A Gist of the New 5G Network
5G is a next-generation wireless network technology that's expected to change the way people live and work. The 5G networks will have even faster speeds with latency down to between 1-10 milliseconds. Latency is the time a device takes to communicate with the network, which stands at an average of up to 50 milliseconds for 4G networks.
The first generation of network allowed only mobile voice calls to be made, while the second generation allowed mobile voice calls as well as sending of short text messages. It was the third generation or 3G network which allowed web browsing on mobile devices. The speed and latency of the same were improved with current fourth-generation or 4G networks.
In other words, It will be faster and will enable a wave of new kinds of tech products. A government panel report points out that with 5G, the peak network data speed is expected to be in the range of 2-20 gigabit per second (Gbps). This is in contrast to 4G link speed averaging 6-7 megabit per second (Mbps) in India as compared to 25 Mbps in advanced countries. This means that you can download 4k movies in seconds with 5G enabled devices.
Having missed the bus for early adoption of the latest technologies in the past, India- one of the fastest-growing telecom in the world is pushing for a timely rollout of 5G technology in the country.
The Indian government is aiming to commercially introduce 5G services in the country by the end of 2020, almost in line with the rest of the world. Globally, over 150 pre-commercial trials are underway, including South Korea, China, and U.S. However, 5G trials are yet to begin in India. The good news here is Jio is said to have a complete end-to-end 5G solution prepared by the company itself that is ready for deployment once the networks are in place.
Read more about how Reliance Jio is leading the digital revolution in India.
How Does 5G work?
All 5G networks chiefly operate on three spectrum bands. The Low-band spectrum has been proven to have great coverage and works well even in underground conditions. However, The maximum speed limit on this band is 100 Mbps.
In Mid-band Spectrum, though the speed is higher, telcos all around the world have registered limitations when it comes to the coverage area and penetration of telephone signals into the buildings. We can expect peak speeds up to 1Gbps on the mid-band spectrum.
The high-band spectrum often refers to as mmWave, is what delivers the highest performance for 5G. But it does come with some shortcomings. The high band spectrum can offer peak speeds up to 10 Gbps and has extremely low latency. The main drawback of high-band is that it has low coverage area and building penetration is poor. That means to create an effective high-band network, you'll need a ton of cells.Wondering what advantages 5G has over 4G? Well, there is more than one!
1. Improved Broadband
The shift to 5G will undoubtedly change the way we interact with technology on a day to day basis, but it's also an absolute necessity if we want to continue using mobile broadband.
Carriers are running out of LTE capacity in many major metropolitan areas. In some cities, users are already experiencing slowdown during a busy time of the day. 5G will add a huge amount of spectrum in bands that haven't been used for commercial broadband traffic. The user experience will be enriched for sure.
2.Autonomous Vehicles
In the future, with the help of 5G, your vehicle will communicate with other vehicles on the road, provide information to other cars about road connections, and offer performance information to drivers and automakers. This can prevent road accidents and can ultimately save thousands of lives. Read more about the Autonomous Car Technology
3. Public safety and Infrastructure
5G will allow cities and other municipalities to operate more efficiently. Utility companies will be able to easily track remotely, sensors can notify the public works department when drains flood or streetlights go out, and municipalities will be able to quickly and inexpensively install surveillance cameras. Life will somewhat be like what we see in sci-fi movies.
4. Remote Device Control
Since 5G has remarkable low latency, remote control of heavy machinery will become a reality. While the primary aim is to reduce risk in hazardous environments, it will also allow technicians with specialized skills to control machinery from anywhere in the world. This will make various manufacturing processes easier.
5. Improved Health Care
The ultra-reliable low latency communication (URRLC) component of 5G could fundamentally change health care. Since URRLC reduces 5G latency even further than what you'll see with enhanced mobile broadband, a world of new possibilities opens up. We can expect to see improvement in telemedicine, remote recovery, and physical therapy via AR, precision surgery, and even remote surgery in the coming years. This will serve as a great gift to humanity if utilized the right way.
6. IoT
One of the most exciting and crucial aspects of 5G is its effect on the Internet of Things or IoT. While we currently have sensors that can communicate with each other, they tend to require a lot of resources and are quickly depleting LTE data capacity.
With 5G speeds and low latencies, the IoT will be powered by communications among sensors and smart devices. Compared to current smart devices on the market, MTC devices will require fewer resources, since huge numbers of devices can connect to a single base station, making them much more efficient.
What 5g Phones Are Available, and Should You Buy One?
Although 5G will undoubtedly change the way we interact with each other and consume media, the change won't happen overnight. It will take at least a few years before 5G is up and running smoothly in India. Because of that, I would not recommend buying a phone because it has 5G. Rather, if you like a phone for another reason and it happens to support 5G, then it will be an added bonus. Here is the list of 5G phones available as of now.
Written By - Siddharth Shankar
Edited By - Neha Kundu
Social