Hot Topic discussion MWC 2018 – 5G

5G: An introduction

Anyone familiar with 4G wireless connectivity will able to make an educated person to guess that 5G is set to be a faster, somehow better form of internet access.

The promise is that 5G technology will indeed increase data transfer speeds on your phone or tablet. Yet 5G’s potential extends far beyond faster film downloads and streaming. Telecom companies are investing great deals of money into overhauling wireless broadband to bring this next-generation network infrastructure to the masses.

5G: What is 5G? 

5G stands for “fifth generation”, in that it will be the fifth generation of mobile wireless systems. To put that in context, 1G is characterised as the mobile technology of the early 1990s, 2G is the first outings of system capable of carrying text messages between users, while 3G brought along with it the ability for users to browse the internet on their phones.

4G improved the performance of all those activities. Remember, we’re talking about standards for connectivity here, which in this case were laid out by the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). Two varieties of 4G developed, WiMax and LTE, both of which were eventually deemed to meet these standards (they didn’t actually meet the original criteria, but marketing pressures forced the ITU-R’s hand). 4G LTE (long term evolution) eventually emerged as the forerunner, and was adopted by the industry as the prevailing standard.