Cellular App & Spectrum Data Updates Tuesday, 2025-Feb-18
We've enhanced our desktop and mobile applications, making RF analysis and wireless site data more accurate & intuitive for wireless firms, private equity, and site acquisition professionals.
Feature
Description
3800 MHz Support
Analyze thousands of new 3.8 GHz and mmWave sites for RF propagation studies.
Clearer Sector Layouts
RF Emissions grouped & colored by azimuth, making site layout recognizable.
'Find Best' Improvements
Analysis & reports ignore sectors facing away from your location.
Cleaner, More Accurate Data
More advanced spectrum corrections remove more errors from licensee submissions.
New Duplex Column
Identify TDD vs. FDD, with TDD downlink percentage for better spectrum analysis.
Half-Power Beamwidth (HPBW)
Both horizontal and vertical HPBW now available for better network planning.
Radio Access Technology (RAT)
More accurate identification of 5G, LTE and HSPA (Canada).
LTE Band & Tx Frequency Pairing
Improves spectrum usage insights (Canada).
Massive MIMO Understanding
New antenna element count helps assess advanced network deployments (Canada).
Cell ID Matching
Aligns with real-world phone observations, simplifying network verification (Canada).
Refined Address Data
Street addresses are now cleaned of extraneous metadata (Australia).
Site Height & Type Identification
Now fully supported in Canada, with partial support in Australia.
Fresh Color Schemes
A more user-friendly, visually polished experience.
Emissions Color-Coded and Grouped by Azimuth (Australia)
Emissions Color-Coded and Grouped by Azimuth (Canada)
mmWave: Hype vs. Reality—An Australia Case StudyMonday, 2025-Feb-17
Millimeter wave (mmWave) technology operates in the 24–100 GHz range and promises ultra-fast wireless speeds.
Industry leaders like Qualcomm tout 5G NR mmWave as
a game-changer,
while Analysys Mason—a consultancy for Ericsson and Qualcomm—predicts
significant economic benefits.
But is mmWave living up to the hype?
Australia's wireless operators began deploying mmWave in 2021: Vodafone at 25.1–25.7 GHz, Telstra at 25.7–26.7 GHz, Optus at 26.7–27.5 GHz, and NBN at 28.5–29.5 GHz.
According to Qualcomm and Analysys Mason, by now—four years later—mmWave should be widespread across Australia, from Perth to Sydney.
The reality, however, is quite the opposite:
Australia Cellular Site Count — 3.4 GHz vs mmWave
mmWave Deployment: Lagging Far Behind 3.4 GHz Mid-Band Growth
Given the hype surrounding mmWave, one might have expected thousands—or even tens of thousands—of mmWave sites across Australia's urban centers by 2025.
Yet, the actual deployment is nowhere close.
Comparing Growth: 3.4 GHz vs. mmWave
Our analysis of Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone deployments shows that 3.4 GHz (mid-band) site growth has vastly outpaced mmWave. While 3.4 GHz continues to expand, mmWave adoption has plateaued:
3.4 GHz sites grew from zero to 13,626 nationwide (2018-2025).
mmWave sites reached just 1,144 (2021-2025).
In deployment year 4 (Feb 2024 - Feb 2025), mmWave site growth slowed to 7% annually, compared to 38% for 3.4 GHz in its fourth year (2021–2022).
Annual Increase in Cellular Site Counts
Period
3.4 GHz
mmWave
2018 - 2019
455%
2019 - 2020
321%
2020 - 2021
142%
2021 - 2022
38%
755%
2022 - 2023
27%
156%
2023 - 2024
17%
41%
2024 - 2025
13%
7%
The 755% mmWave growth in 2021–2022 was a low-base surge, not sustained momentum.
Since 2022, growth has declined, hitting just 7% last year.
Why Has mmWave Deployment Stalled?
Propagation & Cost Barriers: mmWave signals have short range and poor penetration, requiring dense small-cell networks. This makes deployment costly and impractical for widespread use.
Mid-band (3.4 GHz) Takes Priority: Australian operators favor 3.4–3.8 GHz for its balance of coverage and capacity. The rapid expansion of mid-band 5G suggests a better return on investment than mmWave.
Few Real-World Use Cases: While mmWave delivers extreme speeds, consumer demand is limited. Mid-band and 5G standalone networks already offer major speed gains without the cost of mmWave densification.
Potential Niche Applications for mmWave
While widespread adoption has stalled, mmWave remains valuable in specific scenarios:
Controlled environments (stadiums, arenas, airports) with predictable line-of-sight.
Stable propagation conditions where obstacles are minimal.
High-density areas needing simultaneous high-speed access.
Real-time media sharing requiring ultra-fast uploads/downloads.
These use cases suggest mmWave’s future lies in targeted deployments, not mass-market mobile coverage.
Conclusion: mmWave Falls Short of Hype
Despite Qualcomm’s bold claims, operators have prioritized mid-band 5G.
In 2025, just 1,144 mmWave sites exist—dwarfed by 13,626 mid-band (3.4 GHz) sites.
The promise of mmWave as a game-changer remains unfulfilled.
