5G-The Future

 

The future depends upon connectivity. From artificial intelligence and self-driving cars to telemedicine and mixed reality, augmented reality to as yet undreamt technologies, all the things we hope will make our lives easier, safer, and healthier will require high-speed, always-on internet connections.

To keep up with the explosion of new connected gadgets and vehicles, not to mention the deluge of streaming video, the mobile industry has introduced something called 5G—so named because it's the fifth generation of wireless networking technology.

                                            Key comparison between 4G and 5G

The promise is that 5G will bring speeds of around 10 gigabits per second to your phone. That's more than 600 times faster than the typical 4G speeds on today’s mobile phones, and 10 times faster than Google Fiber's standard home broadband service—fast enough to download a 4K high-definition movie in 25 seconds, or to stream several at the same time.Eventually anyway while US carriers have introduced 5G networks in dozens of cities, the first ones aren’t nearly that fast.

At first many carriers began rolling out 5G by building atop their 4G or LTE networks, which produced lots of connectivity, but not at the speeds most associated with 5G

The Race for 5G Dominance

The US has been keen to claim a leadership role in worldwide 5G deployment, but so far it hasn’t fully succeeded. China-based Huawei is the world’s leading maker of 5G network equipment, and while its equipment is deployed widely, the company has faced scrutiny from western nations for its alleged ties to the Chinese government. The Trump administration is intent on keeping Huawei technology out of American networks, and earlier this year the US Department of Justice accused the company of conspiring to steal American trade secrets.

The Future of 5G

Now, after years of promises and years of waiting, 5G is finally arriving in consumers’ pockets. The US Federal Communications Commission has held several auctions for 5G spectrum. In August the Trump administration said it will sell off more sections of the mid-band spectrum to spur 5G adoption.