We are past 1G, 2G, 3G, and finally 4G. What next? 5G is the answer. Like any other previous communication technologies, 5G also aims faster communication, better reliability, and cost efficiency. Before getting too excited to try the latest 5G technology, I am reminding you that we are still pretty far away from using it as an average network user. However, according to the reports and the rapid progress in the development, we could expect the 5G becoming a reality in the near future.
So, what exactly is 5G and what benefits does it provide over all the previous generations of communication technology? That’s what we are going to discuss in this article. If you are not familiar with the 4G or 3G, we recommend having a basic understanding about them before continue reading. Without further due, let’s explore the 5G technology and what it has to offer to the world.
What is 5G?
5G is simply the 5th generation of cellular mobile communication technology. Like any other previous technologies, the main aims of the 5G is faster speed, better coverage, higher latency, energy saving, cost efficiency, etc. As per the ITU (International Telecommunication Union), the 5G technology can provide speeds up to 20 gigabits per second. Can you imagine using a network that could download a 5min 4K video in a matter of a second? Or a 2.5 GB file as fast as you blink your eyes? That’s what the 5G technology going to offer.
How Does 5G Work?
As we all know, the current mobile communication technologies utilize the radio waves. But in 5G, instead of the radio waves, they will be utilizing the millimeter waves (mmWaves). The signals with wavelengths of between 30 and 300 GHz will be used for 5G to provide better coverage and strength. These signals are measured in millimeters which is why it is referred to a millimeter wave (mmWave). So, utilizing this technology, 5G will be able to handle the exceptional amount of data bandwidth without affecting the speeds.
Also, the technology could be altered to meet the usage requirements in the future. It’s nothing new upgrading the current technology for faster speeds and better coverage. So, the same thing will happen in the case of 5G as well. It won’t be as same as the initial release, it will keep evolving and reaching higher peaks with better efficiency and speeds.
5G Speeds
Like already mentioned 5G could provide way faster internet than the current 4G technology. There is no certain number out yet. However, we can guess things based on the reports and statements from the companies. For example, the chip manufacturer Qualcomm is working on their 5G project and they say it could be 10-20 times faster than the current 4G technology. Which means, the current 1Gbps connections will be upgraded to 10-20Gbps internet with the 5G technology.
But few companies seem to be providing reports that the speeds could be taken to better levels. So, still, there is no certain number for the speed of the 5G network. The technologies could change, the devices could evolve, and the 5G could provide better speeds. So, all we can do is to wait until they finish their research with the 5G technology and make it available for the average customers.
Benefits of 5G
Now, let’s have a look at the benefits that the 5G technology going to provide. Here we will list some of the most possible benefits the 5G technology is likely to offer.
- Faster Speeds: There is no doubt that the 5G is going to be faster than the previous mobile communication technologies. The only question is that, how much? Which we cannot answer at the moment because there is no live 5G technology is out yet. So, we could surely expect at least a 10X faster internet than that is available today to an average customer.
- Better Coverage: 5G is going to solve the coverage issues utilizing the millimeter waves with optimized frequencies to reach more areas. So, even with the fewer amount of transmission centers, it could reach wider areas and provide strong signals resulting in better connectivity for those who face connectivity issues and faster speeds for others.
- Energy Saving: According to the reports, 5G is going to use less power when compared to the 4G technology. We are not sure about it yet. However, as we all know, 4G handsets use a considerable amount of power that the device can’t be used even for 24 hours (on standard batteries.) So, if 5G could solve that issue with better energy management, it could be a great advantage over the previous communication technologies.
- Expandable technology: Instead of just providing the internet connection and communication technology to the customers, 5G might be able to expand to other areas. There are reports that the 5G technology will not only targetting the mobile communications and possibly get used in other areas as well.
So, this is the overview of the upcoming 5G technology which many companies are working on. As we get more details about it, we will keep this article updated.