What is 5G and how will it affect us?
If you have any experience with your home wifi router, you are familiar with the 5GHz network. Right? You see it in the news, countries all around the world are rushing to deploy 5G. It is easy to put two and two together. So 5G is the worldwide implementation of speedy 5GHz wifi connection right? No.
Before we start explaining what 5G is, we need to be precise. 5G infrastructure and 5Ghz wifi networks are not the same. It is not lousy marketing, nor was it meant to confuse anyone. Call it a terrible coincidence.
2G, 3G, and 4G. The ‘G’ stands for ‘generation.’ If you know anything about fighter jets, they are a little clearer in calling their new range of flying weapons as fifth-generation or sixth generation. Similar thing here, 5G is the next level of telecommunication infrastructure, designed to improve the quality and quantity of communication. 5G can support a million connections within a square kilometre, whereas 4G can only manage a hundred thousand instead. Which would explain why your reception is not very good at an extremely crowded event.
MORE THAN ONE TECHNOLOGY
Each generation of telecommunication or mobile communication technology is not standalone. Think of your brand new car; it still has headlights, seatbelts, window wipers. On top of that, there is GPS, Bluetooth, camera, sensors, seat warmers, and even auto-cruising. Think of 5G as an upgrade; it still uses the infrastructure of the 4G network. The protocol, however, is very much different. Protocols that operate in a similar way to algorithms, same, but different.
Think of it this way; you are trying to get to work in the 90s. What are your options if you take public transport? No direct bus, not train stations nearby. It is 2019 now, and the possibilities have opened up. There are direct buses, a train station nearby and ride-sharing applications. What does this have to do with 5G? Let us explain.
Think of you trying to get to work in the 90s as 4G. You have to figure out the best connection to get you to work as fast as possible. You are taking into consideration things like day, time, weather. Carefully planned, you find the most efficient connection between bus and train.
And now you in 2019, think of it as 5G. There is a train station one hundred meters from your door, buses that go directly to your office. And in case of rainy weather, you could call a ride-sharing or ride-hailing car via an application on your phone. We can safely assume you are now able to get to work much faster because of these options. Well formulated, your time can reduce substantially — more time at home and a better work-life balance for you. Life is good.
What makes it so fast?
Funny enough, a similar technology to 5Ghz wifi routers, called the millimetre-wave, helps a lot. It is a short-range, high-frequency signal that is not particularly good at permeating walls. That sounds mean of us to say, but don’t worry. This technology combines the new MU-MIMO (multiple users, multiple inputs, multiple outputs) connected receivers. Like we said in the previous paragraph, it is a mix and an upgrade — the fifth-generation network.
It still uses much of 4G network infrastructure such as LTE bands, fibre networks. With the correct protocols designed to enhance the quality and speed of your connection. 5G promises about 100 Gbits per second, which translates to around 12 Gbyte per second of download speed. Gbps is not the same as GB/s. Google it or something; it is not the same thing. A second reminder, 5G is not 5Ghz wifi.
What to expect
The transition from 4G to 5G is underway, and devices able to handle the protocol, especially the mobile 5G NR (new radio) networks are slowly starting to roll out between 2019 and 2020. Here is what to expect in the coming years after 5G rollout:
More extensive use of cloud-based storage solutions4k and higher resolution video streaming technology better quality audio streaming services data-intensive mobile applications VR applications over cellular networks These are just predictions, try not to take it too seriously. Infrastructure is an odd thing because after you build it, people find a way to use it. The excellent infrastructure, of course, not ten-lane roads made in the middle of nowhere. As long as you get this logic, the possibilities become a little more obvious. It allows developers and innovators to send you more data. A 3D game carries more data than a 2D game, for example.
Health concerns
If you remember how much of an improvement 3G to 4G was, you can be sure the transition to 5G is similar. It is gradual, and you see the technology improve along with you. Try not to pay attention to fear-mongering about 5G, possibly causing cancer. We are not claiming it does not, radiation, in general, can cause cancer mutation. The earth is radioactive, and the sun sends down radiation too. Old TV radio signals are forms of radiation. And 5G is not different than 4G in terms of the frequency and radiation delivered. So if we are in danger, we have been for a long time. And if not, no problem there. 5G is not some crazy scientist turning up the dial-in radio waves making the speed faster. It is merely a much more efficient form of the telecommunication protocol standard. Like how new cars are safer and faster, they don’t cause you more cancer. Like that. Yes.
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Originally published at https://www.itblock.sg on April 1, 2020.
