2019 will see the first arrival of 5G mobile devices, the fifth generation of network technology; which has been in testing for the last few years. Smartphone manufacturers will begin to drip feed the technology through around the later part of next year; which will give beneficiaries access to a much faster network, perfect for gaming, streaming content, running apps and more.
5G phones are expected to support minimum speeds of 10-50Gbps, much faster than 4G! In addition to this, 5G will have far superior latency than 4G, meaning there will be little to no delay for loading times. The idea is that 5G will bring us broadband-equivalent download speeds over mobile networks.
Which manufacturers are releasing 5G in 2019?
In the UK, testing of 5G has been underway for several years by major telecommunication companies, including EE, BT, 02 and Vodafone. At this moment in time, there is currently no 5G-ready smartphone available on the market, but Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC and many other phone manufacturers have already announced that they have been collaborating with chip manufacturer Qualcomm to release the first 5G-ready devices in 2019.
However, of course, no 5G-ready device would be useful without a 5G network to connect to, so while the mobile phones may be released in 2019, we may not see 5G fully operating across the whole of the UK until 2020, when the network providers are expected to roll out widespread 5G coverage.
EE, BT’s subsidiary company, has announced that they will be the first to roll out 5G coverage across the UK in 2019, in 16 sites to be exact, which include London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds and Bristol. Some other network providers are adopting a much slower approach. Vodafone has plans to begin trialling radio towers that transmit both 4G and 5G before they consider making the complete transition to full 5G networks. However, these dual towers will have the benefit of offering a reliable coverage and range of 4G whilst supporting the increase in speed that 5G offers.
How does 5G operate differently to 4G?
5G operates on a much higher frequency, with larger bandwidths than 4G; however these shorter wavelengths can’t travel as far as lower frequency bands and therefore won’t be as good at passing through buildings etc., so it will be combined with lower frequencies to enable a wider 5G coverage in specific areas.
The higher range of frequency will be able to support much larger capacities of data, connect many more devices to the internet and dramatically decrease delays in loading times and transferring data. 5G will have the ability to support over 1,000 more devices per meter than what’s supported by 4G, allowing for ultrafast speeds to be delivered to a lot more users, with high precision and much fewer delays. Sounds good to us!
How much faster is 5G than 4G?
Because 5G isn’t available in the real world yet, it is difficult to comment on an exact comparison to 4G speeds in everyday use; however, testing has proven that 5G is capable of everyday download speeds of 10-50Gbps, whereas 4G networks have on average speeds of 10-20Mbps; which makes 5G at least 10 times faster than 4G! This would mean that an entire HD film could be downloaded in under 10 seconds, whereas on a 4G network that would take around 10 minutes.
There are variables in the real world that will affect the speed, like if you’re moving around or travelling in the car, as well as weather conditions, including humidity and rain, which can absorb the frequencies. Nevertheless, 5G is an extraordinary development in comparison to previously available networks.
The latency for 5G has also dramatically improved. In fact, 5G is expected to be 50 times better than 4G, meaning you can expect little to no delay (1 millisecond approx.) when watching videos or video calling compared to 50 milliseconds on a 4G network.
How will we benefit from 5G?
Almost everything that we currently use our mobile phones for will improve, from sending text messages, to receiving video calls, streaming videos and browsing the internet with 5G available. We can expect minimal delays in loading times, lagging to be a thing of the past with gaming and a smoother and more realistic image when we FaceTime or Skype.
But 5G will not just be available for mobile devices. It can be used to replace home or business internet connections too. With 5G home or business networks, we will be able to connect more devices to the internet at the same time, without bandwidth issues and it also allows use for a wider variety of devices, so you can include your security systems, smart home technology and video game consoles without worrying about network speeds if they’re all running at the same time.
When available, 5G will also open doors to more opportunities for smart technology in our day-to-day lives, such as wearable technology, driverless cars, car-to-car communication and smart traffic lights – the opportunities are endless!
Continue to watch this space to find out when the first 5G smartphones are released and when 5G networks will be available to you in your area. If you have any questions, feel free to call our support team on 01962 864332 or email info@elite-telecom.co.uk.