5G’s Impact: Where is it Being Felt?

5G is not only a network. It is a paradigm shift in technology. 5G will be the foundation of a whole ecosystem of completely connected intelligent devices and sensors. It will deliver seamless and continuous connectivity to all business applications. All existing industries will experience 5G’s impact. Industries such as healthcare, media, and entertainment, automotive, as well as the Internet of Things will bring about significant changes to our day-to-day lives. This will provide a level of connectivity the world has never before experienced.

In over-the-top (OTT), original content is king. Some people are already enjoying the benefits of the full potential of 5G’s. On our article Original Content as the Selling Point for OTT, we scan the 5G’s impact towards the future.

All About 5G’s Impact

5G is the next generation of cellular tech that promises to enhance the coverage, responsiveness, and speed of wireless networks. Some of these speeds are set to surpass 1 gigabit per second. This is almost 100 times faster than the current cellular connection. It’s even faster than a fiber-optic cable connection, and this is just one of the advantages of the 5G network.

Another key advantage is low latency. Latency is the amount of time it takes between a request been sent to a network after the click on a certain link, and the network’s response. With 4G networks, the latency is around 20 milliseconds. It’s still fast, but when compared to the expected 5G latency of 1 millisecond, then 20 starts to seem like a lifetime.

The quick response is critical for virtual reality and the health industry; remote surgery. It will also affect the automotive industry, especially in self-driving cars. Though the speeds will still be affected by the range of connection, they are still expected to be faster than speeds current technologies offer.

5G Early Implementations

Several carriers have been making efforts to upgrade their 4G technology to 5G. Every one of them is trying to edge out competitors. Even though there has not been a smooth rollout; with AT&T’s 5G E only an upgraded 4G LTE network acting as a path to actual 5G, there has been clear efforts.

It is still early stages, but some networks are actively connecting people; with 5G already fulfilling some of its expected potentials. After OpenSignal measured 5G and 4G speeds in different countries, they found that some of the users of 5G are already experiencing the higher speeds that were earlier promised.

The highest speeds were experienced by users in the United States and Switzerland, with speeds already 2.7 times faster than 4G’s fastest speeds. The early stages mean that the technology is not entirely up and running with places like Australia having faster download speeds on their 4G network; though this will change as networks expand.

Phone Carriers

T-Mobile, for instance, is launching in 30 cities and AT&T in 22 cities; though their 5G coverage is still not clear. Sprint could have the largest 5G coverage, with more than 1,000 square miles across nine cities. South Korea, Japan, and especially China are building their 5G networks, and though Europe is behind, they are also in the race.

While the efforts are commendable, and the early signs encouraging, it is still early on. There are a few concerns that are yet to be addressed. One of those concerns is rural coverage. Due to the lack of infrastructure, those in rural areas will likely miss out on the early 5G coverage.

There is also the concern of technology. Since specific antennas are needed for 5G reception, you will need a new phone. Though there is no rush since 5G services will not be widely available till around 2020.

In over-the-top (OTT), original content is king. Some people are already enjoying the benefits of the full potential of 5G’s. On our article Original Content as the Selling Point for OTT, we scan the 5G’s impact towards the future.