Apple asks permission to test 5G

Apple has applied for a license to test 5G technologies at two locations near its headquarters. It concerns applications of 5g in the 28GHz and 39GHz bands, something that is also called mmWave.

Apple has requested permission from the American frequency manager FCC to test in the Californian towns of Milpitas and Cupertino, places less than 20 kilometers apart as the crow flies. Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, BusinessInsider notes.

It concerns stations and receivers that exchange signals at 28GHz and 39GHz and Apple notes that these are techniques that will be in 5g in the future. The manufacturer probably wants to try out how it can make antennas for iPhones, for example, that work best with these techniques.

5g’s mmWave applications are focused on high frequencies, enabling much faster speeds than is now possible with 4g. The high frequency does mean that the applications are not suitable for networks that have to pass through walls, for example.

The FCC published the request Tuesday and has not yet made a decision on whether Apple can test 5g at 28GHz and 39GHz.

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