What the heck is 5G?
This is the technology surrounding the so-called 5th generation of mobile connectivity.
Why should I care?
This is important as 5G should offer speeds up to 100 times faster than current mobile networks.
So this means you could potentially download a full-length HD movie in a matter of seconds through your phone. Bonkers.
With virtual reality, AI and IoT applications becoming even more bandwidth needy, this is a big deal. The landscape will change for app & game developers, home automation and numerous other industries.
Will I be able to ditch my home broadband?
Well potentially yes. It will depend on prices and availability. Personally I have one choice of Internet provider in my apartment and I would love dearly to never speak to Time Warner Cable / Spectrum support again. My Internet connection goes down once a week for a few hours and its pretty annoying. There’s not much I can do about that and thats not a market economy. This may be an opportunity for some alternatives to appear outside of the main cable and cell phone providers. One can dream.
Give us some 5G then!
Well it’s not ready yet, here’s why:
Radio spectrum
Organisation’s working with 5G are pushing for a further widening of the legally available spectrum, which would let companies shift wireless traffic to less-crowded, higher-frequency ranges. Those spectrum bands would enable the use of millimeter waves that could deliver the speeds we need.
Antenna designs
New antenna designs are also essential for our mobile devices to send and receive signals in higher-frequency ranges. Antenna size is inversely proportional to frequency size — higher-frequency signals equals smaller antennas.
Small cells
Success will depend on the spread of portable cellular base stations called small cells. These are used to boost cell tower signals, creating better coverage indoors and in remote areas. Small cells will make it possible for millimeter waves, which are blocked by buildings and foliage to have a transmission range measured in meters rather than kilometers by relaying signal between them.
How far is this away?
Looks to be 3–4 years out in the US.
