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5G technology is revolutionary
The next generation of telecom networks (fifth generation or 5G) began to enter the market at the end of 2018 and will continue to develop globally.
Aside from improving speed, the technology is projected to unleash a large 5G IoT (Internet of Things) ecosystem in which networks can fulfill communication needs for billions of linked devices while balancing speed, latency, and cost.
5G refers to the fifth generation of mobile networks. After 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, it is a new global wireless standard. 5G offers a new type of network capable of connecting nearly everyone and everything, including machines, objects, and gadgets.
5G wireless technology is intended to provide more users with better multi-Gbps peak data rates, ultra-low latency, increased dependability, huge network capacity, increased availability, and a more uniform user experience. Higher performance and efficiency enable new user experiences and link new industries.
The shorter the frequency, the greater the bandwidth, according to communication principles.
5G networks can be speedier since they use shorter frequencies (millimeter waves between 30GHz and 300GHz). This high-band 5G spectrum delivers the projected increase in speed and capacity, as well as low latency and quality.
However, 5G download speeds can vary greatly by location.
According to Fortune Magazine’s February 2020 issue, typical 5G speed measurements taken in Q3/Q4 2019 range from:
Approximately 220 megabits per second (Mbps) in Las Vegas, 350 in New York, 380 in Los Angeles, 450 in Dallas, 550 in Chicago, and over 950 in Minneapolis and Providence.
This is 10 to 50 times greater than 4G LTE.
Here are some further examples of download and upload speeds with 5G.
Some 5G download and upload speed testing in Australia, the United States, and China (April 2020).
But here’s when you realize the benefits of 5G transcend beyond speed.
What exactly is 5G low latency?
The latency rate between sending and receiving information in 5G technology is incredibly low. With 5G, we go from 200 milliseconds for 4G to 1 millisecond (1 ms).
Just consider it.
A millisecond is one-thousandth of a second.
The average human reaction time to visual stimuli is 250 ms or 1/4 of a second. With adequate training, people can reach speeds of roughly 190-200 ms.
Consider that your car can react 250 times faster than you.
Consider how quickly it could respond to hundreds of incoming signals and relay its reactions to other vehicles and traffic signs.
At 60 mph (100 km/h), the response distance before applying the brakes is approximately 33 yards (30 meters). The car would have rolled slightly more than one inch (less than three centimeters) with a 1ms reaction time.
From 2019/2020, the 5th generation of wireless networks will cover the transition from mobile internet to huge IoT (Internet of Things).
The key difference between today’s 4G and 4.5G (aka LTE advanced, LTE-A, LTE+, or 4G+) is that in addition to data speed enhancements, new IoT and critical communication use cases will necessitate a new degree of increased performance.
For example, reduced latency enables real-time engagement for cloud-based services, which is critical to the success of self-driving automobiles.
In addition, 5G vs 4G implies at least x100 devices connected. 5G must support 1 million devices over an area of 0.386 square miles (1 km2).
Low power usage will also allow connected things to operate for months or years without the need for human intervention.
Unlike current IoT services, which make performance sacrifices to get the most out of current wireless technologies (3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and so on), 5G networks will be designed to provide the level of performance required for huge IoT.
It will enable a perceived completely connected world.
In a nutshell, that is what makes it transformative.
Mobile phones, more than any other technology, have silently changed our lives for the better during the last four decades.
Do you recall how much you cherished your 2G Nokia 3310?
- 1G, the first generation of telecom networks (1979), enabled us to communicate and move around.
- 2G digital networks (1991) enabled us to send messages as well as travel (through roaming services).
- 3G (1998) introduced a better mobile internet experience (with mixed results).
- 3.5G enabled a genuinely mobile internet experience, hence launching the mobile app economy.
- 4G (2008) networks introduced all-IP (Voice and Data) services, a rapid broadband internet experience, and unified network topologies and protocols.
- Beginning in 2009, 4G LTE (for Long Term Evolution) increased internet speeds.
- 5G networks (2019) will broaden broadband wireless services beyond mobile internet to include IoT and critical communication statements.
Each new generation of wireless networks brought with it a fresh set of new applications.
The forthcoming 5G network will be no exception, with an emphasis on IoT and essential communications applications.
In terms of the timeline, we can list the following usage cases:
Fixed wireless access (beginning in 2018-2019)
Improved mobile broadband with 4G fallback (starting in 2019-2020-2021)
Massive M2M / IoT (starting in 2021-2022)
Critical IoT connections with ultra-low latency (from 2024-2025)
Some vital applications, such as self-driving cars, demand very aggressive latency (rapid response time), but not fast data throughput.
Enterprise cloud-based services with enormous data analysis, on the other hand, will demand greater speed improvements than latency improvements.
