5G is the most recent generation of cellular technology, designed to boost the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks dramatically. Data carried through wireless broadband connections can now move at multigigabit speeds, with some estimates putting peak speeds as high as 20 gigabits per second (Gbps). These speeds are faster than landline network rates, with latency of less than 5 milliseconds (ms) or less, making them ideal for real-time applications. Due to higher accessible bandwidth and enhanced antenna technology, 5G will enable a significant increase in the volume of data delivered across wireless systems.
What is the speed of 5G?
Currently, 5G download rates can exceed 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps) or even 2.1 gigabits per second (Gbps). To illustrate, a user might start a 1080p YouTube video on a 5G mobile without it buffering. Downloading an app or a Netflix program, which can currently take several minutes, can now be completed in a matter of seconds. Wirelessly streaming 4K video becomes much more feasible as well.Low-band 5G can stay locked at 5G over longer distances, and while its overall speed is slower than mmWave, it should still be faster than a solid 4G connection. Low-band 5G download speeds of up to 30 Mbps are possible.
What are the advantages of 5G technology?
Even if the disadvantages of 5G are obvious when considering how easily mmWave may be blocked, or less obvious when considering radio frequency (RF) exposure restrictions, it still has a number of worthwhile advantages, including the following:
• greater data speeds, which will enable new technology possibilities over 5G networks, such as 4K streaming or near-real-time streaming of virtual reality
• and the ability to create a 5G mobile network made up of low-band, midband, and mmWave frequencies
Use cases for 5G
From corporate and enterprise to more casual consumer use, 5G has a wide range of applications. The following are some examples of how 5G can be used:
• enhanced capabilities for real-time analytics
• streaming high-quality video
• communication among devices in an internet of things (IoT) environment
• more accurate location monitoring
• fixed wireless services
• low-latency communication
and 5G includes network management tools, such as network slicing, which allows mobile carriers to establish several virtual networks within a single physical 5G network, in addition to gains in speed, capacity, and latency. This functionality, which might be marketed as a service, will allow wireless network connections to serve specific needs or business cases.