5G networks will provide Internet access at very high speeds – 10 times faster than 4G. The figure will be even higher than many wired home connections.
To use 5G Internet, you need to purchase a new phone that supports new generation standards. And it’s likely that 5G-equipped smartphones won’t be available until 5G networks are ready, around the end of 2019. And the new generation of devices will automatically switch between 4G and 5G networks.
5G internet on phone
Like other types of wireless communications, 5G sends and receives data using radio frequencies. However, unlike what we are used to with 4G, 5G networks use higher frequencies (millimeter waves) to achieve ultra-fast speeds.
It is predicted that by 2023 there will be 10 billion connections to mobile networks and the 5G Internet in the world,” says Semyon Makarov, lead engineer at the Troika telecommunications company.
To connect to 5G internet on a phone, two things are needed: a 5G network and a phone that can connect to the next generation network. The first is still in development, but manufacturers are already announcing the introduction of technology in their new devices. As in the case of LTE, the modem is integrated into the chipset of a 5G phone. And three companies have already announced work on creating hardware for 5G – Intel, MTK and Qualcomm.
Qualcomm is a leader in this field and has already introduced the X50 modem, the capabilities of which have already been demonstrated, and the solution itself is announced in the Snapdragon 855 processor, which potentially makes future smartphones with this chipset the best 5G phones. Chinese MTK is developing a modem for budget devices, after the appearance of which the prices of smartphones with 5G should fall. And Intel 8161 is being prepared for Apple products. In addition to these three players, a solution from Huawei should enter the market.
5G internet on laptop
In the US, 5G internet for laptops and PCs has been launched by telecom operator Verizon in test mode. The service is called 5G Home.
As with standard cable internet, the user has a home 5G modem that connects to Verizon’s servers. After that, he can connect this modem to the router and other devices so that they can access the Internet. This 5G modem sits by a window and communicates wirelessly with Verizon. There is also an external modem that can be installed outside if the reception is not good.
For users, Verizon is promising typical speeds of around 300Mbps and peak speeds of up to 1Gbps (1000Mbps). The mass launch of the service is planned for 2019, the monthly cost will be about $70 per month (about 5 rubles).
In Our Country, the 5G network is still being tested in Skolkovo, the service is not available to ordinary consumers.
5G internet on tablet
Tablets with 5G support will also include a new generation modem on board. There are no such devices on the market yet, all of them will begin to appear in 2019-2020.
True, Samsung has already successfully tested 5G on experimental tablets. The test was conducted at a stadium in the Japanese city of Okinawa, which can accommodate 30 fans. During the experiment, video in 4K was continuously broadcast simultaneously to several 5G devices located in the stadium, using millimeter waves.
5G and health
The debate about the impact of 5G on the health of people and animals has not subsided so far, but meanwhile there is not a single scientifically based evidence of such harm. Where do such beliefs come from?