The race is on to develop 5G, which is the 5th generation mobile network. Although it’s an upgraded version of 3G and 4G it’s going to be a very different network from its predecessors. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, then keep reading.
We’ve only gotten the first whiffs of 5G, and it’s impact is going to reach far and wide. It’s not here yet, and it’s not going to be ready to go for a few more years, but it’s important to understand how this new technology is going to impact your life and business.
This is the first part of our four-part series on 5G and the impacts it will have across our lives and businesses.
What Exactly is 5G?
Data runs on radio waves. This is how it’s transmitted across such large distances. In order for data to travel smoothly it runs across different frequencies. Although it seems simplistic and straightforward this frequency spectrum is kind of all over the place.
This is the main culprit of slow data speeds, and a general lack of reliability.
So, in order to pave the way for 5G a massive restricting of the radio network is currently underway. This will allow older speeds and bandwidths to continue functioning, while letting us reach and see the potentials of 5G data speeds.
We’re currently working with estimates, but current projects but the 5G data speeds around 100 times faster than what our current speeds top out at. A lot of predictions are suggesting speeds will even be greater than that.
How Will 5G Change the World?
These speeds mean a lot more than simply having faster internet.
As technology develops we’ll be looking at around 50 to 100 billion devices being connected to the internet by 2020. This is one of the reasons for the data restructuring mentioned above. These smart devices will be able to choose which bandwidth to operate on, so the network won’t become overloaded.
This new network will bring a whole host of benefits. For instance, this will enable driverless cars to communicate with one another to further avoid accidents and keep passengers safe.
This will allow you to remotely control every aspect of your home from a distance, to ensure your home is perfect before you even step foot in the door.
Going beyond this 5G enables doctors to control equipment on an invasive surgery, and not even have to be present in the hospital where the surgery is being conducted.
In order for all of these, and more, to be conducted safely this network will have complete reliability. This means the lag time between an action and the response of the network will be virtually imperceptible.
If all this made your head spin. Don’t worry we’ll flesh out more details regarding this new technology in future posts. Just know, the new 5G will vastly change our relationship to the world around, in a good way.
We won’t see this fully in action until 2018-2020. But, even then it’s China’s goal to have a trial network up in time to host the Winter Olympic Games, so big strides are currently underway.
Keep an eye out for our further posts diving more into the benefits you’ll see when 5G starts to roll out.
