27

December

5G, The Next Generation of Cellular Signal

Every so often an all new technology standard is developed that radically advances the limits of cellular technology. We have seen this in the past with the development of 4G and 4G LTE technologies. With a new generation of cellular signal now in the spotlight; 5G: the fifth generation of cellular technology. How has it been helping connectivity and has 4G  been decommissioned? To read more about our current and past cellular technology innovations, click here.

What Makes 5G Different?

Over the past several years, cellular technology has evolved in order to bring information and entertainment to our fingertips. Innovations of data transfer over the cellular network have brought the ability to access the web, music, and movies at any given moment. These advancements were years in the making, but the world is ready for something new. In December of 2017, cellular providers introduced a new vision to the world…5G. This technology is poised to revolutionize the transfer of data over the cellular network and has been making great strides to do so. The most recent generation of cellular technology, 4G LTE, has the potential to reach data speeds from 50 to 150 Mbps. This speed is fast enough to meet almost all of consumers needs when it comes to streaming data on their phones. 5G technology, however, is in a whole league of it’s own with speculative data speeds of up to 20 Gbps. That is up to 400 times the speeds of 4G LTE.

How Could This Benefit Me?

With potential data speeds of up to 20 Gbps, you will be able to stream media over the cellular network like never before. Downloading data the size of a feature-length film could take seconds. Downloading an album of music could be almost instantaneous. Streaming video buffering could become a thing of the past. Devices that have access to the 5G frequencies will become more reliable over voice calls and data transfer. Driverless cars will also benefit from this technology as they need to have a fast and consistent connection to the network for GPS purposes. All in all, the 5G network will move data faster, be more responsive and connect more devices at once.

When Will 5G be Available?

5G is here now! It’s going to be a work in progress for the foreseeable future like 4G LTE has been so you may not see immediate changes to your area just yet. Due to the higher frequencies being broadcast by the 5G network, many new cell stations are going to be deployed into metropolitan areas first. Higher frequencies will not be able to travel as far so the new technology is going to be tested in higher congested areas with less travel distance. Unfortunately, this means that consumers living in rural areas will likely have to wait a while before they have access to this technology if at all. That being said most of the existing 4G LTE spectrum will be utilized and upgraded to work with 5G signal. As there will be new frequencies dedicated for 5G, most of the original spectrum will still exist for a long time.

Is 4G/4G LTE Gone?

A mentioned previously, 4G LTE will get a “face-lift” in the form of a 5G moniker on your phone but also some improvements to the backbone of the network improving data speeds and consistency of coverage throughout the network. If your phone is older it will likely still be compatible with 5G but may not display that logo on your phone. Network carriers are also expected to spend billions of dollars by the year 2030 developing this technology and will further all the existing hardware to improve things on the back end.

Will older Boosters work with 5G?

Since the existing spectrum is still being utilized, YES! The existing bands such as Band 2,4,5,12,13 and some others will be utilized for 5G and are compatible with most boosters on the market today. There are some bands that have been upgraded for higher speeds that may not work with older boosters but the difference wont be too noticeable.

5G technology will revolutionize the way that we access data on the cellular network and enable more technologies in the future. Check back in on our blog page to get the latest news on the advancements in cellular signal boosters and cellular signal technology.