What is the buzz about 5G?
By now, you’ve certainly heard mention of 5G technology. The purpose of this Tech Corner will be a mini session on what 5G is, and the type of advancements that it enables. It will give you a better understanding of the technology when you hear the “buzz” about 5G.
Let’s begin with, what 5G technology is?
5G, also known as 5 Gigahertz, is a technology advancement beyond existing 4G (LTE) technology that most cellular and mobile networks are running. It has a larger bandwidth (capacity) for communication that is able to handle more connected devices, reduce latency (delays), and produce greater output speeds. The advancements in this technology are meant to transform technology for consumers, businesses, infrastructure, and defense industries.
Why do people want 5G Technology?
The majority of the buzz around 5G technology has to do with speed itself, of course. Society and consumers have always wanted bigger, better, and faster. Elimination of dead-spot areas, faster speeds, enablement of increase in “smart” capable devices, advancements in healthcare technology, and enhancements to self-driving vehicles.
5G signals require the usage and build out of new radio frequencies that are not currently in utilization. Ultimately, a time consuming build out that requires being rolled out city by city. Hence why you’ve probably heard much about 5G, but have not seen the enablement of it across the nation. Carriers that will begin utilizing 5G networks will need to install small cell-sites city and nationwide that will enable the passage of the signal from point to point.
Along with every technological advancement, comes drawbacks, concerns of safety, and worries of health risks. 5G networks, as you’ve learned, will be utilized across healthcare systems, defense industries, consumer, business, self-driving vehicles, data networks, etc. It’s definitely a technology to spend some more time understanding and learning about, because as every cell provider advertises, “5G is coming”.
