What is 5G? What it is, why it's important and when it will arrive in the UK
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Loading... - Daisy Chapman
- 29 Oct 2021
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It’s a term that being banded about by tech firms around the world - but what actually is 5G?
5G is short for ‘fifth generation mobile network ’, and is the successor of 4G.
To help you understand what 5G is, and what it means to you, we’ve put together a handy guide on the network.
Here’s everything you need to know.
What is 5G?
5G is short for ‘fifth generation mobile network.’
At its most basic level, 5G will be used to make calls, send texts, and to simply get online.
But it’s going to be significantly faster than previous generations, and could open the door up to a range of exciting new uses.
How does 5G work?
5G will use new higher radio frequencies to transmit data, which are less cluttered and carry information much faster.
While these higher bands are faster, they don’t carry information as far.
This means that smaller multiple input and output antennas will be implemented - boosting both signals and capacity.
According to 5G.co.uk, this means 5G will support up to 1,000 more devices per metre than 4G.
5G will also allow operators to take divide a physical network up into multiple virtual networks, depending on how it’s being used.
For example, different ‘slices’ could be used for phones and autonomous cars.
Why is it better than 4G?
5G is expected to be faster than 4G, with some firms claiming it could as much as 100 times quicker.
The fastest 4G networks can deliver peak download speeds of around 300Mbit/s. In comparison 5G could offer download speeds of over 1Gb/s.
In a real-life scenario, this could allow you to download a full HD film in less than 10 seconds!
5G is also expected to have a lower latency, meaning there will very little - if any - delay when you carry out tasks on a device.
While this will help improve things like gaming experiences, it could also pave the way for self-driving cars - in which even a short delay could be life-saving.
Finally, 5G will have a larger capacity, meaning networks will be able to cope with several apps at once.
Overall, this should mean that devices have a faster, more stable connection.
When will 5G arrive in the UK?
Several tech firms including EE and O2 have announced that they will launch 5G networks this year, or early next year.
In fact, EE recently kicked off 5G trials in the UK with a demonstration of the technology in London's Canary Wharf.
However, it could be a while before we see 5G across the UK.
The government’s 5G strategy suggests that a UK rollout will begin at the end of 2019 or in 2020.
How will 5G affect you?
Day-to-day, 5G will mean that downloading and streaming films and games will be significantly faster - and you can wave goodbye to the dreaded ‘buffering.’
However, to get on board, you’ll probably need a new phone which is 5G capable.
Qualcomm has announced that its Snapdragon X50 5G chip is being implemented in several smartphones next year - although it is unclear which models.
Other ways that 5G will affect you may sound more futuristic, but could soon become the norm.
The mobile network will pave the way for several technologies, including more advance robots, holographic videos, and driverless cars.
However, only time will tell, and we’ll have to see what 5FG brings when it arrives.
