5G Antenna Guide

5G Antennas for UK IoT Deployments

5G antenna selection for UK IoT: Sub-6GHz bands, NSA vs SA, MIMO requirements. What matters at 3.5 GHz that does not matter at 800 MHz.

n78

Primary UK 5G band (3.5 GHz)

n28

700 MHz 5G for rural coverage

IP67

Essential — more cable loss at 5G freqs

Same day

Site survey before specifying

UK 5G NR Bands for IoT

UK 5G deployments use Sub-6GHz spectrum. There is no mmWave (millimetre wave) 5G deployment for IoT in the UK. Your antenna does not need to cover frequencies above 6 GHz.

Band	Frequency	Operators	Use	Coverage 2026
n78	3400-3800 MHz	EE, O2, Voda, Three	Primary 5G capacity	Urban/suburban
n28	700 MHz	EE, Three	Rural 5G coverage	Growing rural
n3	1800 MHz	EE, Vodafone	5G layer on existing B3	Urban
n1	2100 MHz	EE	5G capacity layer	Urban

For UK 5G IoT, the critical bands are n78 and n28. Your antenna must cover 3400-3800 MHz (n78) for primary 5G performance. n28 at 700 MHz is the same frequency range as LTE Band 28 — any antenna covering 700 MHz will handle both 4G B28 and 5G n28.

Cable Loss: The 5G Problem

At 3.5 GHz (n78), coaxial cable loss is roughly double what it is at 800 MHz (Band 20). This is the most common reason 5G installations underperform: the antenna is correct, the router supports 5G, but 8 metres of mediocre coax is destroying the signal before it reaches the router.

Rules for 5G cable runs:

LMR-100: maximum 1 metre for 5G frequencies. Patch cable use only.
LMR-240: maximum 5 metres at n78. Acceptable loss at this length.
LMR-400: up to 12 metres. Use for all longer 5G runs.
Integrated enclosures (QuWireless QuMax): zero cable loss. Best option for Teltonika routers.

Use the cable loss calculator to check your specific run before specifying.

5G NSA vs SA: Antenna Implications

Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G uses a 4G LTE anchor alongside the 5G NR connection. Your antenna still needs to cover both 4G and 5G bands simultaneously. An antenna that only covers 5G n78 is not sufficient for NSA operation.

Standalone (SA) 5G uses a 5G core with no 4G dependency. The antenna requirement is the same — you still need coverage of the 5G NR bands in use. The difference is in the router and SIM, not the antenna.

Full 5G SA and NSA network status for UK operators is covered in the UK mobile networks guide.

Recommended 5G Antenna Products

Poynting XPOL-2-5G. The reference outdoor 5G MIMO antenna. Covers 617-5000 MHz. Handles every UK 4G and 5G band. 5 dBi. IP67. Two SMA ports. Works on RUTX50, RUT360, Peplink BR1 Pro, and most professional 5G routers.

QuWireless QuMax AX4000 (for RUTX50). Integrated 5G enclosure. Router sits inside the antenna housing. No cable loss. Best choice if your router is a Teltonika RUTX50. See the routers guide for compatibility.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a different antenna for 5G compared to 4G?

Not necessarily a different form factor, but you need an antenna that covers the 5G bands in addition to 4G. For UK deployments, that means n78 (3400-3800 MHz) and ideally n28 (700 MHz). A quality wideband MIMO antenna like the Poynting XPOL-2-5G covers both. An older antenna that only goes to 2700 MHz will not work on n78.

Why does cable length matter more at 5G than 4G?

Cable loss increases with frequency. LMR-240 loses 0.13 dB per metre at 1800 MHz but 0.23 dB per metre at 3500 MHz. A 10-metre run at n78 frequencies loses 2.3 dB — nearly 3 dB. That is significant. For 5G deployments, minimise cable runs or use LMR-400. Better still, use a QuWireless integrated enclosure which eliminates the cable run entirely.

My router shows 5G connected but speeds are no better than 4G. Why?

Several possible causes. First, check if it is 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) — this still needs 4G anchor and often performs similarly to good 4G in practice. True throughput improvement requires SA 5G with a strong n78 signal. Second, check your antenna covers n78 properly — many wideband antennas have reduced gain at 3.5 GHz. Third, check cable loss at 5G frequencies, which is higher than at LTE bands.

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