Currently, 5G’s full potential and capabilities are limited due to it relying mainly on 4G connections, however, when the full 5G network is deployed later this year, users will finally be able to fully grasp its possibilities.
While the new network brings efficiencies for users, the construction of the network infrastructure also brings a global economic boost with Qualcomm forecasting a $12.3 trillion increase alongside the creation of 22 million jobs. 7 percent of telecommunication providers have already rolled out 5G according to Gartner including providers in Australia, England, the United States and more.
Speed
In relation to data speeds, 5G data transfer speeds will be up to ten times the current speed of 4G, with maximum predicted speeds of 20Gb/s but everyday consumer speeds of around 100Mb/s. According to the Consumer Technology Association, with a 5G connection speed, a two-hour movie could be downloaded in just 3.6 seconds compared to 6 minutes on 4G or 26 hours on 3G.
Latency
Apart from speed increases, lower latency is also another positive by-product of 5G. Latency refers to the lag it takes for data to be sent across a network or a device to load a webpage. Current 4G latency sits at about 60 milliseconds, whereas, with 5G it will be lowered to between 1-6 milliseconds.
Connections
From a connection standpoint, the other significant improvement is the number of devices the network can actually handle. The standard for 5G is no less than 1 million connections per square kilometre and with all the advancements and adoption of smart home and IoT devices, the connection capacity will be truly tested, as by the year 2023 there will be approximately 1.3 billion devices connected on the 5G network.
5G in the workplace
The world has never been as digitally connected as now. This leads to many benefits in the workplace and moving forward 5G is pivotal for business. When it comes to working from home, 70 percent of people globally do so at least once per week, therefore the aforementioned benefits can help both business and employees. Having the ability to download large files in an instant, connect to HD video chats and control multiple devices at once with no lag are all perks 5G promises to deliver.
Livetile’s have created an infographic outlining everything you need to know on 5G: The Returns, the Risks, and Rosey the Robot. 5G promises many advancements over 4G, just as 4G did over 3G. Time will tell if it lives up to the hype.
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