Cairo (Al Ittihad)
It's been almost a decade since we started talking about 5G, which is now a reality. And wireless telecommunications companies, especially in the United States, began preparing to launch the technology several years ago, so that access to the Internet via mobile phones with fifth generation networks becomes widely available, but what is the “5G” technology, and how will it change the features of life in the near future? The "Digital Trends" website provided the answers to this question, and many other questions that you may have about the latest mobile network in the world.
What is 5G technology? The fifth generation is the latest technology from the fourth generation “4G LTE” networks, which will enable the user to enjoy much faster download and upload speeds, with a lower latency level, which means that the time it takes for devices to connect to wireless networks is significantly reduced. 5G networks are inherently more efficient, It handles more connections per tower to provide higher speeds for each user. It is also designed to operate over a wider range of wireless radio frequencies (RF), opening up new possibilities in the ultra-high millimeter wave bands for carriers to expand their networks. And since the technology is completely new, it will work on modern frequencies and systems, which means that 4G phones will be incompatible with the new 5G network.
How has 5G evolved? The deployment of 5G networks began in earnest in 2019, but the foundations were laid several years earlier. It is clear that the technology has not yet reached the level of overall market saturation, or even that it does not represent the majority of mobile traffic yet. But by looking at the history of the launch of the fourth generation networks, we can get an idea of how long it will take to achieve this, as the fourth generation “4G LTE” network was deployed commercially for the first time in 2009, and it was not deployed in the United States until the end of 2010. It was not until 2013 that the fourth generation became truly widespread in many countries, and it became dominant over the old third generation networks. And if we follow a similar timetable, we may wait until late 2022 or even 2023 until the fifth generation network becomes the dominant network in most countries of the world. And that would be because of the same hurdles that faced 4G, such as it's operating on new spectrum with new technologies needed on both the network and device ends.
How does 5G technology work? Just like 4G LTE, 5G operates across a wide range of wireless spectrum shares, but has the potential to operate on a much wider range than existing networks. The most common form of using the 5G network is called "Sub-6", as well as "mmWave". "Sub-6" refers to a fifth generation network that operates at a frequency of less than 6 GHz, as all telecommunications companies have some form of "Sub-6" network. This is due to the fact that the 4G LTE network currently operates on these lower frequencies. The “Sub-6” spectrum is incredibly important in launching the fifth generation network, because these low-frequency radio waves can travel long distances, penetrating walls and barriers, which means that telecom companies can deploy much larger networks without having to build a large number of New cell towers. The term “mmWave” means millimeter wave, which refers to ultra-high-frequency radio waves, ranging between 30 GHz and 300 GHz, and is used to increase the speed of fifth-generation communications, while providing ultra-fast download speeds that may reach several gigabits per second.
How fast is 5G? 5G will provide significantly faster data speeds, with peak data rates of up to 20Gbps downlink and 10Gbps uplink. But keep in mind that this speed is shared by all users in the cell, but is considered high speed. However, the actual speeds will not be the same, as the specification will require user download speeds of 100Mbps and upload speeds of 50Mbps. Wireless interfaces should be energy efficient when in use, and fall into low power mode when not in use, i.e. wireless waves should be able to switch to a low power state within 10ms when not in use ideally. In reality, actual 5G network speeds will vary widely, and in many areas, 5G internet will be as slow or sometimes slower than 4G LTE. This is usually due to limited spectrum availability, as carriers try to use one portion of wireless waves to support existing 4G networks and new 5G networks simultaneously.
Where is 5G coverage available now? If you live in a relatively populated area, at least one company, probably all the major carriers, will already offer 5G coverage. Major U.S. carriers T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon have launched their so-called "nationwide" networks using Sub-6. All major U.S. carriers are working hard. However, it will take several years to build 5G networks, but it will take several years for them to spread across the country. It is worth noting that each carrier has a different strategy for deploying 5G technology, which means that the 5G experience may vary greatly depending on the carrier that the user deals with. .
The potential benefits of 5G There are many potential benefits of 5G that are exciting to be excited about, and go beyond just mobile communications. In the short term, your speeds for downloading videos and apps or playing games are likely to increase. In the long term, as happened when 4G networks were operational, 5G networks could spawn many new industries and expected future uses, such as improving home broadband and wireless connectivity, and self-driving vehicles that will communicate with other vehicles on the road and provide drivers with information about road conditions. The road and others, public safety and infrastructure, as the fifth generation network will allow cities, municipalities, and utility and service companies to operate more efficiently. The fifth generation technology also provides the possibility of remote control of heavy machinery, which will reduce risks in hazardous environments and will also allow technicians with specialized skills to control machines from anywhere in the world. The fifth generation network can fundamentally change the healthcare sector, as it will reduce the time The network transmission is greater than the fourth generation network, which will lead to improvements in disease diagnosis, remote treatment, physiotherapy through augmented reality, microsurgery, and even remote surgery in the coming years. In addition, hospitals will be able to create huge sensor networks to monitor patients, and doctors will be able to prescribe pills Smart to track compliance with doctors' orders, insurance companies can even monitor subscribers to determine appropriate treatments and operations.
Is 5G technology safe? The modern network does not pose a threat to your health. Despite concerns about the effects of wireless waves on humans that have been raised for years now, there is no evidence yet to indicate that they are actually harmful to human health, amid many conspiracy theories about fifth generation technology. In fact, the radio waves of the fifth generation networks are not fundamentally different from the waves that we have been living with for decades in the current era.
The best 5G phones are available right now Although 5G technology will undoubtedly change the way we interact with each other, and the way we interact with different media, the change will not happen overnight. It will be a few years before 5G networks are running smoothly around the world. For this reason, experts do not recommend rushing to buy a phone just because it has the 5G feature only, but the specifications and characteristics of the phone must be taken into account for other reasons, besides that it supports future technology, and in any case, most modern phones are likely to support the fifth generation network.
Can you use 5G for your home internet? With its promise of impressive speeds and low latency, 5G might seem like a good potential alternative to a home wireless network, especially in rural areas, where fast wired internet is hard to come by, and the other alternative is The only one is mostly satellite internet.
