The 5G connection is the future that has been promised to all mobile device users. It is a concept that refers to the fifth generation of mobile connectivity networks. This new technological advance will bring major changes to our daily lives. In fact, the leap from 4G to 5G connection is going to be very large, so we will all notice it immediately.
The devices that will benefit most from this technology will be smartphones. However, in the first stage, the 5G connection will share networks with the fourth generation. The generational adaptation process will not be instantaneous, as it is expected to be completed sometime in 2020.
Calendar of the fifth mobile generation
As we said, the implementation of 5G will be gradual to avoid errors and adapt the devices. For the time being, we have the following data in relation to the agenda established for this technology.
- First 5G modem. October 18, 2016 Qualcomm announced the first modem capable of supporting 5G networks. Thus, the technology needed to connect to new speeds has been available for two years.
- Approval of the first standard. On December 20, 2017 the 3GPP made the Non-Standalone 5G New Radio specification official. There was finally agreement at the international level on what types of bands and frequencies to use.
- First 5G devices. With the standards defined and the necessary technology in place, the first devices capable of working with 5G will be launched this year. However, these will be prototypes, as the scope of this evolution has not yet been tested.
- Launching of adapted devices. In the course of 2019 the first fully adapted 5G smartphones will start to hit the market. Prices will drop slightly compared to 2018.
- Standardization. The 5G connection is expected to be fully standardized by 2020. It will be from this moment that the prices of 5G devices will start to democratize. In addition, this new technology will work better and the devices will be more stable.
Technical improvements of the 5G connection
We will all notice the 5G technology's emergence on the market. Currently, our phones can run processes almost immediately, but the speed promised by 5G is unparalleled. However, this will not be the only improvement we will notice.
- Speed boost. At the moment, our 4G mobiles are running at an average of 150 Mb/s. If we take a look at the past, in its early days, 3G allowed browsing at 2Mb/s and 2G at 14 Kb/s. These speeds are derisory compared to what is yet to come, considering that 4G technology will reach 20 Gb/s.
- Promotion of the Cloud. This increase in speed will mean that smartphones will need very little time to process operations. As a result, most of them will be executed in the cloud, rather than in the physical memory of the phone. This could lead to a decrease in the local storage of cell phones.
- Higher quality content. The 20 Gb/s to be achieved by the 5G network will allow audiovisual content to be reproduced in the highest resolution. In addition, it will facilitate the broadcasting of streaming or live video, making it possible to do so in 4K HDR. File upload speeds will also improve substantially.
- Reduction of latency. 5G connectivity will virtually do away with latency. The time it takes for the device to execute a command given by the user will be reduced from 40 milliseconds in the case of 4G to 5 ms with this new technology.
Implications for the productive sectors
The integration of this new standard opens up new possibilities. One of the sectors that will be boosted by the 5G connection is the IoT. In this sense, the Internet of Things, based on sensors and remote connectivity, will improve its capabilities. Thus, the time it takes for information from sensors to reach our devices will be much shorter.
However, we will experience a process of adaptation to the new mobile network. According to Intel, in order for 4G to evolve towards 5G, it is necessary to strengthen the intelligence, the communication skills and the processing power. All this will serve to make even the smallest IoT devices capable of performing computationally heavy tasks, thus offering valuable services and content. In addition, 5G is the first standard scalable, versatile and energetically sustainable.
The 5G connection will make it possible to combine programming and communication and provide intelligence to the IoT. An example of these advances is brought to us by industry giants such as Cisco, Intel and Verizon, which are working on the study of neuroscience-based algorithms to adapt video quality to the characteristics of the human eye. Thus, the wireless networks of the future aim to build a network based on human intelligence.
Consequences of the fifth mobile generation
While 5G connectivity will bring us a number of benefits and make our lives easier, it will also have consequences in the marketplace. The more advanced a technology is, the more expensive the raw materials needed to create it tend to become. This is the case for 5G cell phones, whose prices will increase from 100 to 300 euros according to Telefónica's CTO, Enrique Blanco.
We also need to keep data rates in mind. With the increase in download speed and the improvement of file quality, we will consume many more Mb/s. Therefore, it is highly likely that telephone operators will adapt their tariffs to the 5G connection. This may imply a substantial improvement in service, with an increase in data to be exploited. However, it opens the door to more expensive services provided by these operators. This could be justified in part by the large investment required to adapt the infrastructure to the 5G connection.
At Zemsania we are technology and consulting experts for companies and we are committed to technological evolution.
We cannot currently know what new applications of this technology we will be able to enjoy, which is precisely why we can expect any disruptive breakthrough. While speed is a key feature of the 5G connection, intelligence is another key factor. Both aspects will work hand in hand to deliver what, so far, will be the most spectacular mobile technology experience.
While it is too early to speculate, we cannot expect this evolution to come cheap. The reduction of physical memory, the need to use Cloud technology (and possibly new tariffs related to this), the new architecture of devices and the adaptation of infrastructure to implement the 5G connection are just some elements to take into account. New standards bring benefits, but also changes and new investments.