What exactly is 5G? THE THINGS THAT AREN’T TOLD TO YOU ABOUT IT. Overview 5g is simply the codename for the 5th generation of cellular network standard and infrastructure available at the current height of our technological prowess. Looking Down the Microscope Before any discussion on 5G can begin, it is important to know what wireless internet connectivity signals are in the first place. Wi-Fi, as it is commonly known, is an abbreviation for the term Wireless Fidelity. Wi-Fi transmits data between devices on radio waves. The word Radio is actually very significant since Radio waves are a distinct part of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Looking Down the Microscope II Radio waves possess the lengthiest waves that we know. This means that the amount of energy they can carry is extremely small compared to what is possible. While their capacity to carry energy is limited, these waves and by proxy, frequencies can carry a lot of data and information. Hence why they are used in this manner. Do not be alarmed by the word Radiation, these waves are non-ionizing. This means that they do NOT carry energy that can alter the arrangement of atoms and molecules by removing or adding electrons. Looking Down The Microscope III To break it down even further, Hertz (Hz) is simply a unit of frequency. So if the time between each crest was 1 second that would meant the wave frequency was 1 hertz or one cycle per second. To receive the information found in these waves, your radio receiver needs to be set to receive waves of a certain frequency. Wavelength and Frequency are two sides to the same coin, but they are distinct in their application. A Trip Down Memory Lane I: Exploring the G’s I 1G. This is the first standard of telecommunications that was implemented at the dawn of the cellular phone in the 1980s. These devices were only able to process voice calls and were used for somewhat distant phone calls. Their range wasn’t the best and the network was very insecure. As such, calls were very likely to drop. The maximum speed of 1G technology is 2.4 Kbps. 2G. As the upgrade to the first generation became the new standard, The 2G telephone technology introduced call and text encryption, along with data services such as SMS, picture messages, and MMS. Although 2G replaced 1G and is superseded by later technology versions, it's still used around the world. The maximum speed of 2G with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is 50 Kbps. The max theoretical speed is 384 Kbps A Trip Down Memory Lane II: Exploring the G’s II 2.5G/2.75G. Widely unknown, 2.5G and 2.75G were standards that bridged the gap between 2G and 3G to allow transmission of data across a network. 2.5G introduced a new packetswitching technique that was more efficient than 2G technology. This led to 2.75G, which provided an increase in speed promoted as up to three times. 3G. The introduction of 3G networks in 1998 ushered in faster data-transmission speeds, so you could use your cell phone in more datademanding ways such as for video calling and mobile internet access. The term "mobile broadband" was first applied to 3G cellular technology. A Trip Down Memory Lane: Exploring the G’s III 4G LTE. LTE stands for “Long Term Evolution” and is a marketing phrase to signify progression toward true 4G. So when someone says 4G LTE, they are actually talking about something weaker than true 4G, but better than simple 3G. At this point, the LTE International Standard is loosely defined and frequently updates, making a true LTE standard hard to nail down. 4G: LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and Wireless MAX-Advanced are the networking technologies that actually meet the “true 4G” specifications. LTE-A introduced a few important technological improvements to help carriers reach the speeds initially proposed for 4G. This includes carrier aggregation to make use of more bandwidth at once and improved Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antennas to support this and improve cell edge coverage. Finally, 5G. What exactly is it? 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver higher multi-Gigabits per second peak data speeds, ultra low latency, and massively increased network capacity. It is also meant to be a clear and present upgrade from 4G/4G LTE to the next generation. Pay attention to the phrase “peak data speeds”. All networks are rarely ever at peak speeds for long. It simply has to serve too many people. So while 5G is being marketed to the consumer as a network juggernaut, consumers would be wise to temper their expectations. Expected times where peak speeds are achievable are during the afterhours, where a vast majority of people are asleep and not using the network. 5G, Brass Tacks Like other cellular networks, 5G networks use a system of cell sites that divide their territory into sectors and send encoded data through radio waves. Each cell site must be connected to a network backbone, whether through a wired or wireless backhaul connection. (Think of this as a main hub and a series of extenders that effectively act to increase that hub’s reach, much like the branches of a tree) 5G, Brass Tacks II Mid-band 5G operates in the 2.5-3.7 GHz range and delivers speeds between 100-900 Mbps. While offering less range per cell tower, this type of 5G is going to be the most common implementation of 5G networks for many years to come. It's a reasonable compromise between network speed and range in both medium-density urban areas and less dense rural regions. 5G Brass Tacks III High-band 5G is the band that is most commonly associated with 5G. Operating at 25-39 GHz, this is known as "millimeter wave" spectrum and delivers gigabit speeds (currently tested as high as 3 Gbps). The tradeoff is that millimeter wave transmitters have very limited range and require the deployment of many small transmitters, so it's only viable in urban areas where transmitters can be near closely spaced homes and buildings. 5G, Efficiency Matters Too. With the advent of 5G networks, it is not just all about speed and raw data throughput. Efficiency is highly prized in this generation as well. One particular implementation that attempts to increase efficiency is Beamforming. Beamforming is a technique that focuses a wireless signal towards a specific receiving device, rather than having the signal spread in all directions from a broadcast antenna, as it normally would. They would utilize the uniformly spaced emitters to decrease the time it takes for one’s device to receive and transmit data. Conclusion While 5G is relatively new and still being figured out to this day, it has partial implementations already in place with much more promised in the coming years. It is intended to significantly outperform its predecessors in every regard possible; it is, however, recommended that consumers temper their expectations and take marketing and promotions with a grain of salt. And no, 5G will not cause cancer, or COVID-19.
