By Fifth-generation wireless (5G) is the latest iteration of cellular technology, engineered to greatly increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks. With 5G, data transmitted over wireless broadband connections can travel at multigigabit speeds, with potential peak speeds as high as 20 gigabits per second (Gbps) by some estimates. These speeds exceed wireline network speeds and offer latency of 1 millisecond (ms) or lower for uses that require real-time feedback. 5G will also enable a sharp increase in the amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to more available bandwidth and advanced antenna technology.
5G networks and services will be deployed in stages over the next several years to accommodate the increasing reliance on mobile and internet-enabled devices. Overall, 5G is expected to generate a variety of new applications, uses and business cases as the technology is rolled out.
Below are 10 things you need to know about 5G;
1. 5G stands for fifth-generation cellular wireless. 5 G will bring three main improvements to your cellular connection: larger channels to speed up your connection, lower latency for faster responsiveness, and the ability to connect many mo6 devices at once.
2. The actual 5G radio system is different from the 4G system, which means that coverage maps are different. Where current carriers are relying on 4G and 5G, this can mean outages where the two don’t overlap.
3. 5G uses three different waves spectrums – low, middle and high. Low band right now is about the same as 4G. Mid- band is the most commonly used in countries outside the US, and high band is the really new stuff; they’re very short- range frequencies, requiring more towers , but blazingly fast
4. How fast ? Speeds will be 10 to 100 times faster than 4G. At these speeds, you can download a full length feature film in seconds.
5. Some people are worried about potential health risks from 5G because it uses higher band, shorter frequency, electromagnetic radiation. However, there is no scientific evidence that these radio waves will constitute a health risk.
6. 5G network will have to be much smarter than previous networks, because they will need to manage more cells that can change size and shape to provide those faster speeds.
7. The business potential for 5G is still in it’s infancy, but any business that would benefit from high- resolution, fast streaming video will certainly be affected. It will also enable industrial automation and driverless vehicles that interact with other cars and even the roads themselves.
8. 5G home and business internet has the potential to be much faster than the existing 4G internet and much easier for carriers to offer than laying fibre optic cable to every street and every building.
9. With these new network comes new data, and that signals opportunities for better machine learning and artificial intelligence systems.
10. For the first time, mobile networks will be a true replacement for wired networks, which may allow businesses to set up satellite offices in previously unreachable locations. It will also make working on the go- from planes, trains, and automobiles- much faster and more reliable.
Abass Latifat
