5G and How it Will Change the Way We Communicate

Communication technology has always been progressing to keep up with our desire for global interconnection.

11:40 30 July 2020

Since the invention of the telephone and the later inception of the internet, the need for, and the innovation in communications technology has only picked up the pace, with more people looking for a service that will provide instant connection to the internet across the globe.

 

With high connection speed and load capacity being at the forefront of customer needs in communications technology, it was only a matter of time before the existing 4G networks needed to be updated.

 

With 5G on the horizon, we'll be looking a few ways in which this new significant advancement in telecommunications technology will change how we communicate.

 

Greater Connection Speed

 

The most apparent benefit of the new 5G networks is the increased connection speed. Low rate of connection and large gaps in coverage are the two major complaints brought against the current 4G network.

 

With 5G able to send information much faster and with lower latency, customers will access the information they need far more rapidly and download it without a perceptibly long wait time.

 

A Better Internet of Things

 

The Internet of Things often referred to as IoT, is the combination of digital communications capacity with real-world sensors. Things like Alexa, Google Home, and the Hive smart thermostat are well-known examples of IoT devices, enabling users to take advantage of the vast amount of information stored on the internet to change their living environment.

 

The issue with IoT is that it uses up a lot of bandwidth. Having multiple smart speakers, a smart thermostat, smart TVs, and even intelligent coffee machines connected to a single wireless router eats up a lot of data capacity.

 

A slower network means that each part of a smart home network struggles to access the information it needs. This, in turn, degrades the usefulness of each device and the system as a whole.

 

Since it promises incredible speeds and low-latency connectivity, 5G can allow for a full smart household set up to run off a single wireless connection, as you might see in a standard home, without slowing Wi-Fi connection to a crawl.

 

Faster Mobile Gaming

 

By the end of 2020, it is estimated that there will be 3.8 billion smartphone users worldwide. This massive number has led to mobile gaming overtaking console and PC gaming as the most significant section of the gaming market.

 

One of the notable draws of mobile gaming is its accessibility. Most of us carry around a mobile phone with us at all times, and, unlike a gaming PC or gaming console, there aren't inbuilt barriers, such as cost or portability.

 

The increased connection speed and coverage that 5G has the potential to offer can only increase the attractiveness of mobile gaming, allowing players to play everything from first-person shooters to mobile blackjack games without the worry of losing connection, regardless of their location.

 

Greater Network Capacity

 

With home broadband and smartphone user numbers continuing to climb, many telecommunications companies are running out of 4G Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network capacity.

 

This means that local networks, especially in urban areas, are reaching the maximum number of clients they can provide connectivity for.

 

5G networks have a much higher capacity, meaning they can provide a reliable connection for more extensive urban communication systems without coming up against this capacity limit issue.

 

Autonomous Vehicles

 

Autonomous vehicles have become something of a hot button issue in recent years. As the technologies that use them mature, the reality of self-driving cars is becoming more and more possible, and many are still undecided about their use.

 

What is undeniable, however, is that for any network of autonomous vehicles to work, they need to have an instantaneous, reliable connection to a wireless network. With 4G networks struggling to provide reliable smartphone connectivity across some larger urban areas, it's reasonably clear that our current wireless network isn't up to the task.

 

With its faster connection speeds and higher capacity, 5G represents a vital facet in the potential future use of autonomous vehicles. However, we will still have to wait a couple of years to see major autonomous vehicle project to come to fruition.