Here we all were, perfectly happy with our cell phones with their perfectly adequate 4G speeds. And now, it seems like we all keep hearing about this new 5G technology for wireless mobile devices all over the place, but few seem to know what it is or what it will be used for.
5G—What it Really Is
5G is a new cellular generation, much like the previous generations of 2G, 3G, and 4G. However, this generation is expected to enable a new kind of network that is designed to connect everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices all virtually.
It can send data at much faster speeds than the previous 4G and 3G networks. For example, VoIP services did not work well on a 3G network because of speed issues but worked much better once the 4G network was created at 100Mbps. However, there were still concerns of lag which affected traffic. Now with services such as Vonage 5G, those concerns will be a thing of the past.
Faster Than Wi-fi
While wi-fi is usually very fast, it can be slowed down by others using the same network at the same time. 5G is supposed to be even faster by transmitting larger amounts of data more efficiently and cutting through network congestion. You can expect a stronger, faster connection via 5G because it was designed for peak data rates up to 20 Gbps.
In 4G, a set amount of bandwidth is used regardless of the amount of traffic it encounters, slowing things down the more traffic comes through. With 5G, even if there is a large amount of congestion on the bandwidth, it can be adjusted to keep things moving quickly.
How Businesses Can Use
5G will actually have the biggest impact on businesses, especially those who use or are thinking of switching to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) such as Vonage 5G services. With 5G, it is expected that there will be higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, lower latency (a.k.a. lag), more reliability, massive network capacity, and increased availability.
Once the switch to 5G is made, businesses will see enhanced efficiency while also getting faster access to more information. 5G will also help businesses connect to those in remote or hard-to-access locations and businesses and consumers in rural areas.
What Consumers Can Do
According to Qualcomm.com, the average cellular consumer is expected to go from consuming approximately 2.3 GB of data per month to consuming at least 11 GB on their smartphones. The main benefit of 5G is the reduction of lag aka latency over cellular networks for things such as VoIP services like Vonage 5G, and streaming and/or gaming services.
Lower lag rates will help make virtual reality viewing more seamless while reduced lag can also help with online gaming. The reduction in latency will also allow all internet connected devices to talk to one another immediately.
5G Is Available Now
Although 5G is still not available everywhere just yet, it is available now through several cellular phone services. At first, the differences might not be discernable, but will be more noticeable as more and more 5G towers are built around the world.
As of April 2020, 5G is available in 33 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan. There are also several new mobile phones out on the market today as well as multiple cellular carriers who support the 5G wireless network.
