5G Networking: The Definitive Guide

From the first mobile phone to the 4G LTE, the telecommunications industry has changed dramatically in a few decades. We have raised four Gs or generations very quickly. Now the market is ready for the fifth generation, which promises 100 to 1000 times the speed of 4G LTE. This means you can download a full movie in seconds. More importantly, the 5G enables a new wave of high-performance devices connected to the Internet.
But what is 5G really, what kind of benefit will it bring and how long will it take to get up to speed?


Maybe not as much as you would expect. The 5G standard is currently being completed, and operators are buying the spectrum they need for next-generation speed. After interviewing many experts in the field and representatives of equipment manufacturers and component manufacturers, we have a good idea of what to expect when.

Here you will find everything you need to know about 5G.
What is 5G?
The term 5G means the fifth generation. One generation refers to a set of requirements that determine which devices and networks meet the standards and are compatible with each other. It also describes technologies that improve new types of communication.


The second generation, or 2G, was launched in 1991 as a set of standards that regulate wireless telephony technology without having to worry about data transmission or the mobile Internet. The third generation, 3G, focused on the applications voice telephony, mobile internet, video calling and mobile television. And 4G is designed to better support IP telephony (VoIP), video conferencing and cloud computing, as well as video streaming and online gaming.

The full 5G specification covers the 600 and 700 MHz bands that operators invest at a rate of 5G.


What will 5G be capable of?
"You can download a full movie in seconds as 5G develops," said Ted Rappaport, director of NYU Wireless, a research center at NYU Polytechnic. According to Rappaport, the fifth generation could be up to 1000 times faster than 4G. In fact, we could see speeds of "10 gigabits per second or more, with one to several hundred megabits per second at the edge of the cell (site)," said Rappaport.

But do not be too excited. Before 4G LTE technology was actually implemented, the industry feverishly thrilled at speeds of up to 300 Mbps, while in reality, the actual speeds were only 5 to 12 Mbps for downloads. 2 to 5 Mbps for downloads. According to Paul Carter, CEO of Global Wireless Solutions, a company that conducts network testing and analysis for operators and operators worldwide, LTE speeds can realistically reach between 5 and 8 Mbps in a city.

In addition to increasing speed and performance, 5G should also enable more efficient communication between different devices, said Asha Keddy, vice president of standards and advanced technology at Intel.


For example, a 5G enabled smart home hub that requests a status update sensor would not require much power, or the signal could travel a long distance but requires a quick response. Devices with a capacity of 5G can use the right frequencies to send signals depending on the type of message being sent.

How will 5G work?
Two words: millimeter waves. The FCC published a hearing in October 2014 to investigate the openness of millimeter waves (high frequencies above 24 GHz) for use with 5G technologies. When these tapes are exploited, there could be tremendous improvements in speed and performance.

Think of the radio wave bands that are available to us as a triangular, water-filled vessel. Today's telecommunications are mainly in the lower bands, towards the base of this cup. There is virtually no traffic (represented by the water in the beaker) being transported at the 24 GHz level at this time, as these waves tend to have shorter distances and to work over longer distances. short. For example, AT & T's 4G LTE network currently operates in the 700MHz, 850MHz, 1.9GHz and 2.1GHz bands.

The events of recent years, however, have changed everything. New York University researchers responded in May 2013 with an article in IEEE Access that showed that it is possible to use millimeter waves for long distance transmissions. And in October 2014, Samsung demonstrated its ability to achieve a transmission speed of 7.5 Gbps to access a 28 GHz network. This equates to a download rate of 940 MB per second, but that's under ideal conditions.

When can I wait for 5G?
We are seeing a real movement in implementing 5G, though we still can not enjoy the promised high speeds.

In December 2017, the telecommunications companies of the third generation partnership project agreed on the first standard for 5G. The new wireless specification does not cover the 5G independent bands 600 and 700 MHz and the end of the 50 GHz spectrum wave. The group will meet again to complete this self-contained description 5G NR June.

Once a standard is agreed, operators and equipment manufacturers can begin building networks and devices optimized for 5G speeds. Last October, Qualcomm has successfully tested a 5G connection on a smartphone to introduce the millimeter frequency at 28GHz.La company a smartphone reference design for use by other hardware vendors, although Qualcomm does not launch its own phone in the market.

The Japanese government has also stated that it intends to show the 5G capacity for the practical use of mobile phones at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.


When do the others hope to see 5G? When we spoke with Eduardo Esteves, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm, in 2015, he told us that the rollout would take several years. "Early in 2020 or 2021, that's really when we begin to see the first commercial use of 5G," he said at the time, a calendar appears to be on the calendar a year later.

AT & T plans to introduce 5G mobile services to consumers and businesses in 12 cities in 2018. Later this would give you an edge over Verizon, the residential broadband 5G launching five cities, starting with Sacramento, California, this year.

T-Mobile began 5G development after a 600-MHz spectrum auction auction in the summer of 2017. The company's earnings plan to fully deploy its 5G network in 2020 and begin its introduction in 2019.

What will happen to 4G?
Just as 3G exists today in our rich 4G landscape, 4G will remain as 5G takes control and even sees continuous development. As the industry works to bring 5G to mass, operators and other stakeholders will continue to develop existing 4G LTE networks on a parallel route.

Mark McDiarmid, Vice President of Engineering T-Mobile, which is also part of the Wi-Fi Alliance, said: "Everything we develop for 5G certainly take everything we need to work perfectly with 4G and 4G. "

Where can I get 5G?
Besides Korea and Japan, countries like Germany and the United Kingdom have promised to bring their residents 5G. Finland is already building a 5G test network in the city of Oulu. The United States should also be part of the first wave of countries introducing next-generation mobile broadband.

Although the standards in the past were similar in the world, the spectra and bands were different in each country. only 4G LTE, some European operators used 2.6GHz for their networks, while China used 2.5GHz and Japan reached 2.1GHz. Many markets in Southeast Asia use 1.8 GHz. This means that your 4G LTE phone does not necessarily allow LTE Worldwide.

At 5G it should be different. Kris Rinne, Chairman of the Americas 4G Board, told us that the American 3GPP and 4G alliances are working to standardize spectra and standards across international borders to facilitate global access