All the buzz behind 5G is quite deafening, really. Tech news sites will not be complete without at least one news item every day featuring a country authorizing a particular company to build 5G infrastructure in their area, telcos promoting the technology to be the next big thing to its excited customers, and customers eagerly anticipating what 5G’s benefits are to them.
As its name suggests, 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology and is set to be faster than the current 4G networks consumers enjoy by at least twenty times. Now, isn’t that exciting? But then, this new technology will also require telco providers to modify their network infrastructure and in turn, may also require consumers who want to enjoy it to change their equipment. So, you might want to get ready to shell out for yet another new smartphone.
Let’s get to know 5G technology more and see what its effects are to us, casual technology consumers.
What is 5G, really?
As mentioned earlier, most of us only know 5G as the 5th generation of technology that is going to make internet speeds go faster. But is that all to it? Is it already available in the entire country? Is 5G already available internationally? And what is this about low-band, mid-band, and high-band that I’ve been hearing?
But over the past few months, 5G has gotten very confusing. Three major flavors of 5G have come out: low-band, mid-band, and high-band, all of which are incompatible at the moment, and perform very differently from each other. We’ve been testing all of them as they appear. The most widespread version doesn’t perform much better than 4G.
What do we really know?
So, 5G is coming out as this impressive technology that’s going to make everything faster. What else do we really know about this technology? Is speed all the benefits we can reap from 5G? How will it really affect the ordinary consumer?
However, just over half (55%) of UK consumers say they’re able to articulate the benefits of the next-generation networking technology. This awareness seems to be translating into 5G adoption, as 35% of UK consumers plan to purchase a 5G smartphone in 2020, per Amdocs data cited by Telecoms.com.
(Via: https://www.businessinsider.com/telecoms-need-to-educate-consumers-on-benefits-of-5g-2020-2)
What’s is it for IoT?
The benefits of 5G won’t really have a trickle effect on the public unless even ordinary, everyday objects we use and have access to daily will be affected as well. How will 5G affect the Internet of Things? As in the Internet of Things, connectivity available in the objects that we use every day, will 5G have an effect on that as well?
The Internet of Things will involve an astounding amount of data — and the next generation of wireless communications could play a key role.
(Via: https://www.zdnet.com/article/5g-what-it-means-for-iot-free-pdf/)
Are you ready?
Of course, one of the big questions with regard to 5G is whether everybody’s ready for this new tech invasion. With billions currently subscribed to 4G and earlier technology, how ready are these subscribers to get on the 5G bandwagon?
The first country to deploy 5G will own the economy of the future, establish itself as the worldwide leader in technology and innovation, and have an upper hand in terms of national security. It is crucial that America — not one of our greatest adversaries, such as China — continue to lead the world.
Is 5G all good?
While we consumers may rejoice in the impending benefits to them, larger entities like governments may not be too keen. After all, the race to 5G can be seen by countries as the new frontier of competition, like the space race of the 1950s, the arms race of the 1970s, and the nuclear race in the 1980s. This time, it seems that China has all the cards. Does the US need to be intimidated?
Already, the battleground for 5G is heating up, with around 190 million 5G ready to enter the hands and pockets of consumers this year, according to the International Data Corporation, or “IDC”. On top of that, one of the leaders in the mobility landscape, Ericsson Mobility has reported that they believe that 5G subscriptions will amount to more than 2.6 billion by the end of 2025.
(Via: https://www.uctoday.com/unified-communications/are-you-ready-for-the-5g-phenomenon/)
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