Will this device provide 5G coverage?
Out of the box, the Nebra 5G Gateway alone does not provide 5G cellular coverage. To add 5G cellular support to your Nebra Gateway, purchase a certified plug-and-play CBRS small cell, connect it to the gateway, and follow the onboarding steps to get it registered on the network, operational, and earn MOBILE tokens for providing network coverage.
Can I buy any CBRS radio myself and install it?
No. The Nebra 5G Gateway will only work with certified CBRS radios.
Will standalone Nebra 5G Gateway mine more IoT than other hotspots?
No, the Nebra 5G Gateway mines the same amount of IoT tokens as any other Helium hotspot with the same placement and antenna. When connected to a certified CBRS small cell, the Nebra 5G Gateway will earn MOBILE tokens as well as mining IoT tokens by providing LoRa network connectivity.
Can I deploy it outdoors?
You can only deploy Nebra 5G Gateway outdoors in an IP-rated enclosure. It has a ruggedised, industrial-grade casing that can operate in a wide temperature range, but it cannot be directly exposed to rain.
Can I install/run other software on the Nebra 5G Gateway?
Attempts to modify, tamper with, or replace any software on the Nebra 5G Gateway voids the warranty.
Can I use this device outside of the US?
No. Nebra 5G Gateways are certified to work only in the US. In the future the Helium network may expand into Europe and other regions.
Do I need an ethernet cable to connect Nebra 5G Gateway to the Internet or can it use Wi-Fi?
The only way to connect Nebra 5G Gateway to the Internet is by plugging in an ethernet cable to the WAN port of the gateway. Unlike some other Helium hotspots, Nebra 5G Gateways require a reliable Ethernet connection and as such Wi-Fi is not suitable.
If I put it next to another Helium miner, will it take away from my mining rewards?
Yes. If you place multiple hotspots within 300 feet of each other, it will negatively affect your mining rewards.
Will the 5G Gateway operate in a rural environment?
The Nebra 5G Gateway will work in any area of the US but Helium rewards and earnings may vary depending on your area's traffic.
How good should my internet connection be for this to work?
The CBRS Indoor Small Cell and Nebra 5G Gateway can do 220 Mbps downlink and 12 Mbps uplink and should be plugged into a wired Ethernet internet connection capable of these speeds. Any installation at a location with lower throughput will affect the performance and mining capability of the small cell.
Is this 5G or LTE?
This is not a black-or-white answer. 5G is an architecture standard for cellular wireless networks that covers:
The architecture of the software (aka the network core);
The architecture of the radio hardware
Contrary to the common belief, 5G is not specific to a frequency band and is not the same as high-frequency mmWave. 5G uses much of the same frequencies as LTE.
With the Helium 5G rollout, we use the CBRS spectrum (aka mid-band 5G spectrum) and provide a 5G-compliant architecture for the network core that runs on a Nebra 5G Gateway. However, the first cellular radio we certified as part of this bundle is LTE.
Why? Because LTE small cells are cheaper and more phones can connect to them. With pure 5G small cells today you gain nothing except higher equipment cost and a shorter phone compatibility list. As “high-band” 5G small cells operating in the mmWave frequencies become more common-place and cheaper, we will certify those radios and Nebra 5G Gateway owners will be able to plug them into the gateway without needing to buy a different Nebra 5G Gateway.