Technology

Entering the World of 5G

Welcome to yet another series on an exciting topic in the scope of next-gen tech. Welcome to the world of 5G.

Our world is more connected today than ever before. Our lives are more intertwined today with others than ever before. What makes such interconnectivity possible are the underlying network technologies. In this series of blogs, we shall look at the latest development in such technologies – the 5th Generation network (5G). Hope you enjoy it!

Today, everybody wants speed. Speed in consuming videos, speed in shopping online, speed in communicating with each other, speed in conducting virtual meetings, etc. At the core, what we want is fast mobile data at our fingertips. This journey started with 1G, which allowed users to start short conversations through briefcase-sized phones (compare that to the speedy WhatsApp chats). When mobile services took pace, 2G came along. Then came the wave of mobile phones that could fit in your pockets and allowed you to send short text messages on the go and surf on the internet – that was 3G.

4G was the precursor to smartphones and app stores. But we do not intend to slow down at all. The newest development in mobile networks is the 5G which promises a smarter, safer, and more sustainable future.

What is 5G?

5G refers to the fifth-generation mobile network. With multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity, increased availability, 5G is here to transform how we use the internet.

Compared to the previous generations, it is a unified, more capable interface designed to enable next-generation user experiences, empower new deployment models and deliver new services. It is here to impact every industry and change how we receive and share data. It is predicted that 5G networks will have more than 1.7 billion subscribers worldwide by 2025.

Key Differences between 4G and 5G 

  • Speed:

With the ever-growing number of devices, networks need to perform at greater levels. Therefore, 5G is developed so that it is almost 100 times faster than 4G. With the maximum speed of 10 gigabits per second (Gbps), 5G can deliver the level of performance needed for an increasingly connected society.

  • Operation wavelengths

5G can operate on new frequency spectrum millimeter waves (MM wave) on wavelengths between 30 GHz and 300 GHz, compared to 4G LTE’s wavelengths under 6 GHz.

  • Latency

Better performance with 5G also means a lower latency rate (the delay between sending and receiving information). For 4G, this is 200 milliseconds, not far off the 250 milliseconds it takes for humans to react to visual stimuli. The 5G latency rate is much lower: at just 1 millisecond, which means faster download speeds. While 4G facilitated download speeds of 1 Gbps, 5G aims to increase it tenfold to touch 10 Gbps.

What will 5G make possible?

The impact of 5G shall be seen across industries, sectors, and geographies. From healthcare to manufacturing and education to gaming/entertainment, everything shall become more intelligent, immersive, interactive, and effective. Following are some of the examples:

  • Smarter electricity grids for reducing carbon emissions
  • Increase in connected vehicles sharing data to prevent road collisions
  • Faster deployment of emergency services to accident victims
  • Development of connected sensors that can detect and warn of natural disasters early
  • Remote expertise in the medical field with specialists smoothly consulting/diagnosing patients elsewhere
  • Increased levels of realism in VR, AR, and extended reality (XR) with lighter devices
  • Delivering sensory experiences, such as touch, through devices
  • More engaging methods of teaching and learning through immersive content
  • Immersive virtual meetings to boost remote team productivity, especially useful in work from home
  • Stable and reliable connectivity even in crowded spaces
  • New angles and interactions for live and remote event spectators, giving enhanced user experience

Conclusion

5G is one of the most exciting new technological developments of our age. Its impact shall be far-reaching and directly on our day-to-day lives. It shall also open up new avenues of business and models of delivering services. We at Rucha Yantra are very excited about its adoption. We shall continue in the next blog with some specific applications of 5G. Stay tuned to our Knowledge Corner for regular updates.

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