Things you need to know about the 5G technology
Gone are the days when communicated through of letters, telegrams and landline phones. Thanks to the advanced applied sciences and innovation in technology, we now use simpler modes of communication, mobile phones. Mobile phones have made life easier while saving time and giving increased accessibility to communicate seamlessly.
5G has made its way up to the focal point. Mobile World Congress was held in Barcelona and 5G network was the main focus. 5G promises faster, more reliable internet speeds and quick responding connections. 5G is expected to be deployed in the making and working of self-driving cars, virtual reality and smart cities.
While we are using 4G now, soon 5G technology, the next generation telecom network, will hit the market by 2020. So, what is 5g technology and why is it hyped?
What is the 5G technology?
5G is the fifth generation of wireless (mobile) communications. Wireless communication was first introduced in the early 1970’s. Since then the mobile technology has evolved from 1G to 2G, 3G, 4G and now to 5G. Every advanced generation brought with it an improvement in terms of speed, connectivity and cost. 5G doesn’t only mean increased speed but also, reduced latency, energy saving and reduced cost. It aims at giving higher system capacity and massive device connectivity. With all these features, 5G technology is expected to unleash an enormous IoT ecosystem in which networks can serve the communication needs for billions of connected devices.
What will the 5G internet speed be?
The 5G network offers a data bandwidth of more than 1Gbps with the internet as the core network. 5G speed in mbps will be 1,000 mbps.
5G vs 4G: What are the differences?
- Speed: The most visible difference that 5G will offer a bandwidth of 1Gbps, greater than that of 4G. It will also offer increased capacity and will make better use of what is currently available in urban environments between thousands of users. This will attract more and more performance-hungry applications. 5G’s performance standard will be referred to as eMBB which stands for enhanced mobile broadband.
- Latency: The next important difference between 5G and 4G is latency. 5G will offer reduced latency than 4G which you can call as ‘ultra-low’. Consumers who expect real-time response while video-calling, streaming, etc. will benefit from such ultra-low latency. 5G can also support medical applications where more than immediate response is needed. 5G’s latency standard will be referred to as URLLC which stands for ultra-reliable, low-latency connections.
- Technology: 4G accommodates various technologies such as LWA (LTE-WLAN) aggregation which supports connectivity in dense environments. 5Gs is expected to improve spectral efficiency and connection quality, even in dense urban environments.
- Communications type: 5G is designed to meet consumers, Enterprise and machine-type communications (MTC) that is required by IoT applications. Not only MTC, 5G will also support M2M-type (machine-to-machine) connected devices. On the other hand, IoT in 4G is a combination of adapted 2G and 4G technologies.
- Architecture: An impressive difference between 4G and 5G technologies is the architecture. 5Gs will make optimal use of cloud-based or virtual Radio Access Networks (RANs) which enable enterprises and service providers to have their own centralized networks.
- Intelligence of device: 5G will have the capability of differentiating between fixed and mobile devices which 4G lacks. 5G will use cognitive radio techniques to identify device type and offer an appropriate delivery channel which will offer a customized internet connection to consumers.
Which will the first 5G network countries be?
On the global front, competition is fierce as to which country will first introduce 5G. Service providers in technology-focused countries are already working on 5G network trials. The following are four countries most likely to have the earliest and biggest 5G debuts:
- South Korea: In South Korea, two service providers SK Telecom and Korea Telecom are jostling to be the first to introduce 5G network. Korea Telecom has announced to roll out a trial 5G network around the 2018 Winter Olympics in Seoul.
- China: According to GSM, China is estimated to represent 40% of global 5G connections by 2025. The research arm of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), China Academy of Information and Communications Technology’s study says that 5G could account for 3.2% of China’s entire GDP in 2025. 5G is also expected to generate 8 million jobs and add 2.9 trillion yuan in economic value by 2030.
- Japan: The NTT DoCoMo and Sohgo Security Services based an advanced security service on 5G network technology to check the effectiveness of the service in handling security for 2020 Olympics opening ceremony.
- The United States: The United States is leading in existing 4G networks, so excelling in 5G internet will not be a task. Verizon, US’s largest wireless communications service provider company that provides broadband, wireless and cable services. When it comes to 5G internet Verizon is set to introduce 5G home internet early this October.
About the 5G internet in India:
While 5G is not completely released across the globe, few countries are already using the 5G technology. Now, the question is when will 5g be available in India. You can expect 5G internet in India by 2022.
However, while many parts of the country are still not able to access 4G network, 5G will take time to mark its print.
How much will the 5G internet cost?
5G internet cost is expected to exceed $8 Billion in capital investments for one service provider. Operators will have to spend more than what they did to deploy 4G networks. Though 5G offers lower latency and high data, the question is will service providers be able to monetize these services.
Though the 5th generation telecom network is going to revolutionize lives, it’s going to be expensive because the 5G network will travel on super high frequencies airwaves and not through walls and windows.
What are the 5G internet benefits?
5G internet will give the following advantages:
- 5G network will give higher speed
- It will give higher capacity
- 5G network also reduce cost per bit
- It will support multimedia, voice and internet
- It offers global access
- It offers service portability
- It offers high uploading and downloading speed
What are the demerits of the 5G network?
5G has the following demerits:
- It will create a digital divide as some parts of the world will not get high speed
- Security and privacy aspects of the 5G internet network are not yet solved
- Old devices will not support 5G
Applications of the 5G network:
5G technology will find applications in various fields. has the following applications in different fields:
- It can help in forecasting weather and location.
- It will make the experience of learning easier and benefit the education system.
- It will benefit the medical field with quick responses.
- It can forecast natural disasters and help in deploying prevention measures
- It can help in visualizing the universe, planets, and galaxies.
Once introduced, the advantages of the 5G network may find increased applications.
Though 5G technology is expected to hit the market by 2020 and some countries have already started using it, getting 5g internet connection will still be a dream for many as 5g internet availability may not be uniformly distributed across the world.
