5G NR Spectral Efficiency Calculator

This document explains spectral efficiency in the context of 5G NR (New Radio) and provides a calculator along with the relevant formula.

What is Spectral Efficiency?

Definition: Spectral efficiency is the ratio of the net data rate (or throughput) to the channel bandwidth. Essentially, it tells you how efficiently a radio system uses the available frequency spectrum.

• Throughput/Data Rate: Expressed in bits per second (bps).
• Channel Bandwidth: Expressed in Hertz (Hz).

Therefore, spectral efficiency is measured in bits/sec/Hz.

5G NR Spectral Efficiency Calculator

Use the calculator below to determine the spectral efficiency of a 5G NR system.

Example:

• Input:
  • Throughput = 2.33 Gbps
  • Channel Bandwidth = 100 MHz
• Output:
  • Spectral Efficiency = 23 bits/sec/Hz

(Note: I can’t provide an interactive calculator here, but you can use the formula below to calculate it manually or with a programming tool.)

5G NR Spectral Efficiency Formula

The following formula is used to calculate spectral efficiency:

Where:

• Spectral Efficiency = Throughput / Channel Bandwidth

5G NR Throughput Calculator (Optional)

If you need to calculate the throughput first, you can use the following formula:

For calculating the maximum 5G NR throughput, refer to a dedicated 5G NR maximum throughput calculator.