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 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE technologies. Even though 4G LTE is still being developed by most cellular providers, a new generation of cellular signal is rapidly coming into the spotlight; 5G: the fifth generation of cellular technology. To read more about our current and past cellular technology innovations, click here.
What Makes it 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 technology. This technology is poised to revolutionize the transfer of data over the cellular network. 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 is in a whole league of its own with speculative data speeds of up to 20 Gbps. That is up to 400 times the speeds on 4G LTE network.
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 cellular technology is much more advanced than our current technology and is going to be a work in progress for the foreseeable future. Due to the higher frequencies being broadcast by the 5G network, many new cell stations are going to be deployed into metropolitan areas. 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. Even though this is the case, consumers are still able to access the 4G LTE network which is constantly evolving and improving. And with the much-improved bandwidth specs of 5G, 4G LTE will have less to handle and likely better performance and reliability. Some major carriers have announced that 5G phones will be launching early 2019. Network carriers are also expected to spend billions of dollars by the year 2030 developing this technology.
Surely 5G technology will revolutionize the way that we access data on the cellular network. Check back in on our blog page to get the latest news on the advancements in cellular signal boosters and cellular signal technology.
