5G Network Everything There Is To Know

Published on August 9th, 2019

The much anticipated superfast 5G network could be launched this year and next year in some other countries. But what really is the 5G mobile internet? How fast is it? Will we need 5G compatible phone? Here’s everything you need to know.

1. What Is 5G?

It is the next 5th generation of mobile internet connectivity which promises much faster data download and upload speeds. It will offer a wider coverage and a more reliable and stable connections on mobile devices much more than previous generations like the creaking 3G and 4G.

5G networks will do more than just interconnect people. It will also interconnect and control machines, objects, and devices, delivering elevated levels of performance and efficiency that will empower new user experiences.

2. How Fast Is 5G?

The benchmark for wireless network performance is speed. Hence, the 5G download speed is expected to be 1000 times faster than 4G in future, reaching up to 10 Gbit/s. With this, you can download an entire HD (high-definition) film in less than 1 second. The table below well illustrates just how much faster 5G will be than existing networks.

At the moment, LTE is the fastest mobile network available and will still be available for consumers even after the introduction of 5G. It is worthy of note that the 5G network involves more than just speed though.

3. 5G More Than Just Speed

The upcoming 5G network is more than just how fast it will be. In addition to higher speed, it will provide ultra low latency, a prerequisite for real-time applications.

Latency is the response time, or how long a time it takes the network to respond when you click on a link or play a song or a video on your phone or load a website for example.

With current networks like 3G, lag time can last around 120 milliseconds. On the other hand, 4G takes less than that, as it is roughly between 15 and 60 milliseconds.

However, 5G deliver much lower response times as it will drop to just 1 millisecond, about the time it takes for a flash on a normal camera.

5G quicker response is critical for things like virtual reality, self-driving cars, and other machines and devices which need to respond to inputs and changes in situation immediately. At Acanac, we’re all about providing fast and stable internet service at better prices.

4. When Will 5G Launch?

If already bought a 5G compatible phone and live within a 5G coverage area, there is a possibility that you will be using this service before the end of 2019.

In the United States, phone carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon 5G is now live in certain cities. Canadians can anticipate the 5G networks starting in late 2019 to early 2020 or even 2021, according to an industry expert.

Meanwhile, China is also racing to launch this service in 2019 and its currently experimenting with ultra HD live drone broadcasts using 5G.

It is worthy of note, that previous generations of mobile networks took time to proliferate and the same can be expected of the new 5G network. While that is ongoing, the 4G LTE will continue serve in areas where there’s no 5G coverage.

5. Will, I Need A 5G Compatible Phone?

Yes! When 4G was introduced back in 2009/10, 4G compatible smart phones came onto the market long before the service was fully rolled out.

This resulted to frustration among some consumers who initially thought they were paying more in subscriptions for a patchy network.

This time, 5G smartphones are now available (Samsung S10 5G, LG V50 and Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 3 5G) since the new networks is almost ready. These next generation phones will be able to switch seamlessly between 4G and 5G networks for a more stable service.