The Next Wave Of Wireless Communication: 5G
The next big thing is almost here. No like really, it’s being applied in subtle ways we know clearly not of. Watch the video link “THE 5G SCOPE” on the front cover of these series for an intro to 5G in Canada.
This series is dedicated to my fellow Canadians as well as citizens of this planet.
A sweet memo of 5G.
Do you remember those old Nokia phones that you could throw at a wall and they would not even have a single scratch on them? Well, imagine that strength present in wireless communications. Imagine that strength driving your internet pages to download five times faster than before. Depending on the latency of the wifi/Internet connection you use OR the newest cellular data format that you utilize (5G).
This newest cellular data format has download and upload speeds truly exhibit that invisible strength. So, I am here to let you know that the strength exists in different mediums, in this case, it is the next generation of wireless communications known as 5G.
So how does this exciting yet complex system work??? let’s break this down. So we all are aware of the current form of wireless communication which is Fourth-generation (4G) LTE (Long-Term Evolution). 4G LTE is the foundation for 5G to build upon. What makes 5G lucrative is that it does not require power cell towers to radiate signals over long distance. The process is spread out through a substantial amount of small cell stations located in places such as light poles or building roofs.
Why does this new era of wireless communication require SO many small cells? well because 5G relies on a band of spectrum that generates high speeds up to 30 GHz and 300 GHz. This kind of wireless communication can only occur at short distances because it is prone to interference from weather, building obstructions, physical barriers etc.
So I have made clear to you what this so-called 5G Technology is and a small preview into its mass functionality.
As always, I do want to leave my readers with a small gift at the end of each article. Below you will find an image that highlights the amazing features of 5G. please do feel free to comment and interact with the article as such! I hope you learned something new about 5G today and if not stay tuned for the next article in these series.
5G. Let’s Begin Shall We?
This is just the beginning. The Basics.
What do I even mean by “the basics”? this means the starter kit to 5G.
5G means is the next-generation standard for wireless communication and will take over the cellular technology industry for years to come. This new generation of wireless communication delivers heightened volume, lower latency, and faster speeds.
5G exceeds current network speeds by a very big margin. What this information translates to in broader terms is a higher amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to more available bandwidth and advanced antenna technology
Sound’s cool right? well, let me tell you something that’ll shock you about how 5G works, Travel rates as high as 10 GBPS (Gigabytes Per Second) by some estimates — exceeding wireless network speeds. The amount of data that is transmitted over wireless systems will increase due to advanced antenna technology as well.
You may be thinking that this is only related to your mobile phone and that is where the service capacity ends, however, we must understand that 5G is more than that. The newest form of wireless communication will also produce management features such as network slicing, which allows mobile operators to create multiple virtual networks within a single physical 5G network. This is useful for business cases to deploy 5G as a service on a need basis. We all have heard of cars that will drive themselves but did you ever think about the medium through which autonomous vehicles would be driven? an example of this can be a self-driving car using 5G networks to offer low-latency connections so a vehicle could navigate in real time and this is why deployment of 5G equipment across routes will be very important. Not only does 5G have commercial applications it also has home applications. For example, a home appliance that is connected to a lower and slower connection because it does not require high-performance internet can be operated with an app on your phone as 5G networks cater to that as well.
What is so different from 5G and the previous versions of Wireless Technologies? Well, lower-frequency bands of spectrum. I know, Its confusing, but in short it means that there are lesser amounts of data transmitted over networks and thus lower loading speeds with older versions of wireless networks.
The only barrier to 5G that can possibly be seen is the problem of millimeter waves. Millimeter waves are the frequency at which wireless technology is transmitted over and in the past, all 4G and 3G networks have utilized that and in doing so can manifest transmission of data over long distances. 5G, however, has a higher data emission and thus can be transmitted over short distances.
Not to fear though, such a barrier is already being resolved as we speak. LTE Advanced Pro is the foundation for 5G and it is going to partner with 5G based high-frequency waves to provide coverage. This is called spectrum sharing across different frequencies of wireless communication. LTE advanced pro is another name for 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project).
Companies such as Rogers in Canada have already tested this form of technology out in the public however they have not yet made it commercially available yet. 5G is available at military level application due to its high utility use however it is meant to become publicly available in 2019. Be on the lookout for that.
As you all know I am fond of leaving treats at the end of all my articles. I just cannot leave my viewers without something to work on or think about. So story time, there are tests on the 5G application being done via DRONES. Now keep in mind drones are used to carry 5G equipment to required areas for a reason. That reason I shall unveil in the next article but for now enjoy this business idea that you could put into place. Contact me personally for any business advice, I would love to help you guide you further resources as per request. My contact is present in the caption below.
So Where Are We In Terms of 5G Application?
The Bits and Pieces, All Coming Together.
5G wireless operators are currently operating within four countries only. United States, Japan, South Korea, and China. These countries hold the infrastructure and the resources to fund projects related to 5G implementation. What’s the cost of that? Well, billions of dollars by the year 2030.
5G wireless equipment standards are almost complete and the first 5G compliant smartphones and associated wireless devices commercially available in 2019. Use cases of 5G will emerge from 2020 to 2025. By 2030, 5G services will become mainstream and are expected to range from the delivery of virtual reality (VR).
Before I move onto the specifics I want everyone to understand the underlying principles of 5G. This form of wireless communication is meant to be a transition and not a replacement for 4G/LTE (Long Term Evolution). 5G is meant to give 4G a boost. A transformation, you could say 4G to 5G is like going from Saiyan to Super Saiyan 3 (couldn’t resist that).
Let me explain through a series of timeline images that exhibit details of 5G evolution in the markets. These timeline exhibits are courtesy of Technology Business Research.
The first graph looks at the dates that signify important dates. In December 2017, the first implementation of 5G FWA (Fixed Wireless Access) took place. FWA is a way of providing internet service through wireless mobile network technology rather than the old method of providing internet, which was through lines. This is not a new implementation it has been done on 4G as well, but here it is now being done on 5G.
I mentioned latency as part of wireless communications technology. The latency is what determines the speed of the internet pages to load and in the case of 5G, there will be a considerable reduction of latency. That means you get to surf the internet on Wireless Internet strength. The devices that will be utilized on a mass scale for 5G wireless communications are smartphones. In the first half of 2019, we are going to see smartphones that are compatible with this new form of wireless technology. We have already seen manufacturers like Huawei showcasing smartphones that are 5G ready.
I want you to notice how I mentioned the first implementation of 5G FWA and the devices that are compatible with 5G align with one another. The importance of software meeting hardware comes from how well 5G is compatible with devices.
The adoption curve in the Market Landscape image is very important to understand because by the end of 2024 there will be full adoption and from that point onwards we will see a declining trend in the 5G market due to oversaturation over time.
Overtime 5G’s application is being used towards three programs. Mobile Networks, Smart City Implementation as well as Autonomous Vehicle Integration into society.
So what does it cost to implement 5G into the community? $30 Billion Dollars to be exact. A whopping sum, which if you think about it is not a lot considering the given timeline and the number of projects that have to be implemented. The continuum graph will give you an idea of the sum that is being demanded by this worldwide application.
Apart from the progress of where we are in this implementation of this project, we need to know what 5G services will be available to the average consumer. 5G fixed wireless broadband services (FWA)is a form of wireless broadband that enables the establishment of quick and cheap broadband service even in areas that do not have ready access to fixed line home broadband. 5G FWA does not require any engineering works at the customer end-just the provision of so-called Customer Premise Equipment (CPE’s that can be self-installed by the subscriber. 5G FWA is expected to have a huge impact even in developed markets like the US, where there is a sizeable disparity in broadband accessibility between major cities and sparsely populated rural areas.
An example of a practical 5G implementation happened in July at the University of Sussex collaborated with Plum to conduct a practical 5G test with clear ramifications for FWA. These tests operated in the recently auctioned 3.5GHz band and modeled the complicated ways in which 5G signals will interact with buildings and trees. Despite these conditions, the test recorded data speeds that were as much as 100 times faster than normal broadband. Just a side note although this example mentions a United Kingdom example does not mean the UK has become 5G ready they are still in the process of carrying out practical tests for their populous.
Current day example is how the United States has regained global leadership in 5G readiness, putting it on par with China. By the way, China is the biggest competition the United States have faced recently in the implementation of 5G. By the end of this year supposedly United States is meant to have 92 5G deployments almost doubled to other countries in the world according to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association called CTIA.
I have provided to you, two examples of varied contexts and how fast 5G wireless is being implemented. I beseech you, go do further research beyond this series. This series is not all encompassing but as a means to get you to think about how important 5G is going to become in our lives.
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