5G Mobile Wireless System

What exactly is 5G and when is it coming to the UK?

19:44 01 August 2017

5G stands for “fifth generation” of mobile wireless systems. Telecom companies are heavily investing into overhauling wireless broadband to pave the way for infrastructures that will support this network. But why? 

 

Based on research, the coming years will see an explosion in the number of connected devices, from watches to fridges. It has been predicted that there will be about 21 billion of connected devices by 2020. 4G network is simply not able to support such level of activity.

 

To meet this demand, it is crucial for 5G to be extremely faster when compared to 4G LTE. At the maximum, the current system allows around one gigabit per second of data transfer, which 5G is expected to increase to 10 gigabits per second. This means that a full HD movie can be downloaded in just a mater of seconds and that streaming 4K video and VR content will become more commonplace.

 

Tests for 5G have already begun in limited locations. It is being trialed by Verizon in New Jersey, Oregon and Texas. In South Korea, 5G trials in the 2018 Winter Olympic is being planned by mobile operator KT. China is likewise testing the technology, as are a number of firms in Europe. 5G is expected to be rolled out starting 2020.