||||
| Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent |
| < -15 | -15 to -12 | -12 to -10 | -10 to -8 | > -8 |
Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio calculated from synchronisation signals.
Often the best indicator of achievable 5G performance.
| 5G SSB SINR Performance Scale (dB) | ||||
| Very Poor | Poor | Fair | Good | Excellent |
| < -10 | -10 to 0 | 0 to 13 | 13 to 20 | > 20 |
| Measurement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| SSB RSRP | Signal strength |
| SSB RSRQ | Signal quality |
| SSB SINR | Interference performance |
The frequency spacing between adjacent OFDM subcarriers.
| Subcarrier Spacing |
|---|
| 15 kHz |
| 30 kHz |
| 60 kHz |
| 120 kHz |
| 240 kHz |
Subcarrier spacing influences:
Network slicing allows a physical 5G network to be divided into multiple virtual networks.
Allows LTE and 5G services to operate within the same spectrum allocation.
| Observation | Possible Cause | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Low SSB RSRP | Weak coverage | Improve antenna location |
| Poor SSB RSRQ | Congestion | Compare neighbouring cells |
| Poor SSB SINR | Interference | Reposition antenna |
| Missing 5G Service | NSA anchor unavailable | Verify LTE coverage |
| Missing Expected Operator | Limited deployment | Re-survey location |
| Inconsistent Results | Beam switching | Repeat survey and compare beams |
| Parameter | Purpose |
|---|---|
| NR-ARFCN | Frequency identification |
| PCI | Cell identification |
| NCI | Cell identification |
| gNodeB | Base station identification |
| SSB Index | Beam identification |
| Beam Index | Beam identification |
| SSB RSRP | Signal strength |
| SSB RSRQ | Signal quality |
| SSB SINR | Interference assessment |
| NR Band | Frequency allocation |
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