5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology, designed to increase speed, reduce latency, and improve flexibility of wireless services. It is the successor to 4G technology and provides connectivity to most current mobile devices. Like its predecessors, 5G networks are cellular networks, in which the service area is divided into small geographical areas called cells. All 5G wireless devices in a cell are connected to the Internet and telephone network by radio waves through a local antenna in the cell. Some key features of 5G include:
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Higher download speeds: 5G networks have a peak speed of 10 gigabits per second (Gbit/s) when there is only one user in the network, and a theoretical peak speed of 20 Gbps.
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Lower latency: 5G enables data to travel from one place to another with a significantly shorter delay between data submission and arrival.
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Increased capacity: 5G can provide high speeds, low latency, and massive capacity, offering the potential to change what you experience with your mobile device.
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Virtualization and software-driven: 5G networks are virtualized and software-driven, and they exploit cloud technologies.
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Support for the Internet of Things (IoT): 5G supports the wireless connection of several thousands of smart devices like cameras and sensors to automatically collect data in real-time.
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Software-defined platforms: 5G architectures will be software-defined platforms, in which networking functionality is managed through software rather than hardware.
5G technology works by modifying how data is encoded, significantly increasing the number of usable airwaves for carriers. Cell sites connect to networks with wireless technology or wired connection. 5G networks are expected to power the Fourth Industrial Revolution, enabling new applications and use cases such as autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, and smart cities.
