what is 5g network technology

 

What is 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of cellular networks. Up to 100 times faster than 4G, 5G is creating never-before-seen opportunities for people and businesses.  

Faster connectivity speeds, ultra-low latency and greater bandwidth is advancing societies, transforming industries and dramatically enhancing day-to-day experiences. Services that we used to see as futuristic, such as e-health, connected vehicles and traffic systems and advanced mobile cloud gaming have arrived.

With 5G technology, we can help create a smarter, safer and more sustainable future.

5G runs on the same radio frequencies that are currently being used for your smartphone, on Wi-Fi networks and in satellite communications, but it enables technology to go a lot further. 

Beyond being able to download a full-length HD movie to your phone in seconds (even from a crowded stadium), 5G is really about connecting things everywhere – reliably, without lag – so people can measure, understand and manage things in real time. 

This has enormous potential – and together, we will take it to the next level. 

Are you curious to know more about the technology and what it means to you? Follow us on an in-depth journey, explaining the differences between 5G and 4G. 

5G evolution

Things have changed a lot since the first generation of mobile technology.

• The 1G era was defined by briefcase-sized phones and short conversations between a relatively small number of professional people.
• In the lead up to 2G, the demand for mobile services grew and never slowed down.
• Phones that could fit in your pocket, SMS  and mobile internet access were hallmarks of the 3G world.
• Thanks to 4G, we have smartphones, app stores and YouTube.
• Now, 5G is completely reshaping both our professional and personal lives by enabling new use cases like connective vehicles, Augmented Reality and enhanced video and gaming.

What is 5G capable of? 

5G will do much more than significantly improve your network connection. It provides new opportunities, enabling us to deliver groundbreaking solutions that reach across society. 

Imagine billions of connected devices gathering and sharing information in real time to reduce road accidents; or life-saving applications that can take flight thanks to lag-free guaranteed connections; or production lines so predictive they can prevent interruptions well before they occur.  

There’s no need to imagine. We are making it happen. 

Elevating experiences

5G sets the stage for more immersive entertainment and more engaging education.

• Greater realism in VR, AR and extended reality (XR) with lighter devices
• Delivering sensory experiences, like touch, through devices
• More engaging methods of teaching through immersive content
• Immersive virtual meetings to boost remote team productivity
• Stable and reliable connectivity in crowded spaces
• New angles and interactions for live and remote event spectators.

How does it work?

Whereas 2G, 3G and 4G were primarily radio focused, 5G represents an entire system with radio, a telecom core, and operation systems all transformed to support new requirements. This process will involve new radio technologies, a virtualized cloud-based core, and endto-end management to facilitate automation and new concepts like network slicing. Mobile networks use radio waves to  communicate, radio waves have different frequencies and 5G uses three different ranges of radio frequency – low, mid  and high. 5G is then deployed to devices  and applications through: The 5G core which is like the brain  of the network, where all data is routed  to in order to get the information to the desired destination. 5G networking technologies which uses radio frequencies and advanced implementations of antennas to provide wireless connectivity to the devices.

What are the benefits of 5G?

Economic Benefits

5G has the potential to be the cornerstone of the economic recovery boosting enterprise, as well as opening up huge opportunities in healthcare, utilities, culture  and more. Further ahead, 5G technologies are expected to contribute $13.2 trillion to the global economy by 2035, according to industry analysts IHS Markit. The automotive, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing sectors are among the sectors projected to benefit the most.. Countries that were late in adopting 4G largely missed the economic opportunities that came with it. While the development of 5G has generated lengthy discussion, the capabilities of the technology are real and 5G is here and ready to be deployed. 

Societal Benefits

Digital technologies such as 5G and IoT are predicted to reduce global emissions by up to 15% by 2030 which will be critical in combatting climate change. 5G is by far the most energy efficient of all the generations. It will be an enormous contributor to breaking the energy curve. By reducing network energy use, we can also help to reduce what is often businesse’s biggest operating cost. The shift to 5G brings an opportunity for companies to efficiently address the overall energy cost of the existing network by modernizing and replace old equipment. The latest radio equipment also opens up for a more energy efficient way to aggregate standards and utilize power down modes in a more strategic way. Billions of sensors in factories, cities, on farms and in our homes, provide us with the foundational elements to innovate and drive the required de-carbonization. This, enabled by 5G, will ultimately support a sustainable future for everyone.