If not Covid-19, people across the globe are probably only orating about 5G. The 5G technology provides a significant promise to people and the growing technology. 5G technology is proclaimed to provide its users with cheap, fast, and ubiquitous connectivity by increasing connection speeds tenfold over the current 4G services. However, there happens to be a great deal of negative publicity that surrounds the imminent novel technology that will soon change how we live, connect and operate.
The 5G technology began rolling out in 2018 itself, primarily in the U.S and then around the world, and is still in its initial stages, but experts assume that the potential is huge.
Due to the negative publicity, there is a lot of confusion about the 5G technology. To clear out all the confusion about the 5G technology, Techkzar presents to you a whole article dedicated to the 5G technology for you to know more about the novel technology.
What is 5G technology?
5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks (wireless network technology), which will bring new capabilities that will create more novel opportunities for people, businesses, and society. The 5G technology will be faster and have the ability to handle more connections concurrently, compared to the existing 4G LTE network. The improvements that the 5G technology will bring in cellular wireless networks will enable a wave of new kinds of tech products.
Why 5G?
Almost every company around the world is racing to have the fastest or the largest 5G technology networks. Countries around the globe are assertively competing to be the first to bring into play a fully functional, nationwide 5G technology. The tough competition is the result of the umpteen benefits of the novel technology. It is expected to fuel transformative new technologies, not only for consumers but also for businesses, infrastructure, and defense applications.
How does 5G technology work?
This module of the article goes into some technical information about the functioning of the 5G technology; but, I’ll try my best to explain it in simpler words to you guys. So let’s start with it!
The 5G network signals run over radio frequencies; due to this, it’ll be required for us to keep updating the radios and other equipment on cell towers.
Depending upon the type of assets, there exist three different methods for building a 5G network.
First, Low-Band Network- this has a wide coverage area but is only 20% faster than 4G.
Second, High-Band Network- this one has superfast speeds, but its signals don’t travel well and also struggle to move through hard surfaces.
Third, Mid-Band Network- balances both speed and coverage.
Carriers developing the superfast 5G networks must install myriads of small cell sites. They should be about the size of pizza boxes, to light poles, walls, or towers, often in relatively small proximity to one another. For this reason, these kinds of superfast networks are mostly being deployed city by city.
What is the 5G technology capable of?
The 5G technology will be doing much more work than just significantly improving your network connection. This novel technology furnishes new opportunities in almost every field, thus enabling mankind to deliver groundbreaking solutions that reach across society.
Okay, imagine this, gazillions of vehicles connected to each other, gathering and sharing information, like the distance between the cars on the road, varying car speeds, etc., in real-time to reduce road accidents; or life-saving applications that can take flight in times of need. This is all thanks to lag-free guaranteed connections or production lines that are so predictive that they can prevent interruptions well before they occur.
There’s no need to imagine all of this as it’s soon going to become a reality.
The 5G technology is Advancing Societies, Transforming Industries, and Elevating Experiences. Let’s see how!
Advancing Societies
The 5G technology opens edge-cutting ways of improving safety and sustainability, taking into consideration the comfort of people living in the society.
- Smarter electricity grids for profoundly reduced carbon emissions.
- More number of connected vehicles sharing data to prevent road collisions and other accidents.
- Faster deployment of all the emergency services for accidents.
- Connected sensors that can detect and warn of natural disasters in advance.
- Drones to become a key tool to accelerate and support all emergency situation responses.
- Remote expertise with specialists to smoothly consult/diagnose patients from anywhere.
Transforming Industries
The 5G technology lays the foundation for a flexible, efficient, and responsible business.
- Production lines independently reacting to supply and demand in businesses.
- Digital replicas that can warn about real machinery faults in advance.
- Logistic networks independently routing goods based upon real-world conditions.
- Ability to have full traceability down to individual items at ports and warehouses.
- Remote access to vehicles and powerful robots for improved safety in risky environments.
- Increased use of IoT in the field of agriculture to bring efficiency in growing crops.
Elevating Experiences
The 5G technology sets the stage for more immersive entertainment and more engaging education.
- Significant realism in the fields of AR, VR, and XR (extended reality) with lighter devices.
- Deliverance of sensory devices like tough through devices, etc.
- More engaging techniques of teaching through immersive content.
- Immersive virtual meetings to boost remote or WFH team productivity.
- Very stable and reliable connectivity even in crowded spaces.
- New angles and interactions for live and remote event spectators.
What makes 5G technology different?
The 5G technology runs on the same radio frequencies that are presently being used for our mobiles, on Wi-Fi networks, and in satellite communications; but in spite of this, it enables the technology to go a lot further.
The 5G technology is really about connecting things almost everywhere, reliably, without a lag, so that people can measure, understand and manage things in real-time; like being able to download a full-length HD movie on your phone within seconds (even in a crowded stadium); or streaming your favorite series in a cafe full of binge-watchers.
The 5G technology holds enormous potential within itself, and together, we will all take it to the next level, where it will only make our lives easier and better.
How will the 5G technology affect our download speeds?
So, I won’t be going into the technical points here, like gigabytes, G/bits, etc., to further confuse you about the topic. Let’s start the explanation in simple language, an easy-to-understand one, and on to the point.
According to wireless industry trade group GSMA, the fastest 5G networks are expected to be at least 10 times faster than 4G LTE, and a few experts state that they could be 100 times faster than 4G LTE. This is fast enough to download a three-hour movie in less than 15 seconds, which is, no doubt, much lesser time than 4G LTE will take. The actual download speeds indeed will depend on various factors like location, network traffic, etc.
11 Common Myths About 5G technology
- 5G Covers all use cases
- It provides coverage everywhere
- It has a Minimal Installation cost
- 5G and other IoT technologies won’t co-exist
- 5G will be the only source of broadband networking
- Only 3GPP technologies connect to the 5G core
- 5G Will Eliminate Network Congestion
- It’s easy to implement
- 5G is required to keep up with the rapidly developing world
- It will close the digital divide
- 5G New Radio will soon cover major massive IoT use cases
- It’s coming very soon
Benefits of 5G technology
- Greater Transmission Speed
- Low Latency
- More Number of Connected Devices
- Network Slicing
The real promise of the 5G technology to the telecom world
The transition from 5G and much lower networks to that of 5G represent an immense opportunity for operators as the primary use of the 5G technology is expected to be the provisioning of fixed wireless broadband access to SMBs and consumer customers. Through the right supporting technology for their businesses, the operators can differentiate their offerings and market various premium services that they provide easily. They can also generate new revenue streams by implementing advanced security capabilities on the 5G network, providing high-end 5G ready protection as a compelling suite of services across the network, and much much more. The 5G technology has lots of scopes not only in the telecom sector but also across all the fields. Bringing the 5G technology into our day-to-day use will prove very beneficial for mankind, making our lives easier, faster, and better.
