Row.co.uk Blog

Modern life seems dominated by two facts about technology: technology has completely changed our lives, and the rate of technological change never seems to slow down.

A brilliant example of both of those facts is 5G technology. There’s been a lot of discussion and debate around what 5G is, how it works, and what it can and will do - read on to learn more. 

5G is the upgraded 5th generation technical standard for mobile networks. Each successive generation has been vastly more powerful than the previous one - the 4G network was capable of connection speeds up to 10x faster than the previous 3G connections. 5G is set to continue the same trend, with a tenfold increase being on the low end . In theory, 5G connections could be nearly 100x faster than 4G, although real-world speeds will be much lower. Because it’s so powerful and promising, 5G connections will likely eventually be used nearly everywhere. 

Increased connection speeds aren’t the only improvements 5G brings. The new standard also minimizes latency and adds more reliability. It improves user experience and offers more opportunities in almost every business and industry. 

This innovative technology is expected to affect businesses from banking to logistics, healthcare, education, and communication. With dramatically increased connection speeds and reduced lag, delicate procedures like remote surgeries and vital signs monitoring can become simple and accessible. 

5G wireless technology is based on Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing or OFDM. This is a process of modulating a specific digital signal across various channels to eliminate interference and improve the network’s quality. 

Featuring the 5G NR air interface, the 5G OFDM delivers improved flexibility which makes it more useful in challenging applications. 5G can also operate at either lower or higher bandwidths. This increases the capacity of the network for various users and applications other than just mobile broadband services. 

No one, in particular, can claim the ownership of the 5G technology; it emerged from a continuous search to improve connections, and new technology capable of supporting those connections. After the massive success of the 4G network and the growth of bandwidth-heavy applications like streaming services, network providers saw an increased need for an ever faster network. 

Government institutions also pushed for a new wireless standard to replace 4G. After the Machine-to-Machine Intelligence launched by NASA in 2008, 5G technology became a necessity to support its operations. In 2018, South Korea became the first country to offer 5G. South Korea founded the 5G R&D program and the University of New York followed by launching the 5G-focused NYU Wireless in 2012. 

Since the introduction of 5G, various companies started to introduce 5G-compatible devices. While the technology isn’t widespread as of yet, as more and more countries adopt the 5G standard, tech companies will gradually shift to producing exclusively 5G-capable devices. Here is a list of some of the categories of devices that include 5G-compatible models:

 

A 5G-compatible phone is probably going to have the most significant impact on individuals’ life. Most brands are currently offering new phones that support the 5G technology. These include the iPhone 12, Galaxy Note 20, and Pixel 5. 

However, these phones are more expensive and won’t be able to take full advantage of their 5G capabilities unless you live in a country with live 5G networks. Access is limited currently, but by 2025, it’s estimated that 65% of the world’s population will have access to 5G. 

These devices will pick up the 5G signal whenever it is available and convert it to a super-fast Wi-Fi connection that can be used for various applications. Hotspots are incredibly useful tools for people who can’t afford to rely on nearby wireless networks, and the increased connection speeds of the new 5G network will provide greater wifi bandwidth when you use a hotspot device. Of course, with the patchy nature of the current 5G network, you won’t get the full benefit of your 5G hotspot just yet. 

In cooperation with mobile operators, countries are racing to employ fully functional 5G networks. This new technology will affect business, defence operations, and processes related to public infrastructure as well as the private sector. Here are some of the benefits of the 5G technology. 

Speed is the first and most important benefit of the 5G over its predecessors. Data transmission can reach up to 15 or 20 Gbps, allowing people to share even large files instantly. Increased bandwidth will make data-rich apps like streaming service and video providers operate more smoothly, and video connections over the 5G network will be faster. 

5G wireless technology expands the use of Cloud technology, which decreases dependence on the limited internal memory of devices such as smartphones and tablets. Internal computing can be efficiently and quickly done on the Cloud, rather than on the device itself. 

5G features improved encryption, making it more difficult to manipulate and track individual connections. Thanks to the use of the cloud-based system, network monitoring has become more efficient and easier. 

5G notably decreases latency, the time lapsed between giving an order to your device and actually having the action executed. This will have a huge impact on the efficiency of remote actions. 

The effects of decreased latency will be reflected in improved performance in sensitive operations like space missions, robotics, construction, safety, and medicine. Even smaller areas, like historic excavacations deep underground or underwater, will benefit from decreased latency, as robots can be controlled in real-time with high accuracy. An astronaut will be able to control spaceships and probes, taking actions without suffering critical delays. 

In the medical field, a doctor will be able to conduct a surgery on the other side of the world using remotely connected devices that he or she will be able to precisely control. Using 5G in the health industry is still in progress as IT professionals try to make this technology more accessible to doctors and surgeons. 

The Internet of Things (IoT) principle refers to the fact that vast amounts of our everyday technology, from routers to phones and household appliances, are connected to mobile networks. 5G will be able to handle all of those connections more smoothly, allowing more devices to be instantly connected to the same network. There will be no effect on the data shared by multiple devices. 

In a plant or organization where there are hundreds or even thousands of devices connected to the same network, the benefits 5G provides for the IoT are vast. Sensors, cameras, computers, and other devices placed in multiple locations will transfer data in real-time to the main computer, so users can have immediate access to this information. 

Network slicing or creating subnets can make the system more accessible to the needs of specific users. Using the 5G technology, the network can be modified to stay functional in case of emergencies and overloads. The wireless network will be able to handle different latencies to create the perfect subnet for a specific situation. 

5G is poised to be the dominant standard for the next 5-10 years. After that, it seems likely that 6G will be required to handle potentially more challenging applications. Holographic communication, increasing numbers of remotely controlled vehicles, and automated communication are only some of the applications that we expect to see in the future as wireless networks improve.

5G wireless technology promises to transform our daily lives. With lots of useful applications, countries are racing to make it more accessible to companies and individuals. 

Because it offers huge advantages over its predecessors, this technology will open up opportunities in almost every field that can benefit humanity. However, for the time being, this technology is still not accessible. We expect it to become more affordable and easier to obtain, with more compatible devices that allow us to use the technology.