5G: The next tech revolution?

 A SYNOPSIS ON THE NEW 5G TECHNOLOGY

You are probably aware of the new 5G connectivity, in fact, the whole tech community is making a big Buzz about this new technology. But what is it? Why is it so important? What’s going on???

5G is the 5^th and the latest generation of cellular connectivity. This is the successor of 4G. This enables faster connection which leads to a revolution in the tech kingdom, giving a new path leading to various inventions including high tech robots. It is also more reliable with the new lower response time, and low latency. So your internet needs will be met in a snap of your finger.

How does 5G work?

5G As usual the main theme of 5G is speed, it is of course faster than 4G and its predecessors. Some people who had older device can remember how slow the 2G and 3G were and how 4G was a revolution and how much faster it got, and 5G is one step ahead. So to take advantage of this 5G you need 2 things which are, a device which is compatible with 5G, and a place with 5G network. A common misconception is that, a software update can make a 4G phone 5G. But it can't. You need to have a 5G compatible phone. Yes that’s right, Some phones has this 5G E icon in their 4G phone after a new update, do not mistake, people think it is really 5G but it is not, it is like a more powerful and up-scaled form of 4G, just like how 4G LTE-A is faster than the standard 4G.

 

HOW FAST IS 5G?

This 5G is built on something called as a millimeter wave, and this millimeter wave is a new range of really high frequency radio waves, which can start from 20+ ghz all the way to near 100 ghz, compared to 4G LTE which has a maximum of sub 20 ghz. The standard 4G has an average of 32 MBps download speed and a maximum of 100Mbps. 4G+ has an average of 42Mbps and a maximum download speed of 300Mbps. While 5G, has an insane average download speed of 130-240Mbps and a theoretical maximum of 1-10Gbps but they still haven’t reached that peak yet. So 5G’s theoretical maximum speed can be 100 times faster than 4G, when matured. Breathtaking isn’t it?

 

Current challenges with 5G:

Higher the frequency of the signal, lower the range it travels, so for 5G, buildings, trees, walls and even droplets of rain could be a potential obstacle, which leads to speed inconsistency. so to get a durable connection they have to build double, even triple the amount of antennas as they did for 4G networking. Already, building this 5G antenna is expensive, building triple the amount adds fuel to the fire, it is hard and space consuming. To get over this problem, they have planned to put mini antennas that are stuck on buildings and street furniture rather than keeping millions of standalone mast like towers.

 

MANAGING/ OPTIMIZATION OF 5G

The whole network has to be optimized and managed to get best results, don’t worry there are helpers! Some estimates say that 5G will be able to support 1000 more devices per square meter than 4G which is insane. It means that places where there are a lot of population, like a down-town, would have better connectivity, secondly, 5G will also be able to use the slice technology. It is able to divide one massive physical network to many virtual networks. which means it can give the right amount/ slice of speed for the right task, to give you an example. This means that an operator will be able use different slice capacities depending on the complexity of the task. So, a person who is seeing a YouTube video will receive a smaller slice of the network than a person who is using autopilot mode in their car. So these are the helpers who help in managing the 5G traffic.

 

IS 5G GOING TO DOMINATE 4G? WHEN?

No, 5G is not dominating and taking place of 4G anytime soon, well, because it can’t. Some estimates tell that it would take more than a decade before the entire 5G roll-out takes place. 

WHAT IS A 5G ROLLOUT?

Roll-out refers to buying of equipment and adapting to the 5G environment. This means people need to start buying 5G devices, and companies like AT&T and Verizon and Airtel have to build 5G infrastructure. Already many phones have developed 5G modems in them, companies like Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi and many other companies are examples of companies adapting to 5G in their devices. 

SHOULD YOU BE BUYING 5G PHONES JUST YET?

5G connectivity haven’t matured yet, estimates say that it may take nearly a decade, so it is not recommended buying 5G devices right now in 2021, i am not saying don’t buy them, I am trying to convey that a buying decision for a smartphone or any other consumer electronic should not be depended on 5G, unless you have a 5G network nearby.

So that’s been it. I guess you have learned something new with my new article, as always, thanks for reading. Comment, and share this article to everyone, and let people be aware of this new upcoming technology. this is tech passion, and I am your tech enthusiast.

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