8 myths about 5G

5G is the next generation of wireless broadband technology that will make a huge advance in global connectivity. Although this new technology will not be rolled out globally until 2020, the opportunities it will provide are exciting.

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The evolution of cellular mobile standards from 2G to 5G has brought about major changes in technology that have revolutionized the way people live and work. Virtually all devices with microprocessors in the world will be connected to the Internet in the future, and these devices rely on high-quality, fast and secure network connections.

Yet we are only beginning to understand the impact this new technology will have on business and society at large. Some of these benefits are obvious, others are more subtle.

And, with its development and the hype surrounding it, many myths have also arrived. Here are 8 common myths about 5G and the realities behind them:

1. Higher connection speed.

Providing high-speed data to users is one of its key goals, while low latency and high capacity are other key goals.

2. End-to-end latency is less than 1 millisecond.

Although the ultimate goal of 5G networks is to provide latency of less than 1 millisecond, the network will have to be fully deployed before that goal can be achieved.

3. Smartphones will dominate the 5G market.

Smartphones emerged during the 3G era and have exploded in popularity. However, 5G will not only enable faster and better smartphones, but will also bring mass consumer devices, sensors and applications for smart homes and cars, as well as other Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

4. It is only used for short-range, line-of-sight communications.

5G uses millimeter wave frequencies, which are ideal for short-range communications. However, ongoing experiments show that techniques such as beamforming can achieve greater coverage for users in challenging environments beyond line of sight.

5. It is only used in high frequency band.

While 5G will be deployed in very high millimeter wave frequency bands, it will also use lower band spectrum, both licensed and unlicensed.

6. 4G will be replaced.

5G will coexist with 4G for a long time to come. 4G can provide sufficient functions for many current applications such as voice, data and even the Internet of Things.

7. It will serve as the main connection method for the Internet of Things.

The low latency and high speed of 5G provide great development space for the Internet of Things, but there are other technologies that provide network connection services for the Internet of Things, such as LoRa and Sigfox for low-power wide area networks.

8. The main beneficiaries will be operators and suppliers.

Mobile network operators, network equipment manufacturers and smartphone manufacturers are the main business beneficiaries of 4G networks. However, 5G will transform many industries, including automobile manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, entertainment, health and medicine.

While the technologies that make up 5G are still being developed, it is clear that it will have three main use cases, these are:

• Enhanced Mobile Broadband (EMBB), which will provide us humans with a faster and more enjoyable network connection experience;
• Massive Machine Type Communications (MMTC), which will be developed in the frequency band below 6GHz and applied to large-scale Internet of Things. The most visible development is NB-IoT;
• and ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC), which will enable robotic surgery, autonomous driving, and even drone deliveries.

Based on these technological changes, the future will undoubtedly be exciting!