TechTheDay

5G technology is yet to be defined and deployed yet the hype about it is already here. There’s currently an undeclared but clearly vigorous global contest in developing the 5G standard or the fifth generation of mobile network technology. It would seem that the technology will be coming to reality sooner than later.

But what is it about 5G technology that makes everyone restlessly anticipate it? Is it really bound to be life-changing? What upgrades are to be expected?

The following are some of the “revolutionary” changes to be expected in the 5G mobile networks of the future:

• Super High Speed Connections and Broader Capacity – Obviously, the new generation of mobile networks will have to be fast—a blazing fast speeds that will make wireless connections the more preferred option.
• Overhauling and Harmonization of the Radio Spectrum – This should lead to more efficient wireless interconnections among a wider variety of devices.
• Greater Network Reliability – Advancements in antenna technology are expected to bring an end to undesirable abrupt connection drops.

100 Times Faster

Arguably, the most noticeable advantage in 5G technology is the outstandingly increased speed of connections. In an interview with BBC, Professor Rahim Tafazolli of the government-funded 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey thinks that it possible to achieve up to 800Gbps speeds with 5G technology. This is more than 100 times faster than the current speeds achieved at today’s 4G technology. Also, this is way greater than the speeds being bragged by the supposedly 5G connections being tested at present, like Samsung’s 7.5Gbps mobile speed record. With real 5G connection, it could be possible to download multiple HD movies in a matter of seconds.

In addition to the speed increases, 5G capacity is also expected to become broader. Less than a decade from now, it is anticipated that over 100 billion devices will be connected to the Internet. The Internet of Things will also become bigger. All these would require connections with wider capacities. Multiple simultaneous connections should be accommodated on different frequency bands  to better cope with the higher inter-connectivity demand.

What All These Increases in Speed and Capacity Mean?

Without a doubt, the dramatic increases in speed and capacity expected in the advent of real 5G technology will be extremely beneficial for mankind. They will not only make communication and data transmissions faster, they will also improve the way many services and activities enabled by the Internet are conducted.

The following are some of the most practical examples of the possible benefits of real 5G technology:

• More Reliable Remote Surgeries – In the medical field, 5G technology is expected to make it possible to undertake more reliable remote surgeries as video feedback can become faster and clearer. Clearer visuals mean more precise actions for remote surgeons, which in turn mean more successful surgeries.
• Enhanced Entertainment – 5G should make it possible to enjoy HD, full HD, and even 4K multimedia content as they can be easily streamed over the web for instant enjoyment at home or in the office.
• Dependable Cloud Based Gaming – This year, Sony proudly introduced the PS4 cloud-based gaming service. However, not many seem to be too excited with the feature because of the reality that latency (the lag between action and response) still haunts today’s gaming networks. Unless that latency is addressed through real 5G tech, cloud-based gaming is unlikely going to become as popular as console or computer gaming. Of note, industry leaders expect that 5G will bring latency to around 1 millisecond.
• Transportation Applications – Companies like Huawei are already having plans of using 5G technology to interconnect smart cars or driverless cars in a reliable and efficient manner. Of course, having 5G available also means having fast and dependable Internet access on the go.
• Greater Number of Supported Devices – With 5G technology, experts foresee the ability to simultaneously connect more devices to a wireless network without causing noticeable service quality degradation.
• Lower Infrastructure Deployment Costs – Faster wireless connections yield the advantage of lower infrastructure deployment mainly because of the enhanced efficiency and the ability to do more.

Outlook

Obviously, 5G technology has nothing but great things to bring to the world. The efficiency and cost-saving advantages can lead to myriad benefits that are not limited to typical voice and chat communications, web surfing, and downloads. It can also become the key factor in improving services in a number of sectors including medicine and entertainment.

Professor Tafazolli says that target implementation of 5G technology is in 2020. There are things that still need to be finalized like the three bandwidths that will be dynamically used by devices to avoid overloading frequencies. The costs of implementing 5G networks are also yet to be determined. Nevertheless, efforts at making 5G technology possible soon are being fast tracked. Samsung, for instance, hopes to launch a temporary trial 5G network in time for the Winter Olympics of 2018 and Huawei plans to implement its version by the 2018 World Cup in Moscow.