You’ve probably heard of 5G before or have come across the term 5G. But do you know what it is and what it’s meant to do? Did you know that there is more than one type of 5G that has been developed over the years? Most people I know have not yet even scratched the surface of understanding what this technology means.
5G, or the fifth-generation mobile network, has been the new global standard for wireless mobile technology. It has enabled a new network that allows us to connect with everyone even when you’re on the other side of the world.
There are still a lot of questions regarding 5G. This is why I’m going to tell you what 5G is all about, how it will affect our daily lives, and more with my article below.
- What Is 5G?
- Which One Is Better – 4G or 5G
- The Different Types of 5G
- The Many Uses of 5G Technology
- How 5G Can Truly Help Us
What Is 5G?
5G is a wireless mobile technology that can deliver high peak data speeds that promises more reliability, low latency, better availability, overall increased performance, and improve efficiency when using a wireless mobile connection.
It is not known who or which company created or invented 5G but many companies continue to improve upon and bring more contributions to this mobile technology.
It is said that the company Qualcomm has made massive contributions to the advancement of 5G technology.
5G technology is designed to deliver a better mobile broadband service, which is why man parties and working hard to improve it worldwide.
A History of How 5G Came to Be
As I’ve mentioned above, 5G is the fifth generation of mobile networks which means that there are previous generations. Most of us are still using the 4G LTE technology which I’m sure you’ve already heard of.
However, let’s go back to the very first generation or 1G which was developed in the 1980s where you get analog voice from your telephone. In the early 1990s, 2G was introduced to the world which used digital voice. The early 2000s brought 3G which included all the previous functions and also included mobile data.
A decade later, 4G was used by almost everyone all over the world and finally introduced the world of mobile broadband. Finally, 5G was developed a few years ago which provides even more connectivity than the previous generations.
Which One Is Better – 4G or 5G
Many might think that since 5G is still a relatively new technology, it must be volatile to use. It might sound like the most recent generation of mobile network technology is far from being perfect.
There are still people who agree that 4G is better but I’m going to end this debate once and for all. 5G is always going to be better than 4G. In fact, 5G offers better speed and capacity than 4G.
That alone should tell you that 5G is better than any other previous generation. The lower latency means that we get less lag or delay and with the unified platform that 5G uses, it is far more capable of handling the service better.
This means there are fewer downtimes when 5G is being used.
How 5G Affects Us on a Global Scale
The fast global expansion of 5G will truly affect every one of us in the future. An economic study has found that when 5G is in full effect, countries from all over the world will begin to invest in a wider range of industries. Even when we are still working on expanding 5G to the rest of the world, it has created trillions worth of goods and services globally.
Operators, service providers, app developers, and even consumers can all take advantage of the introduction of 5G. One study estimates that the technology will create up to 22.8 million jobs. This is because it opens a lot of opportunities and possibilities for people working in this industry and beyond.
On a personal level, 5G offers better service and improved experiences which helps make everyone’s lives better. Online business transactions are much faster, safer, and more convenient. Gaming becomes less of a burden and communication is further improved.
The Different Types of 5G Technology
Based on my experience, I’ve seen a lot of mobile service providers claiming that they have this exclusive type of 5G connection.
Many of them have different names for such connections but there are only three types of 5G that were developed recently. These include low-band 5G, mid-band 5G, and high-band 5G.
Low-band 5G is just a tad bit better than the 4G that we usually have on our phones. The average speed of this type of 5G usually reaches around 55mbps but can reach as high as 350mbps.
Low-band 5G is the most common type of 5G being used today since it can travel through long distances and can penetrate thick walls.
The Best of What 5G Has to Offer
The reason why we don’t see or even use much of the next types of 5G is that there is still a long way to go in order to improve this technology.
We are still trying to be better at handling such speed. However, it is known that mid-band 5G can reach download speeds up to 1.5gbps with a latency of around 8-12ms. Meanwhile high-band 5G is the peak of what this technology has to offer.
It can reach download speeds of up to 3gbps and upload speeds of up to 1.5gbps. I can download games and apps within a matter of seconds with this type of speed.
The Many Uses of 5G
I’ve only come across 5G all because of how it has enhanced my mobile broadband experience. 5G technology has greatly improved the speed and services of providers.
This means that I get to have a faster mobile Internet connection which in turn provides a better service to me.
5G is commonly used in different industries due to its reliability. Critical infrastructures such as hospitals greatly improve their services now that 5G offers better connections.
Certain medical procedures can now even be done through 5G technology. Self-driving vehicles can also ow be improved with the use of 5G’s strong and stable connection.
Owning a New Phone That Supports 5G
After knowing how powerful 5G is, the question now is—will I need a new smartphone so I can fully maximize the use of 5G?
The quick answer to that question is yes. Many new smartphones today are built to support 5G technology. Older phones can only support 4G.
As 5G’s global rollout continues, more and more mobile phone manufacturers are aiming to provide more phones that can support the technology. I can see a future where all of our current phones will need to be replaced with a new one that can support 5G.
How 5G Can Truly Help Us
It’s already obvious why moving to 5G is the best decision we’ll ever make. The high speeds, low latency, increased capacity, and more bandwidth are great pros in using 5G.
However, there are still more benefits to using this technology than many of us might think. Having these benefits empowers other devices to improve on their features.
Remember that we need to have mobile devices that can support 5G. This pushes mobile phones to start creating better products so everyone can enjoy new technology. This also goes with other devices such as sensors and drones.
Most 4G networks experience tower congestion when users try to access their service. With 5G, there will be less tower congestion now that we have faster speeds and more bandwidth.
The Downsides of Using 5G
5G is still currently being improved upon and is still being rolled out all over the world. The current limited coverage is a good enough reason not to jump on board the 5G train. However, I plan to switch to 5G immediately once there is enough coverage and that major cities all over the world have 5G.
5G may offer faster speeds but they don’t have that much coverage. You’ll notice in areas where there is 5G that the coverage zones are still quite limited. 5G requires a lot of towers to cover an area which is quite expensive for mobile service providers.
Apart from that, 5G uses a lot of battery power which may cause issues with many mobile devices. There’s also the concern of cybersecurity when it comes to 5G with the expansion of the bandwidth which can be a point of entry for hackers. I would say that users should wait until 5G is better improved before switching.
Conclusion
5G technology is the new kid on the block. It offers a lot of new and powerful features that many people have been wanting since mobile broadband was first introduced. However, we are still a ways off from fully embracing this technology.
However, it is still best to learn more about 5G technology as there will come a time that it will be an integral part of our lives.