What You Need to Know About 5G in 2020

Benefits of 5G wireless technology

You probably know that 5G will deliver significantly faster data speed. But that’s only scratching the surface.

Let’s take a look at some of the exciting performance targets you can expect to see.

• Faster transmission speed: Expect to reach an average download speed of 15 to 20 Gbps. For comparison, 4G has a maximum real-world download speed of 100Mbps. With 5G you can access files, programs, and websites much faster without waiting. On top of this, we’ll be relying more on the cloud to access data.
  What does this mean? Devices (smartphones, computers, tablets etc.) won’t require as much internal memory and processing power to perform remote tasks (i.e. access web-enabled software).
  As a result, this could increase the lifespan of 5G-ready devices, as people won’t need to upgrade as often to enjoy the best performance.

• Lower latency: Latency is the time it takes for a device to respond to given action. With 5G, latency times are estimated to be reduced by 10 times compared to 4G.
  This means 5G users will be able to perform more remote actions in real-time with greater accuracy and precision. In fact, Chinese hospitals have already used 5G technology to perform remote surgery from thousands of miles away.
  

• Improved device connectivity and density: Using 5G, the number of devices that can connect with each other will increase. As previously stated, the bandwidth capacity for LTE is reaching its limit. This is mostly due to the limitations of LTE itself, but also the adoption of IoT (Internet of Things) aka smart-enabled devices in homes and businesses (smart lighting, power outlets, speakers etc).
  Switching to 5G will make bandwidth capacity a problem of the past. Also, 5G is also being touted as paving the way forward for autonomous cars, where vehicles can communicate with each other to share vital information. For example, an autonomous car could predict when the car ahead brakes, and then brake for you to avoid impact.

It’s worth noting that these targets were set by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnerships Project), a global network of telecommunication standards organisations. As a result, you can be confident these targets are honest and realistic, and that they serve as an accurate representation of what real-world performance could be like.

The Downside of 5G

While the increased transmission speed and seamless device interconnectivity of 5G have the potential to change the way we communicate, there are a few challenges ahead that – possibly – could slow down or inhibit our ability to harness 5G to its full potential.

Some of the biggest concerns now with 5G include:

• Old devices will eventually need to be replaced
  As the years pass and 5G becomes more widely available, non-5G compatible devices will soon need to be replaced. This could lead to some people being forced to upgrade sooner than they would like to.

• Battery overheating
  Phones running 5G will experience faster draining batteries than other devices. This means new devices will need to have more sophisticated batteries if they are to competently run 5G all day on a single charge.

• Limited coverage
  As previously stated, 5G is gradually being rolled out around the world. Although, while this is great for people living in major metropolitan cities, those living in remote areas will likely have to wait longer. This is an unfortunate truth, as carriers are more likely to invest in 5G infrastructure first in areas where customer numbers are highest.