What is 5G Technology?

5G refers to the fifth generation of cellular network, currently considered as one of the fastest technologies. 5G is the next generation network that is expected to change the way people would live and work in the future. The need for 5G network has become all the more evident as things are becoming more complex, life is getting faster, and there is a need to handle more connected devices than 4G network can handle.

5G technologies would allow users to download videos within seconds quickly. Besides, 5G has greater bandwidth which means that it can easily handle more connected devices than before like smart homes, self-driven cars etc. The tech also reduces latency time - the time which is required for data to travel from one end to the other – and would reach virtually zero. It also makes communication with cloud platform faster and easier.

A Brief History of 5G

5G is the latest mobile network technology which, in the present times, has become the talk of the town because of its high-speed network, reliable connection, reduced latency, promising download speed and much more.

But isn’t it interesting to know how did we reach this level?  Let us look at its brief history.

1G or the first generation of the mobile network:

1G or the first generation of the mobile network was created first in 1979 in the US. However, it was not made available on a global scale until the early 1980s. 1G was a form of analog technology which had the potential to only support voice calls, and there was no internet connection.

2G network:

In 1993, there was a significant upgradation in mobile technology when 2G was launched. One of the considerable benefits with the launch of 2G network was that people could switch from analog to digital communication. With the launch of 2G, it was possible not only to make calls, but people could also send text messages.

The maximum speed at which 2G operates is 14.4 Kbps.

3G Network:

In 1991, 3G was established and brought a wide range of improvements and benefits. Mobile broadband was first launched with 3G technology and brought a revolution in the mobile data offering.

People could browse the websites and there was improved audio and visual streaming. Further, 3G network brought global data roaming with it. It also made it possible for video conferencing, watching video on the internet and enable international roaming.

4G Network:

In 2009, 4G was first launched and is still is wide usage at different parts of the world. With the introduction of the 4G network, people witnessed improved speeds, security, and connection. Along with the features that 3G support, with the introduction of 4G, it was possible to handle applications needed by people at a faster pace and connection like streaming media, online gaming, smart devices like a smartwatch for tracking health and many more.

The maximum speed of 4G is of 300 Mbps.

5G Network:

5G or fifth generation of mobile technology was introduced in 2019 and has brought further improvements and upgradation in the 4G network. The maximum speed with 5G would reach nearly 10 Gbps. The frequency would range in between 30 GHz to 300 GHz.

How does 5G work?

Through 5G, the signal runs over new radio frequencies that require updating radios and other types of equipment on cell towers. There are three different ways by which 5G data network is built depending on the category of asset a wireless carrier has:

• Low-band network, which has a wider coverage and is nearly 20% faster than 4G network.
• High-band network, which has superfast speed, but the challenge is that the signal does not travel well and struggle in case they encounter any hard surface.
• Mid-band network has balanced speed and coverage.

For carriers that are building superfast, 5G networks need several small cell sites to light poles, walls, or towers.

        Image Source: © Kalkine Group 2020

What can 5G do?

5G can do much more than significantly improving the network connection. 5G has the potential to provide new opportunities, enabling us to deliver innovative solutions that reach across society.

Through 5G we can imagine of advanced societies, transforming industries and a platform for more immersive entertainment and participating education. Let us understand them individually:

Advanced societies:

5G opens progressive ways to improve the society we live in. Thinking of advanced society, we can imagine:

• Smarter electricity grids that would reduce the carbon emission significantly.
• There would be more connected vehicles sharing data to protect road accidents.
• In case of any emergency, emergency services would be made available at the site.
• We would be able to discover any natural disaster via connected sensors at a faster rate.

Transforming industries:

5G would lay a foundation for a flexible, effective, and responsible business.

• Through 5G, it would be possible that production lines would autonomously react to demand and supply.
• Logistic networks could autonomously route goods based on real-world conditions.
• 5G can be beneficial in places where digital replicas can warn real machinery fault ahead of time.
• 5G would enable increased usage of IoT in agriculture to grow crops efficiently.

Elevating Experiences:

Through 5G technology, it would be possible for more immersive entertainment and more interactive education.

• 5G would have the potential to allow improved realism in virtual reality, augmented reality and extended reality.
• Provide sensory experience.
• It would support a better and more engaging way to teach students and provide training at the industry level.
• Other biggest advantage of 5G is that people would have stable and reliable connectivity even they are in crowded places.

INTERSTING READ:

 5G Makes Fast Inroads, Are We Ready Yet?

How Will Smartphones Look Like In 2030?