Why the 5G network could be so important?

If the specialists are to be believed, 5G is 'the next big thing', it is more than an upgrade of the 4G network. Operating from a distance or self-driving cars and drones that deliver packages all over the country. All of these things might be possible in the near future thanks to the 5G network. Contrary to popular belief, 5G is not just an upgrade of the current 4G network. It is a game changer.

Much faster than 4G

Everything starts with the speed of the internet connection. With every upgrade of the wireless network, we saw new applications. The arrival of 1G, the first cell phone grid in the 1980s, made sure that we could call each other. Thanks to 2G, in the 90s, we were able to send text messages to each other. 3G made sure that we could watch videos (in low quality). And the 4G network enabled us to stream and share videos in high quality. In other words: Facebook Live, Facetime, Tik Tok, Netflix and YouTube only got a huge boost with the arrival of 4G.

This self-driving van could deliver packages in a city

But how fast is 5G? According to specialists, 5G is 100 to 200 times faster than the 4G network. The current network has a speed of 100 megabits (Mbps) per second. 5G can handle speeds up to 20,000 Mbps. Gigantic speeds that are hard to grasp. You can download a movie in high resolution in just a few seconds with 5G. With 4G it takes about 10 minutes. Some even believe that 5G will bring revolutionary applications. Applications that we do not yet know.

There is also much less latency on the 5G network. 5G has a delay of 4 milliseconds, with 4G it is four times more. In this way, 5G enables to conduct operations from a distance. If a doctor on the other side of the world wants to perform an operation with a robot arm, it seems to me desirable for the patient that the robot arm carries out the instructions without delay.

The development of the self-driving car can also only be done with 5G. A self-driving car must transmit and process a lot of data during his ride. It's obvious that this is only possible with a network connection that is fast enough.

5G smartphones will be released this year

2019 is also the year that it is all hands on deck for smartphone producers. Samsung, number one in the world, launches the Galaxy S10 this month. This device will most likely contain a 5G chip. But also number 2, Huawei, doesn't sit still. At the end of this month, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Chinese smartphone builder will probably show a pliable device with a 5G chip. The same brand launches the P30 Pro in March, a device that will also contain a 5G chip. We have to wait and see what Apple does, but it seems that the Asian brands take the lead here.

Not only the smartphone builders are eagerly looking forward to 5G. There are many sectors that want to use the new technology. Just think about the port sector. Thanks to sensors on containers, they can determine where they are in real time.

5G also means geopolitics

The battle for 5G is not only conducted on a technological level. The tension between the US and China is also rising on a diplomatic level. The main producers of 5G networks are the Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE. It is just these companies that are sitting in the crosshairs of the American government. Especially Huawei needs to go down. That company may not sell 5G devices and smartphones in the US.

And the US is serious. It is now in Europe with a campaign "to warn their allies about the risks that a possible cooperation with Huawei entails." In other words, according to the Americans, the Chinese government can use Huawei 5G equipment to spy on us.

Huawei emphasizes that it has no ties with the government. The company also wants to cooperate in all transparency with the European authorities to show that there is no espionage.

Meanwhile, about 12 European countries have auctioned the licenses. The UK is starting in August with the rollout of 5G in a number of cities. The US, China and South Korea are already working on the installation of the network of the future. Exciting!