The 5G network is expected to go live by 2020, here is what it means for you

THE 5G network is on track to be delivered to Aussie customers in the foreseeable future, and it will change the way we live our lives.

Wait. You’re telling me a cellular network can download a movie in just seconds.

AN EXPLOSION in mobile data traffic means demand for a new generation of wireless infrastructure has never been higher.

Thankfully, the telecommunications industry is working hard to ensure the future of mobile communications vastly improves what we experience today.

The future is so good, in fact, it will be theoretically possible to download a high-definition movie in mere seconds.

The solution will come in the form of the proposed “5G” wireless network service.

With rollouts expected to begin in high-density, urban hotpots by 2018, the fifth generation of wireless technology promises to leap ahead of the current 4G network.

But what exactly is 5G and how will it impact the way we engage with technology?

That question is difficult to answer as telecommunications manufacturers and tech giants are yet to agree on the metrics that will define the global standard for the 5G network.

Despite negotiations expected to take until the turn of the decade, the industry can all agree the next phase of wireless technology will need to beat its predecessor by offering faster speeds and lower latency — a shorter time interval between sending and receiving data.

5G researcher Rahim Tafazolli said the technology was on the verge of becoming mainstream.

“A lot of the technology already works in a laboratory environment,” he toldEconomic Times. “Now, we just have to prove it works in real life.”

When the technology becomes readily available, it is expected to have drastic impacts on three major sectors.

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT

The introduction of ultra-HD video quality and the rise of online streaming is one major trend that will benefit from the introduction of a new generation of wireless infrastructure.

With 5G predicted to offer speeds as high as 10 gigabits per second, the service will be up to 100 times faster than the current 4G network and also faster than pre-existing broadband.

While the current 4G offering of speeds more than 15 megabits per second is fast enough to stream songs off Apple Music, stream video content from Netflix or browse the internet, the introduction of 5G will offer a whole new plethora of opportunities.

However, none are more appealing than the ability to download ultra high-definition movies or television seasons, almost instantaneously.

DRIVERLESS CARS

With experts predicting self-driving cars to be used on Australian roads by as soon 2020, the push for 5G technology has never been more important.

To live up to the promise of reducing accidents and saving lives, it will be essential for the technology to communicate with its surroundings in real time.

According to an industry report from CTIA, the nature of 5G should provide such capabilities.

“A self-driving car travelling at roughly 60mph will move just over one inch from the time it identifies an obstacle to the time when the braking command is executed. This performance is comparable to a standard anti-lock braking system,” the report read.

“By contrast, with the latency on a 4G LTE network, the car would move 4.6 feet under the same conditions.”

A CONNECTED WORLD

With the “internet of things” continuing to evolve, we are seeing a whole world of connected devices such as wearables, household gadgets and sensors embedded in industrial products.

According to tech giant Intel, there will be more than 50 billion connected devices and systems worldwide by 2020.

While each of these connected devices might not use much data individually, combined they become sapping on bandwidth.

The introduction of the 5G will see the cellular network shift from a personal communications platform to a computing platform offering universal connectivity.

As the 5G network will offer lower latency, there will be little to no delay between data requests from these devices.

This will be especially vital as virtual reality becomes standard in homes across the globe, as lower latency will offer seamless streaming, which will remove the nauseating feeling often associated with the technology.

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