Phones become obsolete sooner or later. Cellular networks are also susceptible to this and their development does not stand still. The best confirmation of this is the emergence of a new generation of 5G networks, on which providers around the world are working diligently.
Already this year, such well-known brands as Samsung, Huawei, Xiaomi have released their first smartphones with 5G support. It will take several more years before our providers fully implement the new network. It is possible that this will be the greatest event akin to when we once saw a web page on a mobile phone screen.
Representatives of telecommunications services confidently assert that 5G will be a "bomb" and there will be no need for further development of the network, but still do not deny the fact of its subsequent improvement.
So what's so amazing about 5G? This format is based on the concept that modern devices should communicate with the global network. These include self-driving cars, smart homes and other systems that will see the light of day in the near future. It will be difficult for telecommunications companies to keep up with the times, given that new vehicles, mobile devices are emerging that will use large mobile traffic, and they will have to keep them working. 5G not only aims to reduce latency to one millisecond for real-time operation of mission-critical devices, but it claims massive data transfer rates of up to 20 Gb / s! It is significantly ahead of modern LTE networks. The declared speed of 20 Gb / s is the maximum. The average network speed will be 100 Mb / s, but it is still much faster than LTE.
This is all due to the presence of high frequency waves that use the improved directivity of the signal. This means that the signal can be routed where there is a need for it, while most antennas of modern networks cannot do this and send the signal evenly, regardless of the number of users. Clients of cellular networks will be able to use one communication channel in the Mimo system. This protocol is used in our home in WI-FI routers. As a result, such a system will be not only fast but also efficient. So the increased number of mobile network users per unit of time will not be the cause of overload. The telecom industry hopes to support one million devices per square kilometer. Thus, there will be no more communication problems in crowded places.
At the same time, the "device to device" technology will appear, which will allow nearby devices to exchange information without the participation of a network through which only signaling traffic will pass. This will offload the network and keep your data safe. This project is too ambitious and won't come true soon enough. This year, 5G has just appeared in some places in the US and South Korea. This network will not become widespread until 2025. ISPs will try to create a more unified format in the face of 5G in order to ensure interoperability on a global scale. It will take time to create the necessary infrastructure. This includes signal amplifiers, since short wavelengths of 5G are significantly degraded over long distances. So it's too early to throw out a 4G phone, but be prepared for the fact that your pocket device will soon "wipe its nose" with the Internet at home.
