What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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PeteC
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What is 5G and what impact will it have?

Post by PeteC »

This is the first of a five part series published by the BBC to help people understand what is coming and how it will affect our lives. I'll try to remember to check their site periodically for future installments and post. Anything you read concerning implementation you can add 3 to 5 years to it before we'll see it here in Thailand. Photos and video at the link. Pete :cheers:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44871448
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Superfast "fifth generation 5G" mobile internet could be launched as early as next year in some countries, promising download speeds 10 to 20 times faster than we have now.

But what difference will it really make to our lives? Will we need new phones? And will it solve the "notspot" issue for people in remote areas?

In the first of a five-part series examining the impact 5G could have around the world, Technology of Business tackles the basic questions.

What is 5G exactly?

It's the next - fifth-generation of mobile internet connectivity promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections.

It's all about making better use of the radio spectrum and enabling far more devices to access the mobile internet at the same time.

What will it enable us to do?

"Whatever we do now with our smartphones we'll be able to do faster and better," says Ian Fogg from OpenSignal, a mobile data analytics company.

"Think of smart glasses featuring augmented reality, mobile virtual reality, much higher quality video, the internet of things making cities smarter.

"But what's really exciting is all the new services that will be built that we can't foresee."

Imagine swarms of drones co-operating to carry out search and rescue missions, fire assessments and traffic monitoring, all communicating wirelessly with each other and ground base stations over 5G networks.

Similarly, many think 5G will be crucial for autonomous vehicles to communicate with each other and read live map and traffic data.

More prosaically, mobile gamers should notice less delay - or latency - when pressing a button on a controller and seeing the effect on screen. Mobile videos should be near instantaneous and glitch-free. Video calls should become clearer and less jerky. Wearable fitness devices could monitor your health in real time, alerting doctors as soon as any emergency arises.

How does it work?

There are a number of new technologies likely to be applied - but standards haven't been hammered out yet for all 5G protocols. Higher-frequency bands - 3.5GHz (gigahertz) to 26GHz and beyond - have a lot of capacity but their shorter wavelengths mean their range is lower - they're more easily blocked by physical objects.

So we may see clusters of smaller phone masts closer to the ground transmitting so-called "millimetre waves" between much higher numbers of transmitters and receivers. This will enable higher density of usage. But it's expensive and telecoms companies are not wholly committed yet.

Is it very different to 4G?

Yes, it's a brand new radio technology, but you might not notice vastly higher speeds at first because 5G is likely to be used by network operators initially as a way to boost capacity on existing 4G (LTE - Long-Term Evolution) networks, to ensure a more consistent service for customers. The speed you get will depend on which spectrum band the operator runs the 5G technology on and how much your carrier has invested in new masts and transmitters.

So how fast could it be?

The fastest current 4G mobile networks offer about 45Mbps (megabits per second) on average, although the industry is still hopeful of achieving 1Gbps (gigabit per second = 1,000Mbps). Chipmaker Qualcomm reckons 5G could achieve browsing and download speeds about 10 to 20 times faster in real-world (as opposed to laboratory) conditions.

Imagine being able to download a high-definition film in a minute or so.

This is for 5G networks built alongside existing 4G LTE networks. Standalone 5G networks, on the other hand, operating within very high frequencies (30GHz say) could easily achieve gigbabit-plus browsing speeds as standard. But these aren't likely to come in until a few years later.

Why do we need it?

The world is going mobile and we're consuming more data every year, particularly as the popularity of video and music streaming increases. Existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns in service, particularly when lots of people in the same area are trying to access online mobile services at the same time. 5G is much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, from mobiles to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights.

When is it coming?

Most countries are unlikely to launch 5G services before 2020, but Qatar's Ooredoo says it has already launch a commercial service, while South Korea is aiming to launch next year, with its three largest network operators agreeing to kick off at the same time. China is also racing to launch services in 2019.

Meanwhile, regulators around the world have been busy auctioning off spectrum to telecoms companies, who've been experimenting with mobile phone makers on new services.

Will I need a new phone?

Yes, I'm afraid so. But when 4G was introduced in 2009/10, compatible smart phones came onto the market before the infrastructure had been rolled out fully, leading to some frustration amongst consumers who felt they were paying more in subscriptions for a patchy service.

This time, says Ian Fogg, phone makers are unlikely to make the same mistake, launching 5G handsets only when the new networks are ready, probably towards the end of 2019. These next generation phones will be able to switch seamlessly between 4G and 5G networks for a more stable service.

Will it mean the end of fixed line services?

In a word, no. Telecoms companies have invested too much in fibre optic and copper wire fixed line broadband to give those up in a hurry. Domestic and office broadband services will be primarily fixed line for many years to come, although so-called fixed wireless access will be made available in tandem.

However good wireless connectivity becomes, many prefer the stability and certainty of physical wires.

Think of 5G mobile as a complementary service for when we're out and about, interacting with the world around us. It will also facilitate the much-heralded "internet of things".

Will it work in rural areas?

Lack of signal and low data speeds in rural areas is a common complaint in the UK and many other countries. But 5G won't necessarily address this issue as it will operate on high-frequency bands - to start with at least - that have a lot of capacity but cover shorter distances. 5G will primarily be an urban service for densely populated areas.

Lower-frequency bands (600-800Mhz typically) are better over longer distances, so network operators will concentrate on improving their 4G LTE coverage in parallel with 5G roll-out.

But commercial reality means that for some people in very remote areas, connectivity will still be patchy at best without government subsidy making it worthwhile for network operators to go to these places.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

Post by RCer »

Good find and good and good read.

Being in the industry since the mobile phone was a regular looking hand set attached to a 20 pound 2 way radio, its been amazing to see the leaps in technology.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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The fastest current 4G mobile networks offer about 45Mbps (megabits per second) on average,
My 4G phone comes in at just below 100 Mbps and the laptop at around 120 Mbps.

A 2 GB movie downloads in 3 to 5 mins.

But of course that's through my own wifi rather than a mobile network. I do have AIS mobile internet, however I'm on auto-connect on so many bars and restaurants that the mobile network rarely kicks in.

5G would have to be something special to warrant the upgrade.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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I'd just like dtac to be able to download a video or music to my laptop without stopping and starting every 10 seconds.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

Post by margaretcarnes »

I've just had to upgrade my wifi to a 4G tariff in the UK. The wifi router was using an out of date 3G sim and had slowed almost to a stop. It took an awful lot of fault reports to my provider that got nowhere until they realised my 3G tariff had become defunct, but I hadn't been notified that I needed to increase. So the same thing could well happen again with 5G.
No complaints about speeds now, but have to watch my usage as anything used over the 5 gig allowance will be charged at mega rates. That's how they make their money.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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Superfast 5G mobiles move a step closer

An auction of frequencies for the next generation of mobile phone networks has raised £1.36bn, says regulator Ofcom.

Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three all won the bandwidth needed for the future 5G mobile internet services, which are not expected to be launched until 2020.

It is expected that 5G will provide much faster connections than the existing system.

In particular, Ofcom said going online from mobiles would be "quicker and easier" on 5G.

Telefónica, which owns O2, also bought additional frequency for its 4G coverage, which will improve existing connectivity for customers.

What is 5G?
5G will vastly improve data speeds on mobile devices and will help free up much-needed bandwidth. It could also help driverless cars to communicate with traffic lights and other vehicles to anticipate traffic conditions and avoid collisions.

Ofcom auctioned two spectrum bands: 3.4GHz, which is one of the spectrum bands earmarked for 5G, and 2.3 GHz, which is used by current mobile networks and will help improve 4G capacity.

The 3.4GHz spectrum band is "hugely important" for 5G, said Bengt Nordstrom of telecoms consultancy Northstream as it lets operators add extra capacity to their existing networks without too many new base stations.

EE, Vodafone, Three and 02 all successfully bid for 3.4GHz spectrum band and O2 also also bought some 2.4GHz spectrum band, which will improve 4G availability.

Digital minister Margot James said the spectrum would be instrumental in improving 4G services while "helping the UK to lead the 5G revolution".

When will I be able to get it?
5G is not expected to roll out widely to mobiles before 2020, but there will be plenty of testing before that, including at tourist hotspots in Bristol and Bath.

Analyst Matthew Howett, founder of research firm Assembly, thinks most customers will not see 5G any time soon.

"Everyone is getting a bit ahead of themselves," he said, "but the industry hasn't yet agreed on how it will be different from 4G".

Mr Howett said it would mean "faster, more reliable connection", but added: "My view is, it's a way off."

He added: "All they are buying is essentially the airwaves that are all around us and have existed since the Big Bang, because there is only a finite amount."

What happens next?
In the second half of 2019, Ofcom will also auction spectrum in the 700MHz band, but this will come with a caveat: the need to improve 4G coverage first.

"To ensure widespread improvements in mobile coverage across the UK, we are proposing to attach coverage obligations to some of the licences we will award for the 700 MHz band," Ofcom said.

"These obligations will require winning bidders to roll out improved mobile coverage in rural areas and the nations."

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-43653418
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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West Midlands 5G 'testbed' to trial connected ambulances


High-speed mobile internet is expected to revolutionise healthcare and public transport in a "testbed" region of the UK.

The West Midlands has been chosen as the UK's first 5G area, testing the technology before a national rollout.

Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton will receive up to £75m of public investment to develop 5G coverage.

Plans for 5G include using live video streaming to provide specialist advice to ambulance paramedics.

Digital Minister Margot James said the new technology would "transform" daily life.

Technology projects using 5G are expected to begin early next year, with the focus in the West Midlands on health, construction and automotive sectors.

Further to plans for video links in ambulances, there are also plans for emergency consultations for hospital outpatients to be carried out remotely online too.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DDCMS) said this will be more convenient for patients and will allow them to watch back appointments.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) will also work with car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover to develop driverless cars and autonomous vehicles, which it said will "transform the way we travel".

It is hoped 5G technology will improve traffic flow and reduce accidents for public transport.

There are also plans to live stream CCTV footage from buses to enable police to work more quickly to stop anti-social behaviour.

"The potential of this technology is endless," West Midlands Metropolitan Mayor Andy Street said, calling it "game-changing".

"This will be the backbone of our future economy and society," he said.

Vodafone, EE, O2 and Three all won the bandwidth needed for the future 5G mobile internet services at an auction in April, but it is not expected to roll out widely to mobiles before 2020.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-birmingham-45406607
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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Note: This thread won't be Thailand specific as there is nothing happening here, yet. Whereas we have a lot of guests reading the forum daily and the majority are from the UK, so it is a source of information for them. Second, it will show us how an organized society rolls out a new technology and informs people about the steps involved, in the hope that Thailand will do the same when the time comes. :roll: Wishful thinking, I know! Pete :cheers:
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

Post by Thailightzone »

5G has been implemented in my city, Gold Coast Australia. First city in Australia to have it. However - I don't know any manufacturers selling 5G phones here.

https://www.arnnet.com.au/article/64526 ... old-coast/
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

Post by Big Boy »

OMG - are you saying that all of these super £1,000 super-phones that are being sold will become obsolete the moment 5G arrives? Shameful.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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I think you will be able to hold on to your phone for a bit longer. The monopolies in Thailand have only just finished squabbling over 4G licenses so it will be a long time before we ever get 5G here.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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Possibly in Thailand 5.0?
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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Possibly in Thailand 5.0?
0.5
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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Big Boy wrote:OMG - are you saying that all of these super £1,000 super-phones that are being sold will become obsolete the moment 5G arrives? Shameful.
Yes. Because my understanding of 5G is that in addition to improved compression techniques the primary means of increasing the bandwidth is by using multiple radios/connections concurrently. This means devices must have these multichannel radios.
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Re: What is 5G and what impact will it have?

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handdrummer wrote:Possibly in Thailand 5.0?
0.5
0.5? Way too optimistic.
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