5G has been described as the “technological revolution of the 21st century,” ushering in a new era in the world of the internet. Its incredibly high speeds are set to change our lives for the better. But what exactly do we mean by 5G and how is it predicted to affect our daily lives in the coming years?
5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet, offering faster speeds than ever before, as well as more reliable connections to smartphones and other devices.
5G technology has already begun to be piloted, at space speeds, in many countries. It is estimated that by 2022, 5G networks will dominate most of the world, providing a new experience for internet users.
While previous technologies were developed based on data transmission, mainly for telephony and related devices, 5G was designed from the ground up for truly massive bandwidth and connectivity from an equally massive number of devices. Companies understood that we are heading towards the “Internet of Things” (IoT) and designed 5G accordingly.
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But what is IoT?
It is not, exactly, a “thing” or a “technology”. It is the “philosophy” of having all “things” connected to the internet – whether we are talking about a computer or a smartphone and reaching to refrigerators, washing machines, radios, lamps, thermostats, sockets, the street lights, trains, buses – everything.
As is obvious, IoT requires specially designed systems to be able to connect so many devices simultaneously, but also infinitely greater bandwidth to meet the needs of the modern era in data transmission speed. This requires different technologies than previous ones and 5G will operate at other frequencies, for this very reason. Of course, due to the nature of the new frequencies and the requirement for much greater bandwidth, it will be necessary to install many more “antennas”, because the range of each antenna is much shorter.
What is 5G all about?
5G is designed for a world where tens of billions of devices depend on their constant connection to the internet. It is expected to be extremely fast, very stable and extremely versatile, since it will support even more users and devices simultaneously, serving them at speeds much higher than those of 4G. Its speed will allow us to watch videos in 8K resolution quality without interruption or download a 3D movie in 30 seconds, while with 4G, it would take about 6 minutes.
Will 5G replace 4G?
4G will not be abolished, but will continue to exist alongside 5G for two reasons: first, because not all devices will be able to "pick up" these speeds and second, because 5G will not be geographically covered by all areas.
How will 5G work?
So far, what we know is that the 5G network is expected to operate in a high-frequency band of the wireless spectrum, somewhere between 30-300 GHz. In these waves, data transfer occurs at extremely high speeds, but they find it particularly difficult to bypass obstacles such as walls and buildings.
While in 4G networks the antennas are far apart and obstacles are not a serious "headache", in the 5G network this is a problem. In order to build a network, providers are obliged to significantly multiply their antennas in order to have the same coverage. Some even argue that the landscape will be filled with mini antennas, which does not sound good to many.
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Is 5G harmful to health?
The birth of 5G networks has been accompanied by exaggerations, well-founded concerns, conspiracy theories and fragmentary reports. Some scientists have stated that the resulting huge increase in population exposure to wireless radiation could lead to increased cancer risk, cellular stress, an increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damage, structural and functional changes in the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders and negative effects on general human well-being. Some have even suggested suspending the deployment of 5G networks until the potential risks to human health and the environment by scientists independent of industry.
So far, it is not known whether this technology is harmful to human health. No one has been able to answer this question to date. Many argue that because more antennas will be needed, this will also pose greater risks to our health. However, these antennas will be of better technology and the emitted electromagnetic radiation will be significantly lower compared to the levels we encounter in existing 4G/3G/2G networks.
Furthermore, the telecommunications radio wave radiation stated that according to all studies (positive and negative), 5G does not affect electrical brain activity and cognitive or other functions. It emphasized, in fact, that 5G will reduce the “electromagnetic background” in which we will live, while also contributing to the improvement of energy-saving techniques (“smart” networks).
But the issue is not limited to that. As has been repeatedly said, 5G is also related to national security and the protection of the country's critical infrastructure. 5G raises issues regarding data breaches and the effort being made at this time is to strengthen the level of protection.
At the same time, the main disadvantage compared to previous generations (3G, 4G) is that despite the fact that huge volumes of data will be transmitted at breakneck speeds, the network range will be smaller. For this reason, many more mobile phone towers are required. The latter has also raised concerns about radiation and the risks it may pose to health. It has also led to the expected conspiracy theories and arbitrary conclusions.
When South Korea became the first country to launch 5G services in April 2019, the news was about the lightning-fast data transfer that the new mobile technology would enable.
But let's take a closer look at what 5G brings. On a strictly technical level, the three characteristics of 5G that promise the revolution we are discussing are the data transmission speed (1 Gbps initially and perhaps up to 10 Gbps in a later phase) , the extremely low response (1-2 milliseconds) and the ability to operate hundreds of thousands of devices simultaneously in the same area . It is also characterized by a greater capacity of up to 100 times , which means that many more people will be able to be served simultaneously, using demanding, in terms of speed and response, services, even in densely populated areas.
The sectors expected to be affected by the development of 5G technology are the so-called "vertical" markets (B2B Verticals) such as the automotive industry, transportation and supply chain, industry, infrastructure networks and health.
Furthermore, it is estimated that the creation of many times more data than today will give impetus to artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR). Every sector we can think of will change. A whole new world wide web of networking will emerge, both at the consumer and business levels.
We know so far that by 2025, all European countries will be able to provide full 5G connectivity to their residents, including Greece.
Since 2017, 5G development has been led by several companies, including Samsung, Intel, Qualcomm, Nokia, Huawei, Ericsson, and ZTE.
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From 1G to 5G
1G first appeared in Japan in 1979 and in the early 1980s gave people the ability to communicate on the move, through the first mobile phones. The sound quality and signal of calls were usually below average, while the concept of encryption of calls still existed only in movie scripts. That is, the few mobile phone owners in the 80s paid astronomical amounts (about $ 4,000 for the DynaTac device) to have mobile phones that anyone could hack with a simple radio frequency device.
2G, 3G, 4G, 5G
2G
2G appeared in 1991 and caused a revolution. For the first time, through the GSM communication protocol, each user enjoyed voice calls with crystal clear sound and encryption, while at the same time being able to send SMS and MMS, i.e. text and multimedia messages.
3G
3G first appeared in the early 2000s and users were able to share moments from everyday life, sending photos, thanks to increased data capacity.
4G
4G was developed in 2010. With speeds of up to 500 Mbps, live videos and instant updates changed the lives and communication of all of us.
5G
Its incredible capabilities will make reality what we once only imagined.
5G in Greece
5G has also come to Greece. Since December 2020, it is available in most major cities in Greece, such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Volos, Ioannina, Kavala, Trikala, Karditsa, Drama, Giannitsa, Naoussa, Xanthi, Serres, Igoumenitsa and Mytilene. The operation of the new network puts Greece in a new era – control of agricultural/livestock production through sensors, drones and microchips, transport of goods with remote control of vehicles and medical interventions on patients located on another continent.
On December 30, the lease contracts for 4 radio frequencies were signed by 3 mobile telephony companies (Cosmote, Vodafone, Wind), for the 5th generation broadband network.
In Athens and Thessaloniki (in specific locations at the moment) as well as in other Greek cities, 5G is already operational and accessible. All it takes is a device that meets the specifications for connecting to the new type of network and every user can enter the world and era of 5G, where everything happens with infinitesimally low and imperceptible lag, almost in real time.
The three companies have already paid amounts of around 123-130 million euros each – just for the right to use the frequencies where they will deploy 5G networks. The investments planned by these organizations, centered on 5G broadband, are staggering: Cosmote reports 2 billion euros, while Vodafone and Wind each have 500 million euros.
How 5G works
All four previous generations of mobile networks have used towers with antennas to create their cellular networks. These towers can be several meters tall and require high-power transmissions to transmit over long distances. The 5G network works a little differently. It uses a combination of frequencies from multiple bands, maximizing its performance. In addition to the traditional towers we know from cellular networks, the 5G network will also use a large number of much smaller transmission points for new bands of the spectrum.
This will create a wider high-speed network coverage in a denser grid with lower transmission power.
At the same time, these stations that will broadcast for the 5G network will be connected primarily to a fiber optic network, so as to achieve consistently high connection speeds. This, as can be understood, also requires investments in the "backbone" network of each provider to connect its stations with fiber optics. In addition, this design allows many more devices to be connected to the network simultaneously.
Will 5G be more expensive?
If you're wondering how much it will cost you to experience the joys of 5G, the answer is "not that much." So far, there is no additional charge for using the 5G network.
5G is a technology poised to break down barriers to access, connectivity, performance and latency in the global connectivity landscape. It has the potential to fundamentally change the way we live, work and play, through new services, applications and business models. The “fifth generation” of wireless networking will be one of the most critical structural changes in the path to creating a digital economy and society in the next decade and will have a significant impact on the economic performance of all countries.
