What Is 5G? Update

5G is the next generation mobile network that is expected to change the world as we know it by dramatically increasing the data speed.

19:17 26 July 2017

Experts say that it will improve response time, provide enough capacity for the billions of devices that will be connected to the internet of things (IoT) and pave the way for a slew of new exciting technologies. With 5G, users would be able to download a full HD movie in under 10 seconds while the response time will be at 1 millisecond instead of 50 with 4G.

 

However, the world has to wait until 2020 to experience the power of 5G. Currently, the fifth generation of mobile networks is still in the early stages of development and its standards and specifications are yet to be established.  

 

What Is 5G? 

 

The criteria that a network connection should meet in order to quality for 5G are already known and these are the following:

 

 

·       1-10Gbps connections to end points in the field (i.e. not theoretical maximum)

 

·       1 millisecond end-to-end round trip delay (latency)

 

·       1000x bandwidth per unit area

 

·       10-100x number of connected devices

 

·       (Perception of) 99.999% availability

 

·       (Perception of) 100% coverage

 

·       90% reduction in network energy usage

 

·       Up to 10 year battery life for low power, machine-type devices