The world has been waiting for an upgrade in cellular networks where we can have internet connection with extremely fast connectivity. And here it is. The 5G network. This article would give you a full explanation of what the 5G network is all about.
What Is 5G?
5G is the fifth generation standard for cellular networks. It is a new global wireless standard after 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. It is a successor to 4G network not a replacement like 4G was to 3G. 5G is a new network that is mobilized to greatly increase the speed and responsiveness of cellular networks. It connects practically everyone and everything together including machines, objects, computers, and devices.
It uses d macro cells, small cells and in-building systems to improve the total connection of your cellular data. The increased spectrum enables 5G to have more users, data and faster connections with less bandwidth throttling, massive network capacity, increased availability, higher performance and improved efficiency power.
5G technology has a peak speed of 20 gigabits per second (Gbps), while the peak speed of 4G is only 1 Gbps. Such a great difference, right? These speeds are beyond wireless network speed and it offers a latency of below 5 milliseconds or even lower. It is faster than all the existing networks. It has a higher bandwidth and can connect more different devices, improving the quality of internet services in crowded areas.
What Makes Up 5G?
5G is based on OFDM which stands for Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing which is a way of reducing interference by modulating digital signals across several different channels. The 5G network uses 5G NR air interface with the OFDM principle. Similar to 4G LTE, 5G OFDM operates with the same mobile principle. The 5G NR air interface can improve OFDM to deliver a better degree of flexibility.
There is a wider bandwidth in 5G which expands the usage of spectrum resources. 5G can be operated in lower bands and mmWave. The 5G network would not only deliver faster service but would also expand brand new service areas.
Differences Between 5G and Previous Mobile Network Generations
Let’s check out the differences between the 5G network and the previous mobile network generation.
The first thing to know is that G stands for Generation. Each generation is a set of telephone network standards that factors the technological performance of a particular mobile phone system.
Speed
The speed is one major area that can’t be overlooked when comparing 5G to the previous mobile network. When speed increases, the technology used to get that speed would also change. For example, 1G speed is 2.4kbps, 2G-64kbps, 3G-144kbps to 2mbps while 4G is 100Mbps to 1Gbps. 5G speed offers a 20Gbps as mentioned above earlier. The great difference in speed is from the use of a whole new range of frequencies. This great speed allows devices to transmit larger volumes of data at a faster rate on a 5G network. 5G speed greatly supersedes that of 4G. A file that can take you 30 minutes to download with a 4G network would be downloaded in seconds on 5G. Not only would individual internet users enjoy this extraordinary difference but also all other sectors. It will improve the performance of business applications as well as digital experience like self-driving cars, online gaming and also videoconferencing.
Latency
Latency can be said to be the time taken to send data from one device to another. It is the amount of data that can be transmitted to a network within a specific period of time. It is the speed it takes to download or upload data on a network. Latency is usually measured in milliseconds. Previous network worked with a latency of about 50ms but when it comes to 5G, there is almost nothing like latency. 5G can work with a latency as low as 1ms.
Capacity
Another difference which is one of the reasons why the 5G network is still existing despite how immature it is, is the capacity. The previous generations are running out of capacity because it has been stretched beyond its capacity all over the world and it is so congested that even 4G works like a 2G or 3G network. But with 5G, that isn’t the case because it has a larger bandwidth. It uses a wider range of spectrum. 5G’s network capacity is significantly greater than that of previous network generations.
Capability
Each previous generation of mobile network was made to replace the other. They were focused on delivering faster mobile services. Especially the replacement of 3G to 4G. But 5G is designed to be a unified, more capable network that would elevate mobile broadband mobiles and also support new services.
We now have an idea of what the 5G network is all about. From what it is, how fast it is to what makes it up to its purpose and how better it is to all the other generations of mobile network even 4G. Now let’s look at how it works
How 5G Works
5G uses radio frequencies also known as spectrum just like the same way these radio frequencies are used by wireless communication systems to carry information through the air. Just that 5G uses a higher one. This allows it to carry information at a very faster rate. These bands are termed “millimeter waves(mmWaves)”. They weren’t used before but had but regulators have opened them up for licensing. They weren’t in use because the apparatus to use them was very expensive and inaccessible.
Even though higher bands are faster at carrying information, there could be problems while sending them over far distances. This is because they can easily be blocked by physical objects like buildings. The only way to get around this problem is to use multiple input and output antennae to improve signals and capacity across the wireless network. This 5G network would also have to use smaller transmitters that are placed on buildings and street furniture, unlike the previous versions which used masts.
5G uses massive MIMO(multi input, multi output) antennas that have very large antenna elements or connections to send and receive more data simultaneously. It allows more people to connect to the network to transfer more data at the same time and maintain a throughput without interruptions.
The 5G network isn’t only about the new radio spectrum alone. It has been designed to support a converged homogeneous network which is a combination of licensed and unlicensed technologies. The5G is a software defined platform where networking functionality is managed thr6 software instead of hardware. The cloud based technology has made the 5G network agile and flexible and to get to users anytime and anywhere they are.
The 5G network also enables digital experience through machine learning (ML) enabled automation. The 5G networks enlist automation with ML and deep learning and artificial intelligence as a result of the demand for internet response in milliseconds such as the self-driving cars.
The 5G network is really such a great deal indeed.