What is 5G?
At this stage, it is just a concept. Networks are focused on increasing coverage and data speeds but no standards have been agreed upon yet. What we do know is the International Telecommunication Union allows carriers to call anything 4G so long as it offers a “substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities” over 3G. So we can speculate that 5G will simply be anything significantly better than 4G.
What does that mean for us?
Samsung has already delivered impressive data speeds of 1GB per second using the technology and it has been suggested mobile users connected to a 5G network could download an entire film in just one second. If researchers at Cornell University are right, 5G will offer consumers a “seamless user experience”. The impressive speeds of the technology will put an end to impatient waits and laggy apps. We have all suffered the frustration of an out of sync video call or an online video buffer, but experts predict that these niggles will be a thing of the past when 5G launches.
How will it work?
Multiple input multiple output (MiMo) technology is set to be a key part of these efficiency measures, according to researchers. MiMo uses several small antennae to service individual data streams. Samsung’s impressive download speeds were delivered using the technology.
5G is also likely to use many more base stations, including macro sites and smaller stations employing a range of radio technologies, to ensure better coverage. The Australian minister for communications, Malcolm Turnbull, even suggested that there could soon be a 5G base station on every home and lamppost. If it works well down under, the measure could be adopted throughout the world.
How much will the service set us back?
Data prices have been steadily falling, from around 46 cents per megabyte in 2008 to just between one and three cents today. However, it is unclear whether data rates will stay low once 5G takes hold. In fact, South Korea’s minister of engineering, science, and technology believes that companies there will spend more than $300bn (£181bn) on 5G technology and infrastructure. If this estimate is true, then early 5G mobile adopters should not be surprised if they see a small bump in their bills.
Will we need to shell out for a bank-breaking new phone too?
Yup. Existing smartphones and mobile devices are not equipped to take advantage of 5G technology. Samsung, LG Uplus and Huwaei are already playing with new 5G technologies. While these developments are in their infancy, the devices are likely to have much greater battery lives. 5G will allow mobile users to work faster and perform much more powerful tasks. If they can download a movie every second, they will need a battery that can keep up. New 5G phones might also have multiple antennae for fewer dropouts. Current devices can house no more than two antennae, but there is no telling how many future devices could have. It is unclear at this point what other features 5G devices may have, but experts suggest that there will be plenty of connected gadgets in our homes.
How long do we have to wait?
Given the natural life cycle of network development, we would have expected to see 5G arrive around 2021. However, the mobile-loving South Korea government has invested $1.5bn in upgrades that should see a trial 5G network rolled out in 2017. The rest of South Korea should be connected to 5G by 2020. Karl Bode, a tech writer, suggests that 5G will not hit the United States until 2018 at the earliest, or perhaps not until the 2020 Olympic Games. It is not likely to be a mainstream service until 2025. It might be a few years away, but the implications of 5G are enough to get tech-savvy consumers excited.
JT Ripton is a business consultant and freelance writer. You can follow him on Twitter @JTRipton.
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