Have any of these happened to you?
- A colleague says that “5G can solve that!”
- You read “This new feature will require 5G.”
- Advertisement declares “5G can do this!”
For each of the situations above, if you’re a little unclear on how 5G fits into each of them, please read on. We’re writing this to help people understand the background, context, and goals of 5G.
Some might ask, “What does 5G even mean in the first place?” 5G is the 5th generation of cellular networks, building on technology that has been around since the first cellular network was launched in 1983. The first 3 generations of cellular networks were mainly designed to cater to voice and text transmissions, with data transmission being measured in kilobytes per second. The 4th generation (4G) was designed to support rising data transmission rates caused by people using their phones for gaming, video, etc., with data transmission being measured in megabytes per second.
The goals and design of 5th generation cellular networks are influenced by the rapidly rising levels of cellular data consumption across the globe. In order to support data-intensive cellular applications like video, live streaming, and gaming, networks need to be upgraded and expanded. The ultimate goal of 5G is to achieve cellular connectivity on par with the fixed-line service you get at home, meaning gigabyte per second connectivity from your phone.
If you use a cell phone, 5G will affect you. If you run a business, 5G will affect you and your customers. Regardless of your profession, we believe everyone should be better equipped with basic 5G knowledge in order to have good conversations with colleagues and customers alike. Without this fundamental knowledge, it becomes much harder to have meaningful conversations on 5G or capitalize on the opportunities it presents.
Now that we’ve covered the context behind 5G, let’s explore the major benefits it delivers, and how they’ll impact our way of life.