What is 5G : Know Everything About 5G | Advantages & Disadvantages of 5G

5G: The Fifth Generation of the Wireless Network Technology

What is 5G?

Like, every new generation of wireless is significantly faster and more capable of the previous one, as below:-

• 1G – Analog Phone Calls
• 2G – Digital Phone Calls & Messaging
• 3G – Phone Calls, Messaging & Data
• 4G – Phone Calls, Messaging & Data, Voice Messages with Enhanced Speed

5G is 100 times faster than 4G, so it will dramatically increase the internet speed.

How does 5G Technology work?

New technologies are emerging as a foundation for this 5G. It is based on the combination of wireless technologies like GSM, Wi-Fi, LTE, etc. and the new radio access technologies.

Millimeter Waves – Smartphones or other electronic devices use radiofrequency typically under 6GHz. But in case more and more devices come online, it reduces the speed and increases dropped connections. As a solution, this spectrum is now increased to 300GHz.

But these millimeter waves cannot travel well through the buildings and obstacles not even through trees and rains.

1- Small Cells – Small cell networks technology will help to solve this problem. This means low powered mini based stations will be placed much closer to each other so as to transmit the signals in a wider range.

2- Massive Mimo – MIMO means Multiple Input & Multiple Output. Massive MIMO will support the base stations to handle around 100 ports thus increase the capacity of today’s networks.

But 100 ports at one base station may cause serious interference to each other.

Beamforming: The above problem brings the need for Beamforming Technology. It is like a traffic Signal System for Cellular Signals. It will allow base stations to transmit the signals in a focused stream to a specific user.
 

3- Full-Duplex – Today’s networks use the principles of reciprocity that mean they can do one job at a time, either transmit or receive. Silicon Transistors will be used to create high-speed switches to hold back the rolling out of these waves. It will be a kind of signaling system.

5G Technology has the potential to transform today’s internet

What are the Benefits of 5G?

1. With speed, it also increases the response time. Where 4G network responds in 50 MS, 5G can respond in 1 MS. It will ensure a great streamlined experience for the user.
2. The average download speed will be 1GBps. According to ITU, a 5G application mobile or web, in general, should be able to transmit data with 10 gigabits per second speed and in some cases 20 Gigabit per second.
3. 5G will enhance the mobile network, not only to connect people but also to connect and control the machines and objects efficiently. It will become the foundation of ultimate VR & IoT. The IoT enabled objects are also going to use this 5G Technology.
4. It will make the dream of the self-driven cars, possible.
5. It will increase the full factory automation by robots.
6. It will make work very fast i.e. within seconds.

This will definitely benefit most of the people like students, teachers, businessmen, employees, engineers, doctors, governing bodies, etc.

Few facts about 5G:-  

1.  First, 5G Modem was introduced by Qualcomm.

2. The first country to support 5G was South Korea.

3. There were 40,000 customers in 1 day & 1 million subscribers in a mere 69 days. 

What are the Disadvantages of 5G?

These waves travel well only if you are indirectly line of supply, any obstacle like a tree, wall, building blocks or disrupts its high-frequency signal, even if you are standing closer to the node.

Many of the scientists say, Is 5G really worth taking such serious hazards?

5G need large bandwidth, which means several towers will be required to be placed close to each other to give better coverage. These will be led off radiofrequency radiations. Thus, dangers increase the harm of EMR poisoning, resulting in headaches, nose bleeding, eye pains, nausea, vomiting, and flu-like symptoms.

Because there is still no scientific evidence as yet that 5G can be hazardous to our health, there is no question of stopping it from rolling out.

In India, we were hoping to start 5G in 2020, but as per the latest news by Times of India - "Exorbitant prices, insufficient spectrum, and newer bands’ unavailability are about to mar India's 5G plans."

“We will push out 5G for at least five years. That's the operator's perspective.”

                                        -Rajan S Mathews, director-general of the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), told ET.