Already starting to look beyond 4G, 5G promises significantly more in various ways. We are expecting to see it becoming popular in 2018.
The “Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance” has been tasked with defining the following requirements for the 5G wireless protocol:
- GB per second to be offered simultaneously to connected users
- Data rates of several megabits per second should be supported for potentially tens of thousands of users.
- Several hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections to be supported for local deployments in cities/suburbs.
- Coverage should be improved; spectral and signaling efficiency should be significantly enhanced compared to 4G.
- Network latency should be reduced significantly compared to 4G.
Improvements like this should even enable mobile “virtual reality” internet experiences; likewise our servers will be upgraded, when available, to serve even more and more data upon demand.
People involved in the wireless industry are talking about 5G nowadays. It is not quite yet just around the corner, but we at 4GoodHosting like to keep in mind such views into the future.
“New experiences like virtual reality, self-driving cars, robotics, smart cities and more are about to test networks like never before. 5G will help make them a reality. “, AT&T said in a recent press release.
5G is the current attempt at wireless network speeds approximately “100 times faster” than current [average] wireless technology. The speed goals will perhaps even exceed speeds “Google Fiber” is offering as is currently being made available in selected areas of the US. 5G’s promises of incredible speed and responsiveness has technology professionals and the consumer market buzzing with this topic more and more each week/month.
Qualcomm, a long-time leader in wireless networking chips, announced “5G will take it to the next level – bringing ubiquitous connectivity to and from all sorts of devices.”
2 hours of HD video would zip to your mobile receiver in approximately 20 seconds,instead of about 6 minutes it takes via optimized 4G networks today.
Let’s get into some of the other experiences you will have and things you’ll be able to do from your ISPs that begin to offer it.
More realistic video conferencing:
The way we communicate will become increasingly more visual by the way of HD and ultra-HD video; with resolution perhaps so crisp that if you are wearing virtual reality goggles, it might be like you are standing next to someone. Imagine band rehearsals with each band member in their own homes. That idea seems simple enough, but today’s internet does not yet offer ultra-precise real-time communications; there is always a disruptive lag; which can cause certain network scenarios to not yet be possible.
Thanks to the 5G’s new (negligible) lag times, you’ll be able to game and conference better by accelerating past today’s network bottlenecks.
Big screen theatre data speeds:
Movie theaters will become more like novelties of the past, with 5G connection speeds together home HD projection systems with surround sound surely to become commonplace. Just use your imagination, it you can image it, it will likely be made possible.
Computer-driven vehicles:
With 5G, cars talking to roadside beacons with updated road information, or perhaps controllers at a road intersections, or between enabled cars will be able to respond lighting fast; which will increase safety of such systems.
5G’s current technical challenges
5G depends also on availability of certain parts of the radio spectrum. 5G requires higher-frequency spectrum than 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. Higher speeds offer a fatter pipe but also inversely have a more limited range. Also higher frequencies don’t penetrate walls as well as lower frequencies. That calls for a higher densities of cell-site ‘base stations’, on more artificial trees, rooftops, and (most probably) street lamps; as physical obstructions can reduce the strength of the signal.
Going through windows is likely to be fine, but reaching through 2 or 3 walls is one of the current challenges.
A solution is to offer a transponder in the building, which is angled so it has a line of sight to the base station, making up for a wall the signal would also have to go through and increasing local signal strength, allowing a large office building’s deep interior to be penetrable in and out.
