Recently, I came across the news that
“Ericsson to lay off 1,200 staff in Sweden as 5G spending slows”.
It reminds me of the debate surrounding the overhyped nature of 5G technology. In comparison to its rapidly deployed predecessor 4G, 5G technology has seen much slower progress since its initial deployment in 2019.
Capital has promoted 5G as a revolutionary technology with potential applications across various fields such as mobile Internet, telemedicine, industrial Internet, autonomous driving, and the Internet of Things, etc. However, as a commercial technology, what matters more are suitable application scenarios and precise cost control. People envision a miraculous solution that can address all their needs, but such a panacea often proves elusive.
Let’s take a look at the major envisioned applications of 5G and discuss why relevant practitioners may not actually require 5G at all.
Mobile Internet: The bandwidth of 4G already meets most scenarios and is relatively balanced in terms of signal coverage and energy consumption. However, the additional bandwidth brought by 5G cannot be effectively utilized in scenarios such as streaming media and gaming, while its energy consumption is much higher than 4G.
Internet of Things: The bandwidth required for IoT devices is actually very low; what’s crucial for them is low power consumption and reliable connectivity (consider protocols like Bluetooth and ZigBee), which is completely contrary to what 5G offers.
Bulk File Downloads: The high cost of data usage prevents most users from downloading large files in bulk. Even ignoring cost, 5G speed fails to offer any advantage over fiber optics. High-end Wi-Fi devices, in comparison, can also deliver faster speeds than 5G.
High-density Access: If you’ve ever experienced the awkward situation of having full bars of signal but zero internet speed at rush hour subway stations or large event venues, you’ll find that 5G’s high-density capability is actually inferior to the widely used high-end Wi-Fi devices, which is also more flexible.
Telemedicine/Industrial Internet: Operating rooms and large industrial equipment don’t move, so the wired connection is a much better option. Telemedicine is not a necessity at all. Think about why we use 4G for video calls but rarely resort to video consultations with doctors.
Robots/Automation: In these areas, Wi-Fi outshines cellular data not due to bandwidth, signal, or energy consumption, but owing to the privacy protection afforded by its use of intranet. When controlling robots/automation via cellular networks, even if two machines are close together, they unnecessarily go through the public network, increasing risks.
Autonomous Driving: Autonomous driving is a latency-sensitive scenario, and edge computing capabilities are essential. The cloud computing provided by 5G will introduce additional network latency.
While the hype around these applications lead people to believe that 5G will revolutionize every aspect, the reality is that 5G falls short of its potential competing technologies in every aspect, just as the old adage goes:
“Jack of All Trades, Master of None.”
