You’re likely familiar with 4th Generation (4G) technology, as you’ve probably recognized it in the top corner of your mobile device. However, once 5G tech is ushered into modern society, it will render 4G nearly obsolete. 5G tech is already well on its way toward becoming the next big thing, so to speak. In fact, the United States is currently in a race with China to see who can be the first to reach its full potential. But what exactly is 5G tech, and why is it such a big deal?
Throughout the following article, we’ll explore how 5G technology will impact wireless communications – and more. Let’s take a closer look.
What Is 5G Technology?
5th Generation (5G) technology is the next generation in wireless communications. It is built on something called millimeter waves, which is part of an incredibly high-frequency spectrum. This spectrum can range typically from 20 gigahertz (GHz) all the way to 96 GHz. However, some say that once 5G reaches its full potential, that range could increase towards 300 GHz. To put that into perspective, 4G tech, the fastest openly available generation in the world, can only reach a maximum of 6 GHz.
5G tech is designed to interconnect people and to control machines, objects, and devices seamlessly. Once it is openly available to consumers, it will deliver a revolutionary user experience and connect industries from all over the world. How is such a remarkable era in technology possible? Simple. Unlike previous generations, 5G will be fully capable of ultra-low latency, massive capacity, multi-Gbps peak rates, and overall improved user experiences.
How Fast Is 5G Tech?
It’s fast. Like, really fast. As previously mentioned, the 5G tech high-frequency spectrum is projected to hit between 20 – 96 GHz. This means that if your mobile device is receiving an excellent signal from the 5G node, you would be able to reach download speeds of approximately 2.5 gigabytes per second (Gbps) and upload speeds of approximately 1.25 Gbps. In other words, 5G could potentially be nearly 100 times faster than 4G.
Everyone with a mobile device understands that internet speed is not only convenient but essential as well. If you’re a heavy YouTube watcher, 5G will enable you to watch videos instantly without any sort of buffer whatsoever. Or, maybe you prefer Netflix. In this case, you’ll be able to download a full HD episode of your favorite show within seconds. Suppose even that you’re really into mobile games. Downloading massive files in popular games like Fortnite will, you guessed it, take but a few seconds. In addition to applications, texting and calling will be significantly more efficient as well.
Why Don’t We Have 5G Tech Available Yet?
Although 5G technology sounds reasonably promising, it’s not all there just yet. There are still a few barriers that prevent it from being openly available to the public. For instance, Verizon is currently in the process of manufacturing and distributing 5G mobile devices. However, there are currently a few bugs that early users have pointed out. Some examples of these issues include overheating a lower battery life, as well as a lower than expected upload speed. Still, the most prominent issue facing 5G wireless communications seems to be frequency.
The higher the frequency of any wave, the smaller the range will be. Although 5G tech will be significantly faster than all previous generations, it will consequently have the shortest range of all. For instance, if you were to use your 5G mobile device 100-200 feet away from the node without anything (trees, buildings, etc.) standing in the way, you would be able to take full advantage of the speed and reception. However, one of the primary issues with millimeter waves is that if there are any obstacles within the direct line of sight between you and the node, your signal is going to suffer greatly.
Despite this disadvantage, there are a few solutions that could potentially put an end to this issue. For example, some growing 5G cities such as Washington D.C. and Detroit may end up installing hundreds of 5G nodes to prevent any signal interference and maximize coverage. The only downside is that this is, of course, a rather expensive process. However, once these complications have been resolved, 5G wireless communications should undoubtedly reach maximum efficiency.
Looking Toward The Future
Once 5G tech is released into the everyday public, the world as we know it will change forever. To better grasp how far we’ve already come with wireless communications, take a look at the previous generations below and how they’ve impacted wireless communications.
- (1979) 1G – Allowed mobile devices to connect with each other, enabling users to communicate via phone call.
- (1991) 2G – Enabled mobile users to send text messages to one another.
- (2001) 3G – Delivered broad data as well as the internet to mobile users.
- (2010) 4G LTE – Improved and optimized mobile internet speed.
5G tech is more than just a slightly faster generation; it’s a technological breakthrough. In the modern world, nearly everything requires some form of wireless connection. Arguably one of the most anticipated projections is the ability for self-driving vehicles to send data between each other and communicate with traffic lights, road sensors, and even drones. This conceives the potential to reduce traffic accidents as well as traffic itself. Another anticipation is the advancement of robotic devices. For example, with peak 5G tech, surgeons will be able to perform surgeries from the other side of the planet with robots controlled in real-time while being assisted by other surgeons around the world – all with seamless perfection.
Now, these are but a handful of instances of how 5G will impact wireless communications. With the revolution already taking place, we’ve merely scratched the surface of what the future may hold. We here at Daxima are truly excited to see what lies ahead.
Overall Summary
5th Generation (5G) technology is the next generation in wireless communications. It is built on something called millimeter waves, which is part of an incredibly high-frequency spectrum. 5G tech is designed to interconnect people and to seamlessly control machines, objects, and devices. It’s also significantly more efficient than any other previous generation. 5G will be fully capable of ultra-low latency, massive capacity, multi-Gbps peak rates, and overall improved user experiences.
The 5G tech high-frequency spectrum is projected to hit between 20 – 96 GHz, which is approximately 100 times faster than 4G. Verizon is currently in the process of manufacturing and distributing 5G mobile devices. However, there are currently a few bugs that early users have pointed out. One of the most prominent of these issues is signal interference due to such a high frequency. However, many growing 5G cities are already taking a proactive approach by installing more 5G nodes within the area.
5G tech is more than just a slightly faster generation; it’s a technological breakthrough. With the revolution already taking place, we’ve merely scratched the surface of what the future may hold.
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