The Latest News on 5G Technology

The way in which we surf the internet on the move is changing.

18:37 14 January 2022

The introduction of 5G technology – in the pipeline for several years and now finally coming to fruition – is set to increase internet speeds twentyfold in the long run, making it much easier to access and interact with sites via a mobile device.

 

Whether you like to use your mobile to catch up on the latest news, visit an online casino like SuperCasino or stay in touch with friends on social media, 5G could be coming to a telephone mast near you soon. So what’s the latest on this much-anticipated technology? Can we expect to be logging on to a 5G network any time soon?

 

Rapid rollout

 

While uptake of 5G has not been all that impressive so far, countries in Europe are targeting a marked improvement in that record in the coming years. According to Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson, rollout of 5G networks should increase over the next few years so much that it will comprise 55% of all mobile subscriptions in western countries and 27% in eastern nations by 2025, compared to just 1% today.

 

To achieve that target, governments will have to accelerate their current schemes significantly. At the time of writing, little more than 20% of the overall bandwidth across Europe earmarked for 5G has gone to auction, which is far behind the bloc’s targets. However, substantial funding of up to €150 million from the EU’s Green Recovery Fund should help to rectify that problem.

 

Huawei alternatives

 

After the US decreed that it would not share “sensitive” information with any country who included Huawei hardware in its 5G infrastructure, European countries have been scrambling to find alternatives. Huawei’s ties to the Chinese Communist Party have raised concerns over cybersecurity and led to the firm being blackballed by many governments around the world.

 

In one example, the UK initially ploughed a cautious furrow with regard to the situation, stating that it would cap Huawei involvement in its infrastructure at a maximum of 35%. However, it has since imposed an outright ban on the equipment, signing a contract with Ericsson to ensure it does not become overly reliant on the other main telecoms infrastructure provider in the country, Nokia.

 

Public scepticism still an issue

 

Although the tide does appear to be turning with regard to the public perception of 5G, scepticism about its safety is still prevalent in some segments of society. There have been all sorts of conspiracy theories cropping up over the dangers of the technology, from its ability to infect the population with unknown medical ailments to its harmful effects on wildlife.

 

These theories have been readily disproved and dismissed by the scientific community, though that hasn’t prevented some disgruntled individuals from causing damage to existing 5G masts in England, France and elsewhere. However, education surrounding the subject does seem to be finally hitting home, with a significant majority of respondents to recent polls indicating that they found the idea of 5G far more appealing and attractive than 4G.