The fifth-generation technology, also known as 5G, is a technology standard for broadband cellular networks that came into deployment in 2019 and is still in development. Many cellular companies worldwide are deploying 5G and are predicted to have more than 1.7 billion subscribers worldwide by 2025.
5G networks are cellular networks with higher download speeds and higher bandwidth. They can be connected to more devices, improving the quality of the internet. All 5G devices have fixed antennas communicating via radio waves with cellular base stations. 5G networks can operate on three frequency bands – low, medium, and high.
Low-band 5G uses a similar frequency range to that of the 4G networks and has only around 600-900 MHz, giving slightly more speed than 4G networks (30-250 megabits per second). Mid band 5G uses 1.7-4.7 GHz microwaves, which allows them to get speeds around from 100-900 megabits per second. It is speedy compared to 4G networks. This is one of the most common and widely deployed band levels worldwide in 2020. And finally, the 5G uses frequencies of around 24-47 GHz, which allows it to have a download speed of gigabit per second. This higher band 5G is very, very fast and also very expensive. Due to the higher cost, they are only deployed in urban crowded areas like sports stadiums, convention centres and big companies.
Some of the advantages of the 5G network over the 4G network:
- Speed: 5G is probably the fastest cellular network, ranging from 50 megabits per second to almost 1,000 megabits per second or, let’s say, 1 gigabit per second. Mid band 5G is the most common among them, which has an average speed between 100 to 1,400 megabits per second and can reach much farther than the mmWave, which has a short range. Similarly, low-band 5G has the most incredible range, but its speed is slower than the other two mid and higher bands 5G.
- Latency: Latency is the time delay it takes for a data packet to travel from one designated point to another. Lower latency means we have a good and robust, and reliable network connection. Latency in 4G networks is reported to be around 60 ms to 98 ms whereas, in 5G networks, it is only 30ms. And it will further reduce if our edge server is close to the 5G network towers. Switching to a 5G network from a 4G network will allow us to have less latency which eventually helps in our time delays. Low latency is very helpful to industries that rely on real-time applications like stock trading, navigating, banking, etc., streamers and gamers for a better experience.
- Error rate: 5G has almost zero error rate. They use adaptive modulation and coding schemes to keep the error rate extremely low if an error rate crosses their low threshold. The transmitter will automatically switch to a lower modulation and coding scheme, which will help prevent the error. This makes 5G better network than 4G networks and error-free.
- Range: 5G networks have three band levels with three different range types. The higher band network, mmWave, has a very high speed but lower range than its two mid-band and lower-band networks. The mid-band network has good coverage but is a little slower than the high band 5G network but faster than the lower-band network. Finally, the lower-band network has the best range but less speed than the other bands’ 5G networks. Even though the lower band 5G network is slower than the other two band networks, it is still faster than the 4G network.
Drawbacks of 5G Networks:
- Limited global coverage: 5G networks are costly and have only a limited global range, and as a result, only particular places like cities and town areas can benefit from it. Remote areas might not get 5G coverage for some years until there is a good change in its range.
- Upload speeds don’t match download speeds: 5G networks have high download speeds. In some cases, they can download 1 gigabit per second and up to 1.9 gigabits per second. But their upload speeds are way lower than that of their upload speeds. Upload speeds are rarely more than 100 megabits per second. However, even with just 100 Mbps, it is still faster than 4G LTE networks with just around 40 Mbps.
- Weakened device batteries: Another major blow to 5G networks is that they consume many batteries. The cellular devices we have now drink lots of batteries, and if we switch on 5G, it will consume more batteries. Not only does 5G drains lots of batteries on mobile devices, but it also reduces the battery’s lifespan to a large extent. And also, the cellular devices operating on 5G networks are getting increasingly hot. Either they need to bring a drastic change in 5G, or manufacturers need to invest in new battery technology to protect the battery from damages and other related problems.
- Obstructions can impact connectivity: One of the major problems for 5G networks is that they have short-range frequency waves and can cover only a short distance. Added to this setback, even some physical objects or obstructions like houses and trees can cause disturbance in their frequency. To solve this problem, the telecom industry is rolling out more cell towers or extending them to increase the broadcast distance. But adding more cell towers is costly so customers might bear the big pricing tags.
After the emergence of covid-19, there has been debate over 5G technology. Some argue that it has been the subject of health concerns because of the relationship with Chinese vendors and misinformation that even includes conspiracy theories linking it to the covid-19 pandemic. Still, research has shown none of these things relates to covid-19 emergence. Despite some of the flaws explained in the above paragraph and these conspiracy claims, 5G of mobile technology is still a superior communication network that delivers high speed, coverage and reliability with almost zero errors. There is no denying that.
