The major U.S. carriers have been offering 5G services and they are continually expanding their coverage. But, what is 5G, and what can we expect from this new technology? Read on to find out.
The Basics
5G is the representation of the fifth generation of telecommunication technology that offers massive increases in internet speeds and better power efficiency. A great benefit of 5G services is that the lag between user input and network response, called latency, is greatly reduced.
How It Works
5G services operate on a broad spectrum of microwave frequencies ranging from 600MHz to 100Ghz. Using wavelengths that overlap 4G frequencies allows carriers to piggyback on existing infrastructure to expand 5G coverage. Three bands of 5G services exist depending on the frequencies they use. These include:
- Low band – This band can allow transmission of data at six to seven times the speed of current 4G internet using frequencies below 1GHz. Allowing for maximum coverage, this is the most commonly seen band of 5G service available today.
- Mid-band – Also known as sub-6GHz, mid-band 5G operates on frequencies between 2GHz and 6GHz. While these services offer higher speeds than low-band, they are significantly slower than high-band.
- High-band– While high-band services allow for the highest internet speeds, they aren’t capable of extensive coverage, and so they require multiple antennae within short distances.
Availability
Though the major carriers are racing to provide nationwide 5G coverage, their services vary. While internet speeds could be blazingly fast in big cities, speeds could be considerably slower in rural areas.
Devices
A 5G enabled equipment is required to utilize 5G services. New devices that are 5G enabled include modems that are capable of processing information at very high speeds. With the increase in its popularity, several smartphone manufacturers are now producing 5G enabled handsets.
Benefits
With blazingly fast internet speeds and extremely low latency, 5G services could have many daily applications that include:
- Home broadband solutions
- Networks for autonomous cars to communicate with each other
- Remote surgery
- Remote monitoring of public infrastructure
- Cloud networking
- Cloud-based storage
- Realtime media broadcasts
With 5G services slated to be the technology of the future, adapting to it can ensure that you’re not left behind.
