FROM A TECHNICAL MIND

BUSINESS: FROM A TECHNICAL MIND

Benefits of a 5G Network

by Austin Steger

Technology is always changing and innovating in exciting ways.

One of the biggest changes is the release of the 5G network, the latest generation of wireless network technology. On the market since April 2019, it continues to be rolled out across the US and other countries.

Despite being available to consumers for more than a year, many people do not know exactly what 5G is, how it works, what its benefits are, and what it means for cell phones.

Like 4G LTE, 5G is based on the same mobile networking principles. However, 5G can further reduce interference. It also brings wider bandwidths, allowing more devices to be connected, and allows operating in both higher and lower bands and brings extreme capacity, high speeds, and low latency. Latency is the time it takes for a device to make a request and get a response from a server.

Not only is 5G faster than 4G LTE, but it also can expand into new service areas, increasing cell services.

The main advantage with 5G is the speed. It could deliver speeds up to 20 gigabits per second and average speeds of more than 100 megabits per second (https://bit.ly/2EtJTcm). A video or podcast could be downloaded in seconds.

Along with the increased speed, 5G can support 100 times more traffic on the network.

In order to take advantage of all the benefits that 5G has to offer, it means having a 5G-capable smartphone. All major Android phone manufacturers already are making 5Gcompatible phones. The good news is that 5G smartphones will be compatible with 4G LTE service, and 4G will not be going away anytime soon, so an upgrade is not immediately necessary.

Before switching to a 5G smartphone, check with your service to ensure 5G service is available in your area.

It is estimated that by 2035, 5G will support a wide range of industries and potentially enable up to $13.2 trillion worth of goods and services (https://bit.ly/2EtJTcm). This is significantly greater than previous network generations. It also is estimated that 5G alone could support up to 22.3 million jobs including equipment manufacturers, operators, content creators, and app developers.

Austin Steger is a local computer and mobile electronics technician and technical communicator. He can be contacted at repairs.riztech@gmail.com or by calling 330-952-1225.