How Fast is 5G?

5G, the next generation cellular network, is expected to be launched by 2020.

18:51 12 September 2017

However, as early as now, it is expected to transform the mobile landscape with blazing fast speeds. The minimum expectation for commercial 5G services is ten times faster than 4G.

 

Early tests are remarkably promising, yielding results that make current broadband speeds look sluggish in comparison. According to the Next Generation Mobile Networks alliance, for a mobile technology to be considered 5G, it must be able to offer around 10Gbps download speeds, which is up to 1,000 times faster than 4G. With this speed, users will be able to download an entire HD movie in less than a second.

 

Some sources, such as The Korean Times and Nokia, said that 5G networks could be even faster and can transmit data at up to 20Gbps, allowing users to stream 8K video in 3D over 5G.   

 

Some of the biggest players, including Verizon, have already conducted numerous 5G trials and have successfully achieved download speeds that are up to 50 times faster than 4G, which enables users to download a full movie in less than 15 seconds. The 5G Innovation Centre has recently achieved even higher speeds in test environments of around 1 terabit per second.