The Mobile World Congress 2018 ( MWC) has just ended and one may have noticed several developers mention and allude to future use of 5G. 4G LTE is currently the staple for mobile data in several countries across the world and hearing talks of its successor is rather surprising. After all, it seems like LTE was introduced just a couple years ago. And why would we need 5G when 4G is already good enough ?
Well, that’s because 5G follows the age old principle of bigger, better and smarter. Bigger because 5G will run on much higher capacity than 4G, allowing a bigger network of 5G users. Better because 5G will have lower latency and reduce battery consumption by quite a bit. And Smarter because 5G will build upon existing 4G LTE networks and will require lesser infrastructure to setup.
5G will be very efficient, delivering better network performance for lower investments. 5G will also be more accessible while providing significantly higher speeds. Figures indicate theoretical speeds of 10 Gbit/s.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: We want USA to lead 5G spectrum
These features sound unbelievable and futuristic. You might be thinking that you’ll only get to use 5G after a few years at least. The reality is that telecom providers are aiming at early 2019 to begin their 1st phase of 5G rollout.
A majority of telecom providers will be aiming to procure 5G infrastructure very soon. Smartphone manufacturers will be looking to integrate this new technology into their upcoming products. The hype for 5G is very real.
The FCC chairman Ajit Pai, made a statement saying that they would put maximum efforts into bringing 5G into USA as quickly as possible, giving them a major advantage over other countries. They are encouraging companies to come up with initiatives for research into 5G. Google revealed development of a 5G network called SkyBender wherein data would be distributed through sun-powered drones.