5G: what technologies change with increasing speed

The fifth generation of Wi-Fi (5G) is the latest iteration of cellular technology, designed to dramatically increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks.

With 5G, data transmitted over wireless broadband connections can reach rates of up to 20 Gbps in some estimates – exceeding wired network speeds – and also provide a latency of 1 millisecond or less for uses that require real-time feedback.

Do you know exactly what it is and how 5G works? Have you stopped to think about how this new generation of Wi-Fi will impact your business?

The answers to these questions are what we will show you in this article. Read on!

How 5G will wok

Technically speaking, 5G is the next generation of broadband connection.

In the beginning, the 5G will live side-by-side and will improve the service of the current 4G. But soon your networks must be complete and only independent 5G devices will be available.

With any type of 5G connection, we will see faster network speeds, but the biggest changes will occur when operators have deployed high-frequency millimeter wave technology to exploit radio wavelengths that have been unusable in the past.

Think of 5G divided into two parts – let’s call them “5G low frequency” and “5G high frequency”. Understand:

5G of low frequency

Low-frequency networks will use the same radio bands that current technology uses, but the coding signal changes and wider channel bands will allow speeds up to 50% better than the best 4G LTE available on the market today.

Networks that use these changes may also have the same range as they currently have, which means that no additional cell site is needed to maintain the same coverage area of the network. However, some new equipment will need to be installed on existing sites, and carriers are preparing everything for 5G.

5G of high frequency

The newer – and better – technologies behind 5G are using high-frequency spectrum.

The spectrum available at 28 GHz wavelengths allows very fast and very “wide” channels for the broadband service to communicate. This is because they are not congested and “clogged” by devices that use it today.

What will change in relation to 4G

Four-generation (4G) Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology provides the foundation for 5G.

Unlike 4G, which requires large, high-powered cell towers to radiate signals over long distances, 5G wireless signals will be transmitted through a large number of small cell stations located in places like light poles or building roofs.

The use of multiple small cells is necessary because the millimeter wave spectrum – the spectrum range between 30 GHz and 300 GHz that 5G depends on to generate high speeds – can only travel short distances and is subject to interference from weather and physical conditions.

Previous generations of wireless technology (4G and its predecessors) have used low-frequency spectrum bands. To compensate for the challenges of distance and interference millimetric waves, the industry is also considering the use of lower frequency spectrum for 5G networks, so network operators could use the spectrum they already have to build their new networks on.

The lower frequency spectrum reaches greater distances but has speed and capacity smaller than the millimeter wave.

How 5G promises to change business models

Wireless network operators in the United States, Japan, South Korea, and China were the drivers of 5G. The opinions are varied, but it is expected that between 2019 and 2020 the first services of this technology in Brazil will be started.

The estimate is that network operators will invest billions of dollars in 5G by 2030, according to Technology Business Research Inc. The dilemma, however, is the lack of clarity about the return that this investment should generate for the Telecom corporations that are ahead of the project.

The evolution of use cases and business models that leverage the benefits of 5G could address concerns about carrier revenues.

At the same time, standards bodies and various governments are already working on universal standards for 5G equipment. There is already what we can call a “race for 5G” in terms of preparations to take full advantage of it when it is available to the general public.

In any case, numerous experts already predict that companies of all sizes and in the most varied market segments will have to adapt their business models to positively explore 5G.

Here are some changes that should happen.

Expansion of the limits of mobile technology

5G will enable telecom providers to extend their mobile releases to more people around the world through fixed wireless technologies.

The technology will also expand the limits of the mobile broadband experience, allowing the integration of 3D experiences, holograms, augmented reality and virtual reality into smartphones.

Imagine everything you can do via mobile applications in terms of communication, marketing, sales, and customer relationships. Think about how it will be possible to elevate the consumer experience to another level – and the financial and competitive returns to the business that you know how to take advantage of.

Deployment of the Internet of Things on a massive scale

5G will allow the Internet of Things to be implemented on a truly massive scale. This is thanks to its combination of data transfer speeds and processing power.

This new reality will lead to the emergence of the “industrial internet,” reformulating supply chains and infiltrating so-called “conservative” industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.

Currently, there are around 8.4 billion connected devices in use; by 2020, that number will increase to more than 20 billion.

Some experts point out that the top earliest beneficiaries of the Massive Internet of Things will be in the B2B market as companies use technology to optimize energy use and integrate supply chains.

Improvements to mission-critical services

With gigabit speeds, 5G will become an essential component of mission-critical services that are expected to dramatically improve data security and data protection.

The technology will help drive unmanned cars, remote surgeries, traffic control and other applications across multiple industries that rely on continuous response and data analysis.

For example, Verizon and Ericsson have recently partnered-up. They ran a 5G wireless test at the Indy 500 race in Indianapolis at the end of 2017, testing a 5G car that was able to maintain speeds of 6.4 Gb per second.

Conclusion

In the short term, 5G should benefit companies equal to or even more than consumers. The initial costs of new equipment will be offset by the savings in relation to the maintenance of the current infrastructure. Not to mention what you can do in terms of online business generation, communication, marketing, sales, etc.

Long-term is a different story. The sheer amount of data that can be transferred at high speed means that 5G can do much more than offer quick downloads.

Distance learning, connected devices that work with other connected devices, as well as connected counties and cities, and many other uses that need high bandwidth and low latency, are just a dream today because there is no network that can handle them. The 5G will change all that.

Are you and your company prepared to harness 5G and leverage results with it?

To find out which markets will be immediately impacted by 5G and delve deeper into this subject, download our 5G e-book now: The great leap in connectivity!