5G technology is a new data transfer standard. Its main difference is speed: from 10 to 25 gigabits per second. For comparison, 3G data transfer rates range from 1 to 3 megabits per second, 4G – 1 gigabit per second.
Another plus is the high bandwidth, due to which the 5G signal will cover about a million devices per square kilometer of coverage while remaining resistant to overloads. The technology will reduce the time delay of communication from the sender to the recipient, which will improve the functionality, for example, of robots and uncrewed vehicles.
The negative difference will be the price of 5G. According to the operators, it can be at least twice the cost of 3 and 4G.
Who develops 5G?
The main competitors in the development and launch of 5G are telecommunications corporations in the United States and China.
In the States, they are Verizon and AT&T Inc. Behind two giants of American telecommunications breathing, Qualcomm, which is engaged in network equipment, software, and hardware. In 2018, she introduced processors for smartphones (Snapdragon) and laptops (Snapdragon 1000), designed to support the 5G network.
As for China, the communication operator China Unicom has already gone down in history as a participant in the first, albeit test, 5G call, made jointly with ZTE, one of the leaders in the production of telecommunications equipment in the Middle Kingdom. Two more operators contributed to the elaboration of technology: China Mobile and China Telecom. Both in 2017 carried out a pilot connection of 5G in selected cities of the country, developed their free networks, hinting that China is ready to move in the direction of 6G.
On the background of what is happening, the fact that the Republic of San Marino became the first European country with 5G coverage modestly recalls itself; in April 2018, the Italian telecommunications company TIM together with Nokia launched the technology in this tiny state.
What is the difficulty of starting 5G?
The main reason for this injustice is the lack of technology support by gadgets.
The first smartphone for the mass market, supporting 5G, can be considered the Motorola Z3. The model, which costs $ 500, was presented last summer. She is waiting in the wings, namely, the start of work of the American operator Verizon with the network of the new generation. Huawei demonstrates a whole 5G development strategy.
In 2018, the Chinese introduced modems that support data download speeds of up to 2 gigabits per second. At one of the conferences of the World Economic Forum in Davos, which runs from January 22 to 25, Huawei executives announced that in June 2019 their 5G smartphone would be released.
Xiaomi, an expert on smart devices, last fall presented the model Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, which also can work with a super-speed connection.
But many fans of the iPhone with the fast Internet will have to wait. Apple almost defiantly ignores the global trend, promising a 5G gadget only in the 2020th.
Samsung will soon announce a Galaxy S10 X model supporting 5G. The official presentation of the device is scheduled for February 20.
When and where will 5G appear?
In China, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Tianjin, like many other cities and provinces, have already appreciated the advantages of technology.
The 5G network, owned by American company AT & T Inc., was launched in test mode in Louisville, New Orleans, Dallas, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Houston, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, in late 2018. In the prime of the year, she planned to sell hot spots and new tariff plans. And Verizon Wireless offers its subscribers home 5G Internet with a monthly fee of $ 50-70.
The European Commission decided that by 2020 all EU countries should be provided with access to 5G. Italy and the UK have already tested the ultra-modern network. Deutsche Telekom promises to make Germany’s digital infrastructure more efficient with the help of 5G. The Spanish Telefonica already has a variety of elaborations and continues to test 5G.
This year, the French telecommunications group Orange has to launch a network in the seventeen largest cities in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, and Spain. In Norway, as well as in other countries of northern Europe, the new technology is developing rapidly. Scandinavians are very serious about the development of 5G, and user security.
Due to this, at the beginning of the year, the Government of the Kingdom of Norway refused to cooperate in this direction with Huawei, which was previously accused of transferring data to the Chinese intelligence services. South Korea, Australia, and Canada follow the global trend.