The next giant leap in wireless technology is on pace to arrive next year. 5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology, and field tests have indicated that it will deliver greatly enhanced speed, coverage and responsiveness for wireless networks. It\u2019s been estimated that 5G network service will provide speeds 10 to 100 times greater than what we currently experience with 4G LTE.<\/p>\n
When describing cellular networks, you\u2019ll commonly hear the terms 3G, 4G, and LTE. This new terminology, \u201c5G,\u201d simply refers to the fifth generation, meaning it is the next and newest mobile wireless standard being developed under recognized international guidelines. A new mobile generation has appeared about every 10 years since the first \u201c1G\u201d system was introduced in 1982.<\/p>\n
Smartphone apps and features like email, GPS, video streaming and Internet browsing rely on sending and receiving data across a cellular provider\u2019s network. Each successive generation has managed to significantly increase the speed by which this happens, and the latest 5G tests have delivered the fastest responses yet\u2014even faster than anything you can get with a physical fiber-optic cable into your house. To put that into perspective, that means that with 5G, you’d be able to download a season’s worth of your favorite streaming program in seconds!<\/p>\n
But it isn\u2019t all about speed. 5G has been referred to as a \u201cfoundational technology\u201d that will provide a viable platform for marvels like self-driving cars, virtual and augmented reality, and even medical services like remote surgery. The responsiveness of 5G is critical for things like playing an intense video game in virtual reality, or for a surgeon in San Francisco to control a pair of robotic arms performing a procedure in New York. That\u2019s because the speed of 5G will provide a virtually lag-free connection<\/p>\n
But this doesn\u2019t mean you need to rush out to buy that first 5G smartphone just yet. 5G network service won’t be widely available until 2020 or beyond. Wireless providers are still testing and rolling it out slowly in select markets. While some 5G smartphones are expected to come out this year, the access they have to utilize the technology will be fairly limited.<\/p>\n