5G – The BIG connectivity technology that binds the WebWorld.
What is 5G ?
5G is the newest broadband standard for cellular networks worldwide. Rising from the springboard provided by the preceding 4G standard, 5G is the new, big event in mobile communication. It provides a quantum leap in connectivity capability and is already making a huge difference in business, societal and personal applications. It was first introduced in 2019, as a workable, commercial step up to the 4G standard which has been in widespread use across the world. At the basic level, it works in much the same way as it’s hugely successful and preceding 4G service, that is, by connecting geographical service area telephone networks with the Internet, using radio waves.
But, the similarity ends there, as it – 5G – leapfrogs 4G in the functional parameters, creating new possibilities and embracing applications and technologies that are transforming the way society, people and businesses function.
Evolving bandwidth and speed through successive eras
Mobile telephony has transformed our professional as well as personal lives over the years. Successive generational improvements in the capability of mobile service networks have positioned society today to access quantum leaps in systems efficiency and possibilities that can bring about revolutionary changes in the way we function.
In the 2000s, 3G allowed us to reach deep into the Internet ecosystem to access information services. Later, it was 4G, which is still evolving, giving us wider access to applications and software-enabled by more sophisticated and ultraportable mobile devices enabling us to get more work done away from the office. Now, the 5th Generation of mobile telephony is already enabling us to achieve savings in time and effort that were not perceptible some time ago.
It has opened up vistas to possibilities in AR/VR applications and IoT which are reshaping and transforming the way economies and communities, worldwide function.
How capable is 5G?
The 5G ecosystem has already planted a wide and firm footprint in the connectivity realm with services and manufacturing acquiring a new dimension that alleviates, what can now be viewed as lethargy and restraints in the way systems in the economy and communities work. The key takeaways from this vital connectivity standard are greatly enhanced GBPs numbers, lowered latency values, and greater reliability, which, together are increasingly creating new possibilities for human activity and interaction.
Theoretically, 5G is almost 10 times faster than 4G from the “peak speed” perspective, and so, establishes a much more effective and far-reaching “digital handshake” between humans, machines and systems, creating new possibilities in economic functioning. In 2022, 5G is in the second phase of it’s evolution and is already making a great difference by speedily connecting entities and systems making possible, opportunities that never existed before.
What 5G is changing for the internet user
Everything you do on your 4G device and network like browsing the web, downloading videos, texting messages, and calling, is achieved by 5G, only it does it all much faster and with the least fuss. In your home or office space, you can connect a higher number of devices on the internet without stumbling over bandwidth issues. For instance, with website-loading 10 times faster, all that you do on your 5G device and Internet is achieved in a flash. Streaming and gaming and video conferencing experiences are not dulled by latency issues. That means audio and video are more seamlessly lined up giving you a more sharply defined real-world experience. With 5G reducing latency numbers to a theoretical 1ms, AAA games, as well as, Skype and FaceTime engagements are more sharp and realistic with 5G as compared to 4G.
As is already seen in many digitally-enabled homes and offices, spaces are increasingly appointing more and more devices and utility gadgets that vie and jostle for “bandwidth attention”.
The 5G air interface with it’s far wider bandwidth offering ensures that each connected device has comfortable access to airwaves simultaneously.
Being able to use wider frequencies, 5G, apart from providing unreal-like peak speeds also brings into play superior average speeds making the usage experience more wholesome and fulfilling.
Applications and benefits of 5G
The assimilation of 5G into society and economies not only provides greater efficiency and time savings but, also provides mould-breaking solutions in life-saving applications. Here are some benefits and applications of 5G,
Benefits of 5G at a glance,
- 5G offers greater and increased bandwidth for single and multiple users.
- 5G pushes speeds to much higher limits.
- Facilitates flexibility and expansive coverage and user mobility.
- Enables higher density and lightens network traffic in highly congested networks.
- Enhances man-to-machine interaction.
- Enhances M2M ( machine to machine ) communication.
- Extensively favours roaming.
- Reduces latency.
- Supports WAN to facilitate branch connectivity.
Applications
5G is making an enormous impact, enabling society to advance in ways that were till recently, not possible. To an extent, the future that has long been suggested by sci-fi movies is beginning to make it’s presence in our day-to-day experiences. Clearly, not only are communities and cities getting smarter but, 5G is making that transition to a more sophisticated and efficient environment, sustainable and permanent. Here are some of the revolutionary changes it has made to transform the world as we have known it,
- Comprehensive system management in autonomous/semi-autonomous vehicle sustenance.
- Real-time data access and management of traffic situations with integrated control systems.
- IoT enablement for increasing productivity, efficiency, and crop selection and optimisation.
- Autonomous and semi-autonomous control over manufacturing processes and lines.
- Autonomous routing of goods through access to real-time data and situations.
- Inventory checking, updation and item tracing in real-time.
- Satellite enabled sensor systems in weather predictions.
- Increased green footprint through efficient, carbon-emissions-reducing smart grids.
- Entertainment like AR/VR by introducing great real-world-like parameters to enhance immersiveness.
- Remote healthcare including patient diagnosis and monitoring.
- More immersive and engaging methods in education.
- Establishment of quick response systems to meet contingencies and emergencies.
- Enablement of drones with greater sophistication to enhance ability and efficiency in utility and quick-response situations.
5G is constantly evolving, as service and usage improves
Advancement of this 5th Generation connectivity technology and the growth of supported applications and services are constantly and surely on the rise. With technologies like IoT, Edge computing, and Cloud-supported infrastructure being increasingly adopted, 5G is trying to keep pace to provide an increasingly connected world. A number of companies are racing to establish 5G as a competitive, viable, and fruitful connectivity technology across the world.
The fifth-generation connectivity standard is creating a huge impact on the way the world connects and communicates. And the number of people experiencing the benefits of 5G over 4G is surely and steadily rising across countries. Keeping pace are phone makers who are keenly pursuing potential users of 5G capable phones. Along with One Plus, Google and others who have already come out with 5G capable mobile phones, Samsung and Apple are recent entrants with the release of their models – iPhone 12 and Galaxy S21.
While the unfolding of usage and applications in the 5G realm haven’t yet revealed the touted high speeds that 5G is theoretically capable of, it is certain, experts opine, that is bound to change. Increasingly, the vast potential of 5G will unravel as networks across the world multiply and more and more uses come under it’s ambit.