The Airlink MG90 switches from LTE to 5G where it’s available, bringing Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and other connectivity to vehicles.

First responders, service technicians, and train passengers need connectivity for computers and other devices that lack cellular connections. In the case where a vehicle uses several kinds of devices, it’s not enough to simply use a mobile phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot. That’s where a cellular router comes in. Sierra Wireless has added 5G connectivity to its MG90 vehicle router, providing connectivity to 5G networks where they’re available to supply Wi-Fi and LAN capabilities for devices inside the vehicle, supporting up to 128 clients.

The MG90 5G has both LTE and 5G radios, switching between them using a cognitive network switching algorithm based on location, time, and quality-of-service rules. For 5G, it supports both FR1 (low-band/mid-band) and FR2 (mmWave) 5G frequencies. With that capability, you can take advantage of the highest data rates available in a given area. It will also fall back to 3G or 2G if necessary.

The MG90 5G uses Sierra’s EM series 5G module, which is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem. The router includes support for 4×4 MIMO when using a single radio or 2×2 MIMO when using the dual radio.

Within the vehicle, the MG90 5G provides the following I/O ports:

• 802.11ac Wi-Fi
• 5 Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet ports
• 2 USB 3.0 type-A ports
• 1 RS-232 serial port (DB-9 connector)
• 1 Auxiliary RJ-45 Input/Output port
• 4 SIM Slots (Dual SIM per radio)
• 5 SMA antenna connectors (2 cellular, 2 diversity, 1 GNSS)
• 7 RP-SMA antenna connectors (3×3 Wi-Fi WAN, 3×3 Wi-Fi AP, 1 Bluetooth