The entire world is so hyped up about it, but almost no one exactly knows what is 5G. The broadband speed and bandwidth has been on a steady increase from the early 2000s.
But it is nothing compared to the technology which is about to emerge. The 4G has only teased what 5G is capable of. 5G is already on the rise in various parts of the world.
Cellphone manufacturers are starting to build mobiles that are compatible with 5G.
To put it in simple terms, 5G could give us internet speeds like never before. But like any new technology, it also needs a lot of time to mature.
Is 5G All About Speed?
Certainly Not! Implementing 5G could provide network speeds of more than 1 GB per second. This is 10 to 100 folds more than what your current broadband connection is capable of.
For you to understand better, let us use an example. If the condition is ideal, 5G would allow you to download the entire Television series in mere seconds.
But the good news doesn’t end there. Every time you click on a website link while you’re browsing, the page takes a considerable amount of time to load (20 ms).
With 5G, you will experience almost little to no latency (1 ms). This could allow a surgeon, to perform an operation half-way across the world using robotic arms.
Would It Be Expensive?
Just because 5G is completely new to the market, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it would be expensive.
When LTE was first introduced, users didn’t really have to pay an expensive fee. You might have to buy a new device that supports 5G.
But apart from this, your 5G plan would just cost you a few more bucks higher than your current plan. There are very few companies that currently support 5G such as Verizon and AT&T.
They asked their customers to upgrade their plans which cost them just $10 extra. When more users start using the network, its cost would go down further.
Understand How It Works
In order for you to know what is 5G, you have to understand how it works. You have to assume 5G like a blown up wi-fi hotspot.
Targeting the usage of the super high-frequency spectrum is the key to implement 5G networks. This could offer you incredible high speeds for a very short range.
Most companies are trying to overcome this short-range barrier that 5G networks have. Increasing the range might reduce the speed at which the network operates.
But even if the speed of a 5G network gets reduced, you would still experience a respectable boost in speed from the current LTE networks we use.
The Drawbacks
Now that we know what is 5G, let us discuss some of its drawbacks. One major drawback of any 5G network is its range.
The range could further go down when trees and buildings interfere in the spectrum. But this isn’t what most people care about.
There is a popular opinion that 5G cellular networks could have a damaging effect on your body which might lead to cancer. But there are no definitive experimental proofs to either deny or support this allegation.
There is no doubt that 5G uses super-high frequencies but according to science it still falls under the category which has no effect over humans.
Conclusion
Like any new technology, 5G is not perfect and it won’t be for a long time. But it has a huge potential to remove any barriers which we currently have on real-time data processing.
5G could help self-driving cars communicate with each other thanks to the extremely low latency. It is understandable that people worry about health risks.
WHO lists cellular radiations under carcinogens but several fruits and vegetables also have their place in the list. 5G would get better over time and it is here to stay.
