Hyperconnected World — A Brief Introduction to 5G Technology
The next-generation communications network is about more than quick information rates and more prominent capacity. It’s about the consistent, real-time interaction between people and billions of intelligent devices. 5G wireless technology promises a rich, reliable, and hyperconnected world.
A decade ago, no one watched Netflix or Prime videos under a tent in the desert. Only after the 4G networks came into existence, it empowered individuals around the world to stream vast amounts of data in cities and the middle of nowhere, right on their phones. Now, much obliged to the future 5G technology, digital networks are about to get indeed faster.
5G is the fifth-generation wireless technology. This innovation improves the performance of information such as lower latency, wilder bandwidth and higher speed with the convenience of wireless which might enable driverless cars, delivery drones, and may even replace the WiFi in your home and office. 5G network could speed up your already fast-paced personal and professional life.
5G came into existence in the hope of creating a network that provides a download speed of about 10,000 Mbps. That is roughly three times faster than current 4G networks. Looking back into the history when it took 15 seconds to download a 5MB MP3 file via 3G connection, now with 5G, you can download an entire movie in just moments.
So, what makes 5G faster? That would be the use of shorter frequencies, i.e., millimeter waves between 30GHz and 300GHz for 5G networks. According to communication principles, the shorter the frequency, the larger the bandwidth.
As mentioned earlier, 5G technology provides an extremely low latency rate, the latency ranges around 200 milliseconds for 4G, and with 5G, it goes down to 1 millisecond. Just imagine it, a millisecond to transfer data, how cool is that? Take auto cars as an example; it could react to hundreds of incoming information and can also revert its reactions to other vehicles and road signals all within milliseconds.
In the last few decades, mobile phones have changed our lives more than any other technology. I still remember the only mobile that was available in my childhood was a 2G Nokia 3310!
Let us now have a glance at 5G and previous mobile generations :
1G, the first generation of telecom networks (1979), it was only about talking to each other and be mobile
2G, digital networks (1991) helped us in sending messages and travel (with roaming services)
2.5G and 2.75G brought some improvement to data services (GPRS and EDGE)
3G (1998) brought a better mobile internet experience (with limited success)
3.5G brought a genuinely mobile internet experience, unleashing the mobile apps eco-system
4G (2008) networks brought all-IP services (Voice and Data), a fast broadband internet experience, with unified networks architectures and protocols
4G LTE, starting in 2009, doubled data speeds
5G networks expand broadband wireless services beyond mobile internet to IoT and critical communications segments
5G means not just faster mobile internet, but it’s more about internet connectivity in many objects that are hard even to imagine. The car and the house are two examples of the big IoT revolution coming ahead, supported by 5G networks.
12/11/2019
