5G is a next-generation wireless network technology that will change the way people and machines live and work. 5G is a faster network that can handle many more connected devices without suffering from congestion like the current 4G LTE network. It will bring in a host of new connected tech products and services. Several countries around the world, including the US, have already started rolling out 5G networks.
There are a number of companies racing to set up the fastest and widest 5G networks across the United States. Similar competitions are happening in other countries too. This is because 5G is expected to power new technologies that will transform the world for people, businesses, infrastructure, and defense.
But, can a faster internet connection really do all that? The benefits of 5G go far beyond faster connection speeds. 5G also offers greater bandwidth allowing more connected devices than ever before. Theoretically, your coffee mug could connect to your car and ask it to keep the coffee hot by heating the cupholder. Or your toothbrush could order its replacement when it isn’t cleaning efficiently anymore.
5G also features low latency, which means the time it takes to send a packet of data, and for another device to receive it is about a millisecond. This will usher in a world of self-driving cars, remote surgeries, seamless communication with cloud platforms, and more.
5G signals run on a whole new set of frequencies that no other cellular technology before it used. The 5G network is divided into three bands – low, mid, and high. The low band network offers the widest coverage area, but its speeds are about 205 faster than those offered by 4G. Mid-band offers mid-level speeds and mid-level coverage. High-band offers the fastest speeds but only over very short distances, and the network can’t penetrate walls very well. Carriers will have to install tons of small cell sites in close proximity to one another to offer superfast speeds to customers. This also means a massive investment.
But, the fastest 5G networks should offer speeds that are at least ten times faster than 4G LTE. Some even say that speeds up to 100 times faster are possible. This means that you could download a 2-hour movie in 10 seconds.
