Can you imagine downloading a 3-hour HD movie in under 10 seconds? Sounds like science-fiction compared to at least 10 minutes a 4G user needs today. Well, it’s not and it will become a part our everyday life sooner than you think.
As you read these lines the 4G networks are indeed in expansion mode, but telecom operators worldwide are working hard on laying the groundwork for 5G. This development is based on various technical factors and if all goes as planned, the first commercial deployments will start in 2020.
A New Generation of Mobile Networks
If we tried to summarise 5G it would fit into five phrases: speed, latency, user experience, energy and capacity. This ‘fifth generation’ network will offer the aforementioned incredible download speed of 20 Gbs per second. It will run the next wave of fast mobile broadband networks. It will be like having a fibre optic connection in your pocket anywhere you go. On a 5G network data transmission would happen at lightning speed so things like video buffering should virtually disappear. The response time will thus be significantly improved. Thanks to latency and speed, the users will have the experience of endless possibilities, wherever they are. It will be cost effective and will bring a serious reduction in energy usage. A longer battery life will be a must not only for smartphones but also for all the devices that could ultimately be connected to a network. Finally, it will provide the bandwidth that will allow billions of devices to connect and communicate with each other.
What Will 5G World Look Like?
It is believed that it will be a trigger that will connect society and contribute to its mobility. The gaming experience with multiple players and virtual and augmented reality will be enhanced. You will be able to stay at home and watch a concert or a sports game and feel like you are at the event. This sure sounds fun but the most exciting part is that 5G will connect just about anything that uses electricity.
In the age of the Internet of Things, phones, fridges and lights will be connected worldwide. Thanks to notifications from sensors cars on the road will avoid accidents without their driver’s assistance. Smart cities will be able to guide you to a free parking space or find which roads to take in bad weather conditions. A holographic video will become a usual phenomenon, especially on long-distance business meetings. Doctors will be able to do a surgery without even being on the same continent by operating a robot to perform it for them. Dangerous industrial equipment will be able to be controlled remotely, for a more safety practice. The list goes on and the possibilities are endless!
The Cons of 5G
A key obstacle to this network are going to be buildings as the frequencies might lose their intensity if they get blocked or also if they travel a long distance, so this is something to work on. There is also a possibility that the signals get absorbed by the foliage or rain, and this is another issue. In order to deliver better coverage, more base stations will be needed as well as enhanced or all-new antenna technologies. The developing infrastructure will require high cost and skilled technicians all over the world. In addition, many of the old devices will not be competent, so all of them will need to be replaced with new and more expensive ones. Issues about security and privacy are also yet to be solved. Despite these obstacles, it has the power to change the world as we know it.5G will certainly not start as a massive rollout in 2020. Instead, it will complement with existing technologies. We are in a period of trials and breakthroughs in this field and we will keep you updated on all the news about this topic.
The future is 5G! How do you feel about it becoming an inevitable part of our lives soon? Are you ready for it?