By As technology has advanced over the years, we have seen an essential shift in mobile network speeds, which have significantly increased over time. The introduction to 4G networks allows customers to gain a broader range of connectivity but only where there is 4G coverage. At times this means users can still end up with reduced speeds and signal. 5G, on the other hand, is aiming to fix the issue. It will also allow mobile providers to expand their network and its ability to handle vast amounts of devices that will connect to it over the coming years.
What is 5G?
5G is an umbrella term for the fifth-generation of mobile networks. As mentioned above, 5G will be much faster than 4G and has the potential to take over your home broadband speed by quite a large margin. This is also true for upload and download speeds. 5G will enable users to upload content, such as 4K videos straight from smartphones without needing to be connected to wifi or broadband connection of any sort.
At present, 4G speeds are around 10-15 megabytes per second for downloads. For 5G, the rate should increase to between 200-400 megabytes per second.
How does 5G work?
5G will operate on a higher frequency than 4G. The 5G networks that are planned at the moment will operate in a high-frequency band over the wireless spectrum. This will be between 30 and 300 GHz on the millimetre-wave spectrum, as shown below.
The waves have the ability to transfer masses of data over very high speeds. However, they do not travel as fast or as low as frequencies used in 4G networks. The downside to this is that 5G uses higher frequency millimetre waves, which have difficulties moving around obstacles. This means more transmitters need to be installed at ground level for 5G to work effectively.
Unlike 4G, which works on a lower frequency, the antennas have the option of being further apart, and obstacles do not affect it. However, when 5G networks are built, the networks will have to invest in more antennas in order to get the same amount of coverage as 4G. One of the first to implement 5G were Verizon and EE.
5G mmWave | Photo: Qualcomm via Android Authority
What are the benefits of 5G?
With 5G support on the horizon, here are the advantages of 5G when it comes to smartphones and other devices:
- 5G will be faster than 4G
- Waiting time for content to load will be cut in half as 5G will be a lot more responsive
- Higher-quality video calls
- The quick speed of 5G will help businesses carry out tasks quicker
As mentioned above, not only will 5G be faster than 4G; it will also be a lot more responsive. This means waiting time for content to load will be cut in half or next to none. Because 5G offer lower latency and faster speeds, consumers will be able to connect better with people. This means higher quality video calls, which currently are quite laggy and poor in quality, especially when using the 4G connection.
Not only will 5G be great for personal uses, but it can also help propel the economy forward. The quickness and agility in the network connections can help employees and organisations to carry out tasks quicker.
This will not only help themselves as a business, but it will also have an overall effect on the economy and the rate at which sectors and markets grow. If you take Amazon, for example, which is an entirely an online trading organisation, the impact of better connectivity and 5G networks means more purchases for them.
What are the dangers of 5G connectivity?
Although faster connectivity sounds excellent, there are some concerns about the health implications connections such as 5G brings with it. As we know, 5G will need a lot more antennas, which brings with it a high risk of health and environmental issues.
Many scientists around the world have appealed to the United Nations in a bid to reduce EMF (Electromagnetic fields). They believe it can have adverse biological and health effects on humans.
The proposed long term side effects of having many more antennas around could potentially lead to blindness, skin cancer, hearing loss, thyroid issues and male infertility. Of course, there is no knowing exactly how this type of technology will affect humans. However, there is a slight indication that there can be some drastic and quite potential life-threatening implications it can have on humans.
In conclusion, the fact that 5G can change the way we work today and increase workflow make it a significant adjustment to how we work today. However, as we know the health implications if it is quite long-term, which is why, hopefully in the years to come, technology advances more towards a cleaner and more health-conscious way.
Comments