Everything you need to know about 5G

What is 5G Technology?

5G is the 5th generation mobile network. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. 5G is said to be a cloud-based mobile network. This network has much higher data transfer speeds compared to previous generations, which is obvious. The data transfer speed of 5G can go up to 18 Gbps. These high speeds would be really useful in large events where there is a lot of stress on the network bandwidth. 5G will have a much lower network lag and significantly impact gaming and cloud services. Higher performance and improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connect new industries. 

How fast is 5G?

5G is designed to deliver peak data rates up to 20 Gbps based on IMT-2020 requirements. Qualcomm Technologies’ flagship 5G solutions, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X65 is designed to achieve up to 10 Gbps in downlink peak data rates.

But 5G is about more than just how fast it is. In addition to higher peak data rates, 5G is designed to provide much more network capacity by expanding into a new spectrum, such as millimeter wave (mmWave).

5G can also deliver much lower latency for a more immediate response and can provide an overall more uniform user experience so that the data rates stay consistently high—even when users are moving around.

 

Advantages of 5G:

1. High data transfer speeds.

5G is said to provide a maximum data transfer speed of 18 Gigabytes per second. This means that if it takes an hour to download a movie on your phone using 4G, it would take just a few seconds for 5G. High speed will also boost the usability of the Internet of Things(IoT).

2. Small size of receivers:

5G uses millimeter waves, which have small wavelengths than those used for previous generation mobile networks. A decrease in wavelength means a reduction in receiver size. So, 5G towers would be small compared to 4G transmission towers.

3. Convergence of Wi-Fi and cellular network:

One expected benefit of the transition to 5G is the convergence of multiple networking functions to achieve cost, power, and complexity reductions. LTE has targeted convergence with Wi-Fi band/technology via various efforts. The significant improvement in cellular performance specifications in 5G, combined with migration from Distributed Radio Access Network (D-RAN) to Cloud- or Centralized-RAN (C-RAN) and rollout of cellular small cells can potentially narrow the gap between Wi-Fi and cellular networks in dense and indoor deployments.

4. It is safe:

It has been a hot topic of debate whether 5G is safe for us or not. But there is no reason 5G will harm us in any way because the energy in the waves used for transferring information through 5G is less than that present in visible light. And clearly, visible light does not hurt us and is safe. So, obviously, 5G is a safe technology for us.

 

The Impact of 5G

The positive impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its related emerging technologies will be fully realized through the wide-scale deployment of 5G communication networks in combination with other connectivity solutions. The key functional drivers of 5G will unlock a broad range of opportunities, including the optimization of service delivery, decision-making, and end-user experience. This will result in $13.2 trillion in global economic value by 2035, generating 22.3 million jobs in the 5G global value chain alone.

 

5G in India

On par with the global players, India had, in 2018, planned to start 5G services as soon as possible, to capitalize on the better network speeds and strength that the technology promised.

Bharti Airtel has entered into a strategic partnership with Tata Group to deploy Open-RAN-based 5G radio and core solutions, which the latter has developed locally.

 At its 44th annual general meeting, Reliance Jio announced the company has been given a trial spectrum in which to run 5G field trials with a site in Navi Mumbai ready to go. Jio believes it will be the first carrier to make a 5G network accessible to consumers. Its current 4G network should be able to seamlessly upgrade to the next-gen network technology.

So, that's all about 5G. What do you think about this new generation of networks? Comment your thoughts.