With the proliferation of 5G coverage in the news, it’s easy getting pulled into the hype and minimize the many steps that still need to be completed before 5G is ready to be implemented nationwide.
What is 5G?
5G is more than faster data speeds on cell phones. The “G” in 5G refers to the generation of wireless technology—in this case, the fifth generation of wireless technology. Each generation is defined not only by its data transmission speeds, but also by its encoding methods. At its foundation, 5G is simply a standard designed to deliver greater than 1 Gbps data speeds and low latency in a cellular environment, among other things.
5G promises to introduce three new innovations: greater speed (more data transmitted in less time), lower latency (increased responsiveness), and the ability to connect more devices (for example, smart devices) at one time. This technology will aid in connecting many far-reaching areas of technology, such as virtual reality, drones, smart devices, self-driving cars, and more. It could even enable “smart cities” by connecting traffic signals, emergency services, and other vital applications to increase efficiencies. As technology becomes increasingly connected (Gartner predicts the number of internet-connected devices will rise from 6.4 billion in 2016 to 20.8 billion by 2020), 5G is quickly moving from a luxury to a necessity in order to support an anticipated increase in the proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) products.
The Timeline for Full Implementation of 5G
The telecommunications industry is hard at work laying the groundwork for 5G. In fact, Verizon and AT&T have already begun limited trials in select locations. Although cellular carriers and solutions integrators are actively preparing for the 5G transition, it likely won’t be completely ready for widespread implementation for another two or three years.
Historically, each new generation of wireless technology has taken about 10 years to develop. 1G began around 1982, 2G in 1991, 3G around 2010, etc. Following this pattern, 5G is likely to begin to roll out in the early 2020s.
More than determining when 5G will be ready to step into the limelight, the real question is how 5G will be accomplished. LTE is “Long-Term Evolution” for a reason; it simply takes a long time to develop a standard that can accomplish this, and integrate into the existing macro cellular network, while allowing users and devices to become forward and backwards compatible.
In the early stages, it’s imperative that cellular carriers and solutions integrators prioritize flexibility. We look at the path to 5G as consisting of two steps:
- The most near-term approach is utilizing radio frequencies are less than 6 GHz.
- The longer-term approach is building a radio network with higher millimeter wave frequencies, like those approved by the FCC in 2016, consisting of 28 GHz, 37 GHz, and 39 GHz bands.
With both of these steps, solutions providers will have to provide carrier-agnostic solutions to help improve service during the transitionary period. Demonstrations using existing frequency bands have shown capability of delivering 1 Gbps throughput using existing 3G/4G spectrum. To do this, carrier aggregation is required. In one demonstration, the high data rate was accomplished by aggregating 20 MHz of 1800 MHz spectrum plus two bands of 35 MHz spectrum in the 2600 MHz band. This doesn’t require new towers on the macro side, but does need greater bandwidth, resulting in fewer simultaneous users.
Simply put, the greater available bandwidth means more data can be transmitted. Thus, a macro network based on millimeter wave frequencies promises higher data capacity than we have now, but will take time to develop and build. Current devices such as phones, tablets, and other IoT applications, are not designed to support millimeter wave frequencies, and must be updated in order to be compatible with this new technology. Similar to the rollout of 4G LTE, carriers will continue supporting LTE as 5G is gradually deployed.
As frequencies go higher, such as for millimeter wave, their broadcast or propagation deteriorates greatly compared to traditional frequencies less than 6 GHz. This means signal attenuation due to buildings, trees/foliage, and even weather such as snow or rain will severely weaken those signals. Even though cell signal may be strong outside, building materials, trees, and bad weather often block much of the signal from reaching cellular devices.
This complication will only become greater in scope and prevalence as we come to rely on higher frequencies such as those required for 5G. Although previous cellular technology has been able to rely on a smaller number of antenna towers, 5G will likely require larger numbers of antennas and cell signal boosters to work well.
Amidst The Many Benefits, 5G Also Carries Increased Safety Risks
As 5G enables more and more interconnected technologies, increased risks arise around loss of cellular signal. For example, let’s say your self-driving car is being operated from a system run over 5G. If you lose signal at the exact moment the system is about to tell your car to brake, you risk a terrible accident.
Another risky example is in the IoT space. 5G will enable connectivity for millions of connected devices such as tracking tags, industrial equipment, and other automated monitoring devices. Loss of connectivity could cause damage—or even worse, injury—in a factory where an automated machine loses control. As a result of increased reliance on cellular connectivity in risky situations, signal enhancement products will continue to play an important role in helping to provide seamless coverage after the advent of 5G.
There’s a lot of talk around 5G as mobile companies rush to out-promote one another, but it’s important to be able to tell the difference between marketing-speak and consumer promotional tactics versus actual technological advancement and readiness. Yes, 5G is on its way, but it has a long way to go before it addresses the many challenges associated with transitioning to the next generation of wireless technology.