5G really that much faster than 4G

 5G

We've only had 4G cellular networks for a few years, but all the wireless carriers are already talking about 5G.It's actually surprisingly easy to do so, because there isn't any official definition of 5G yet. What's happening now is that all the players in the wireless world, from chip set makers to carriers, are jockeying to be able to define 5G and establish themselves as 5G leaders.

 

 What is 5G?

So head with me down the rabbit hole that is 5G as I try to explain what the heck is going on here.

The “G” in 5G stands for “generation.” Wireless phone technology technically started with 1G, and in the early 1990s, and it expanded to 2G when companies first started enabling people to send text messages between two cellular devices. 

Eventually the world moved on to 3G, which gave people the ability to make phone calls, send text messages, and browse the internet. 4G enhanced many of the capabilities that were made possible with the third generation of wireless. People could browse the web, send text messages, and make phone calls—and they could even download and upload large video files without any issues. 

Then companies added LTE, short for “long term evolution,” to 4G connectivity. LTE became the fastest and most consistent variety of 4G compared to competing technologies like WiMax. The difference between WiMax and LTE is similar to the difference between Blu-Ray and HD DVDs: Both technologies achieved similar outcomes, but it was important to create a standard for everyone to use. LTE did just that, and it made 4G technology even 

5G – Creating a new era of communication

The future of mobile communications is likely to be very different to that which we are used to today. While demand for mobile broadband will continue to increase, largely driven by ultrahigh definition video and better screens, we are already seeing the growing impact of the human possibilities of technology as the things around us become ever more connected.

When Is 5G Happening?

The official 5G standard, known as 5G NR (new radio), probably won't come out until 2018, with full commercial roll outs in 2019 or 2020. But that's not stopping the wireless carriers from getting a jump on the technologies.

Verizon and AT&T both insist they'll have "5G" in 2017. This won't be 5G. It'll be non-standard, pre-5G. It could be used for back haul, or home Internet, or for internally knitting together networks that customers then experience using 4G devices. T-Mobile, for its part, has pooh-poohed these per-standard roll outs and said it'll be full in with 5G in 2020.

 5G really that much faster than 4G?

In short: Yes. Speeds will be significantly faster. Currently, 4G LTE transfer speeds top out at about one gigabit per second. That means it takes about an hour to download a short HD movie in perfect conditions. The problem is, people rarely experience 4G’s maximum download speed speed because the signal can be disrupted by so many different things: buildings, microwaves, other wifi signals. The list goes on and on.

5G will increase download speeds up to 10 gigabits per second. That means a full HD movie can be downloaded in a matter of seconds. It will also reduce latency significantly (giving people faster load times). In short, it will give wireless broadband the capacity it needs to power thousands of connected devices that will reach our homes and workplaces.