5G: The Next Generation of Mobile Internet Connectivity

5G networks is what we will call the next phase in mobile internet connectivity.

5G gives us; Fast download speeds and pristine connectivity on smartphones phablets and tablets are king.

Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of up to 1.5 GB per second will be expected.

The networks will help power a tumultuous rise in the IOT (Internet of Things) technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry massive amounts of data, allowing for a smarter world with more connectivity.

Development is now well underway. The networking that drives 5G is expected to launch across worldwide during late 2019 and 2020. It will work alongside the current 3G and 4G technology to provide quicker connections that stay online, regardless of where you might be.

5G is coming, but how many of us are really sure what it is or why we want it? A big part of the reason is that 5G means more than one thing, and depending on who you ask you’ll get different answers. That makes it a lot like 4G, which is basically marketing as well as a real technology.

Technically speaking, 5G is the next generation of broadband connection. At first, 5G will live side by side and enhance your current 4G service, but soon enough 5G-only networks will be complete and stand-alone. 5G devices will be available and with any type of 5G connection, you’ll see faster network speeds, but the biggest changes will happen when operators have all deployed high-frequency millimetre wave technology to monitor radio waves that have been unable to be applied in previous years.

History of the G

The very first generation of mobile phone technology arrived way back in the late 1980s. Back then, a portable phone (termed a cell phone in the United States, mobile phone in the UK) consisted of a “brick” as it was affectionately termed.

A large device that was cumbersome, clunky and looked positively out of place. A briefcase accompanied the device in order to power its remoteness. The SIM card was so big it resembled a credit card. The devices were analogue only and you could do nothing more than simply talk. There were no text messaging facilities or any other features of note.

When 2G arrived, it came as an outstanding leap forward in technology as we know it. The size of the phone was very much reduced and the ability to send SMS text messages in a digital format arrived. Texting became a true phenomenon.

Very quickly to “bleep-bleep” tones of an incoming text message could be heard on buses, at the mall and all over many public places. During this second generation we were introduced to MMS as well as SMS (a multi-media messaging service) where pictures could be sent.

In 2002, Japan introduced video playback technology onto its mobile phones. At the time, camcorders were popular but expensive and a must-have present for every household. When 3G was introduced we started getting video technology and mobile date coming in.

4G: Where We Are Today

When 4G arrived in 2010, it was not that different from 3G. It had similar features only this time it had bells on it. The video playback was dramatically improved in quality and not heavily pixelated like 3G, the camera quality was also dynamic. Users could take photographs using a 20Mpix camera – a vast improvement from the 2Mpix cameras we used in 3G phones.

Gamers were also pleased to find the speeds were so much faster and more responsive. Internet browsing allowed us to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots all over the country. Now, most restaurants, gastro pubs, cafes, shopping malls and trains have fast-speed internet Wi-Fi that we can all connect to.

Browsing the net on our phones has become as much a part of our smartphone use as the talking and texting is. 4G also heralded the arrival of the app. These are dedicated applications letting you work on a specific program via an internet access and where many are actually workable offline as well as on a network.

The Benefits of 5G

The first notable benefit will be the speed at which these application work. Downloading a feature length movie in high-definition on the old 3G network would have taken around 30 hours (remember LimeWire, Win MX and Bit Torrent?).

The arrival of 4G saw these download speeds dramatically reduced. A 90 minute film in HD would only take around 7 minutes to download these days. Moreover, as we are in the throes of 4G+ and 5G coming soon to replace it, 4G+ is now downloading a film in just over two and a half minutes.

However, the arrival of 5G will make an absolute mockery on these download speeds. A feature length film will be on your smartphone or computer in a matter of 40 seconds. When 5G advances to its pinnacle stage (around 2023) we theorise that the download speeds could be as high as 10 GB per second. This means a full length feature film in HD can be on your hard drive and ready to play in about 4 seconds!

Lower Latency

One of the things you will notice about 5G when it finally arrives is the much reduced latency times. Latency is the delay or time lag we get on our computers when the keystroke is made to the event actually happening.

The example of the latency speeds can be described as when you click on your home page, for example, and count the time it takes to load up. Moreover, when we toggle between apps on our smartphone.

When 5G arrives it will take around one millisecond for applications to respond. This compares to a latency speed of around 45 milliseconds right now on 4G.

Because the amount of spectrum available is somewhat finite, all 5G data operation must somehow be allocated. 5G spectrum needs to apply to cope with the demand.