What is 5G?

5G is a technology that many people are nowadays hearing this word frequently, after the 3G and 4G.

5G is a part of a series on the Mobile phone generations. 5G (from “5th Generation”) is a marketing term for advanced wireless systems.

5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.

Mobile telecommunications
1G 2G 3G 3.5G 4G 4.5G 5G

Industry association 3GPP defines any system using “5G NR” (5G New Radio) software as “5G”, a definition that came into general use by late 2018. It supercedes 2G, 3G and 4G and their respective associated technologies (Like GSM, GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, High Speed Packet Access, LTE, LTE Advanced Pro, etc.)

The first fairly substantial deployments were in April, 2019. In South Korea, SK Telecom claimed 38,000 base stations, KT Corporation 30,000 and LG U Plus 18,000. 85% are in six major cities. They are using 3.5 GHz (sub-6) spectrum and tested speeds were from 193 to 430 megabits down. All carriers use Samsung base stations and equipment.

Verizon opened service on a very limited number of base stations in Chicago and Minneapolis using 400 MHz of 28 GHz millimeter wave spectrum. Download speeds in Chicago were from 80 to 634 megabits. Upload speeds were from 12 to 57 megabits. Ping was 25 milliseconds.[4] LTE tested at 227 megabits down and 57 megabits up.

There are only 5 companies in the world offering 5G radio hardware and complete systems:

• • Huawei,
  • ZTE,
  • Nokia,
  • Samsung, and
  • Ericsson.

The U.S. has urged allies not to use Chinese equipment, over fears of espionage on foreign users. Some countries like Japan, have banned network operators from using Huawei or ZTE equipment. Others, have dismissed these claims.

Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.

The networks will help power a huge rise in Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.

With development well underway and testbeds already live across the world, 5G networks are expected to launch across the world by 2020, working alongside existing 3G and 4G technology to provide speedier connections that stay online no matter where you are.