4G Hasn’t Finished Rolling Out, But 5G Is On The Way

Welcome to part two of our series on the new upcoming 5G technology. Currently, 5G is more of an idea than an actual technology as the standards haven’t been fully set. However, a lot of companies are pushing forward with these broad specifications to unleash the potentials of this new technology.

By all means 4G hasn’t even finished being fully rolled out. But, promises of new technologies always spark innovation within companies to further that spark. Especially, when we already know the limits of our current 4G technology.

Below you’ll find an examination of a few companies that are currently experimenting with the upcoming 5G technology, as well as a look into legislation that’s currently being developed.

Samsung Is Taking The Torch And Running

Samsung has currently developed a new technology that enables data speeds up to several hundred times faster than what’s currently available. Essentially, this technology will be a core enabler of the 5G system that’s under development.

This technology won’t be commercialized until at least 2020, but speeds like that are enough to get anyone excited. To bring it down to earth, data transfer speeds that are that high will allow you to download several high-definition in less than a second.

Verizon Is Rolling Out Testing in 2016

Verizon was one of the first companies to introduce 4G LTE, the most advanced form of 4G, and now they’re starting to push the boundaries with 5G as well. Most estimates put the roll out of this technology around 2020, but Verizon is attempting to accelerate this release date.

Verizon is currently establish working team to attempt to roll out a trial version of this network as early as 2016. A lot of the current developments in the 5G network have been led by Asian based companies, so it’s good to see a US company stay relevant.

By leading the charge now they’l be able to create an ecosystem of development and innovation for years to come. Just as the introduction of 4G LTE enabled developers and business owners to do much more, 5G will greatly surpass that.

Setting The 5G Standards

Even though 5G is now gaining a lot of publicity the ideas and regulations surrounding this technology have been in development for a few years now.

For instance, in 2013 the EU granted research grants upwards of 5 million euros surrounding any research and development that surrounds 5G capabilities. In that same year China’ Ministry of Industry and Information Technology established a working group to research the potentials of a 5G network.

Put simply, developments on this new technology have been underway for quite some time.

It might take a few years for the benefits of 5G to trickle down to consumers. However, the impact this technology will have on our lives will no doubt be massive.

Stay tuned for our next post that dives into what 5G means for your business and life, and the developments you can look forward to.