Are you ready for gigabit cellular Wi-Fi speeds?
Well, if you aren’t, you should be!
The deployment of 5G cellular network technology is happening and its eventual widespread adoption is going to change the way we interact online.
Think augmented and virtual reality on steroids — it’s going to be monumental!
But What Exactly Is “5G?”
Well, 5G is shorthand for “fifth generation,” as in the fifth generation of cellular networks that promises to make (by orders of magnitude!) our cellular networks faster.
5G offers faster speeds and lower latency …
For perspective, 5G is approximately 100 times faster than 4G LTE, which is what most of us use on existing cellular providers like AT&T and Verizon.
LTE is short for “Long Term Evolution,” and is a standard that’s slower than 4G, but significantly faster than 3G. 4G LTE was an “in-between” technology that was implemented by cellular providers because building the infrastructure required of 4G was costly. For perspective, 4G LTE is approximately 10 times faster than 3G.
More Information on 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G
COMPARISON | 2G | 3G | 4G | 5G |
YEAR INTRODUCED | 1993 | 2001 | 2009 | 2018 |
TECHNOLOGY | GSM | WCDMA | LTE, WiMAX | MIMO, mm Waves |
ACCESS SYSTEM | TDMA, CDMA | CDMA | CDMA | OFDM, BDMA |
SWITCHING TYPE | Circuit switching for voice and packet switching for data | Packet switching except for air interference | Packet switching | Packet switching |
INTERNET SERVICE | Narrowband | Broadband | Ultra broadband | Wireless World Wide Web |
BANDWIDTH | 25 MHz | 25 MHz | 100 MHz | 30 GHz to 300 GHz |
ADVANTAGE | Multimedia features (SMS, MMS), internet access and SIM introduced | High security, international roaming | Speed, high speed handoffs, global mobility | Extremely high speeds, low latency |
APPLICATIONS | Voice calls, short messages | Video conferencing, mobile TV, GPS | High speed applications, mobile TV, wearable devices | High resolution video streaming, remote control of vehicles, robots, and medical procedures |
Performance Comparison between 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G
5G | 10 Gbps |
4G LTE | 50 Mbps |
3G HSPA+ | 8 Mbps |
2G | 64 Kbps |