Slowly but surely, we are getting closer and closer to the ultra-fast 5G speeds that global technology companies have been promising us for years.
So we present to you everything you need to know about 5G speeds.
- It's really, really fast
Okay, it sounds obvious, but it's important to understand how much faster 5G is compared to current 4G LTE speeds. Not only will it be much faster than your existing LTE connection, but it will also be significantly faster than the broadband connections you have at home.
Most of us have never experienced anything like this in terms of connection speeds.
To put that into perspective, the fastest 4G download speeds in the U.S. average over 19.42 Mbps, according to OpenSignal. 5G promises gigabit speeds.
Qualcomm’s first 5G modem, the Snapdragon X50, supports speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second. That’s 257 times faster than the average speed of the fastest LTE network in the United States!
Google Fiber is already exceeding 1 Gbps. And we're only talking about the first generation of 5G modems. Future ones will likely be even faster.
- But it's not just about speed
5G networks offer much more capacity to mobile networks, meaning that networks will be able to support many more data connections than before. Have you ever attended a large event where your data connection slowed down or stopped working? That's because 4G networks can only support a certain number of devices before they slow down.
But 5G networks have much greater capacity. They can support up to one million devices per square kilometer, according to International Telecommunication Union standards.
Additionally, 5G is a huge improvement over 4G when it comes to the time it takes for data to be transmitted. Because these networks support ultra-low latency connections, devices will be able to communicate much faster than before.
This brings us to the fact that…
- 5G isn't just for phones
5G speed is a big deal, not just for the smartphone industry. It has huge positive implications for almost every connected device.
The technology will be essential for autonomous cars, which will need to be able to communicate with the world around them as quickly as possible, thanks to the lower latency and higher capacity offered by 5G.
Technologies like wearables, virtual reality headsets, computers, and smart home devices will be dramatically improved thanks to 5G. Even everyday tasks like checking social media or making a video call could change drastically.
- It won't be economical
The downside, at least initially, will be that all that extra speed is likely to come at a higher cost. Sprint's CEO said just last week that he expects to raise the price by about $20 to $30.
Others have not yet talked about specific prices, but as has been pointed out, the cost of data has historically increased as network speeds increase, and there is no reason to believe that this trend will not continue in the foreseeable future.
But it's not all bad news. Companies like Qualcomm are optimistic that data prices will fall in the long term due to the huge number of new devices that will have 5G connectivity.
- It hasn't arrived yet
Although we've seen a lot of positive progress in the last year alone, we still have a long way to go before 5G is as widespread as 4G is now. Equipment companies are just starting to make commitments for 2019.
But most in the industry agree that 5G will start reaching most consumers in 2020. And even then, the first networks may come with some problems – like inconsistent coverage or negative effects on battery life.
