The first commercial 5G networks started being deployed in 2019.
Below, we list a few ways it matters for more than downloading funny cat pictures faster than ever.
Carriers advertised the same as they’re doing now: higher speeds and not much more.
What isn’t really being advertised are advantages that go beyond speed.
Lower latency times and higher number of connected terminals are the most important evolutions from 4G to 5G.
And what do the differences between 4G and 5G mean for most people?
Regarding smartphones, not muchbetter online gaming, perhaps.
But for communications as a whole,5G really changes the world.
5G Beyond Smartphones: Autonomous Systems
The idea of self-driving cars isn’t new.
We’ve been hearing about that possibility, in the real world or science fiction, for decades now.
But the actual technology never seems to reallypun intendedspeed up.
That’s where 5G advancements come in.
That’s not the only use for autonomous systems, though.
Smart Cities Will Rely on 5G
That brings us to the second topic: smart cities.
Remember the real-time traffic lights above?
They’re just the tip of the iceberg.
How about urban plumbing that can tell the sewer pressure is abnormal days before it overflows?
Bus or train lines showing exactly how crowded they are before you leave home?
Light poles warning about a dead lamp without anyone needing to call the company?
The possibilities are endless.
Just as before, if one use benefits from real-time monitoring, it benefits from 5G advancements.
From a broken pathway to emergency services, from food delivery to traffic jams.
You may not have heard about the latter, but the former surely grasped your attention somewhere.
or Wi-Fi hotspots (for smart home appliances) and Bluetooth (wearables).
This might change with 5G networks.
As important as latency, here, is the number of connected terminals.
It can get overloaded quite quickly.
Price was always on the higher side, too.
Sure, unlimited data plans are a thing, but not everywhere.
This is slowly changing, however.
While this isn’t an issue of the past right now, things are definitely getting better.
Because they’ve been perfected over the years, improving reliability.
While 5G won’t turn walkie-talkies totally obsolete anytime soon, it surely can help with life-saving communications.
That’s basically what everyone will see in billboards, online banners, and other forms of advertising.
Carriers do want their share of your hard-earned money, after all.
