Another day, Another Tech Talk. Today, we'll be talking about 5G. Many of you already know that 5G is one of the most important things and trending topics in today's world. Why don't we dive in a little deeper and see what it is all about? Let's go!
Alright, we will be dividing this post into three sub-headings so that it is easier for you guys to read and understand. The post will not be highly technical so that everyone can understand and have a clear idea about what we are talking about. Enjoy!
1. THE RESEARCHERS.
5G is not developed by one brand or organization. Several brands invest into research into one topic and the best outcome from all brands come out on top. They are either merged to have the best outcome possible or the best showcase wins it all. The top brands in play in developing and improving 5G are:
1. SAMSUNG
2. NOKIA
3. LG
4.HUAWEI
5.ZTE
The researchers working for these brands worked tirelessly since early 2010s to give you the 5G you know today. After filing thousands of patents and after so many trials and errors, we now have the technology to have stable 5G in our houses. In addition to these brands, the four brands responsible for the development of 5G compatible CPUs and modems are:
1. QUALCOMM
2. SAMSUNG
3. HUAWEI
4. MEDIATEK
Qualcomm with their Snapdragon CPUs, Samsung with their Exynos CPUs and modems, Huawei with their Kirin CPUs and Mediatek with their Dimensity line-up of CPUs are leading the market with respect to 5G compatible portable devices.
2. WHY 5G?
The main questions that come to our minds is "Why 5G?"
I say, "Why not?"
5G is way faster than 4G LTE, both in download speeds and upload speeds, combined with lower latency. What does that mean? Well, you can get upto 500% faster download speeds with 5G when compared to 4G LTE (according to Qualcomm, and I don't think anyone will hardly get that much faster speeds). The peak speed of 4G is 200 Mbps while that of 5G is 20 Gbps, so the difference is HUGE. Faster uploads will benefit content creators, while lower latency will massively benefit gamers. Another thing is reliability. With faster speeds and better connectivity, reliability will increase dramatically when compared to 4G. High resolution streaming on OTT and YouTube will be the next big thing, augmented reality, virtual reality and cloud gaming, everything will benefit from 5G when compared to 4G.
Many countries are adapting to 5G fast and by the end of 2025, we will have almost the entire Earth covered with 5G. 5G also supports more devices per square kilometer (10 times more than 4G) and also uses frequencies between 30 to 300 Ghz while 4G only uses below 6 Ghz (From Greyb).
3. THE DISADVANTAGES.
We all know that with the progression technology, there comes disadvantages. Let's discuss them here:
a) Connectivity: The current 5G scenario tells us that 5G signals can be obstructed easily when compared to 4G signals as the frequency waves are only able to travel a short distance, although this is under works and we can expect better connectivity in the future.
b) Cost: One of the most important factors when we talk about new technology is the cost. The price of acquiring a 5G network will be tremendously high when compared to 4G. The reason is simple. Rollout cost. It will cost companies in millions to roll out nationwide 5G services in any country, which will lead to increased prices for the consumer. And that will mean that only the rich people in the society can experience it initially, just like what happened with 4G.
c) Availability: Rural areas are the ones to suffer the most. 5G rollout was started in 2019, while we are almost halfway in 2022, more than half of the world is yet to experience 5G. And at the rate we are heading, I believe, even though important cities and urban areas might get 5G on a priority basis, rural areas will be left out. Not everyone will be able to experience 5G connectivity.
So, that's where it ends today. If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer them in the comments.
I will see you guys again, with another tech talk, till then, stay happy and safe!
