Impact on consumers
For consumers, the advantages of 5G are obvious from the start. First of all, enhanced mobile broadband and optical-fiber-like speeds and data volumes will mean lightning-fast downloads of films and videos. 5G data rates are up to 100 times faster than 4G.
Connectivity will be stronger, more stable, and more secure for any type of streaming activity. Network latency has been dramatically reduced to 1-10ms. and, added to improved network slicing, being in a large crowd of mobile users will cease to be a problem. Sport stadium visitors, for example, will now finally be able to enjoy an uninterrupted, personalized multi-media experience from their seat.
There are also countless practical advantages of 5G for consumers, from making autonomous vehicles safer and widely available to top doctors performing highly complex surgeries remotely.
A brief history of mobile communications
Mobile communications initially grew from the desire for real-time information in the commercial and governmental spheres. Shipping, for instance, was an early adopter of “ship-to-shore” connectivity technology, and military spending largely financed the “walkie-talkie”.
But one of the main drivers in the recent evolution of mobile telecommunications is its popularity. People are social and like being connected. And they seem to have an insatiable interest in finding new ways to do that, both with other people and with the world around them.
These days, the developmental history of the phenomenon has been retrofitted into a generational scheme, the highlights of which are:
0G: The earliest days of mobile service were ”pre-cellular”
1G: Mobile voice calls via analog cellular networks
2G: Mobile voice calls and text-messaging via digital cellular technology
3G: Higher data transfer capacity and speed allowing mobile Internet browsing
4G: This is what most of us use now, allowing us to stream films, use gaming services, and hold video conferencing
5G: The next level, basically: more, better, faster, everywhere