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As most people already know, “4G” and “5G” are just labels used to categorize the different capabilities and speeds of wireless networks. Put simply, each generation represents a more advanced version of the communications systems that came before it.
Right now, 4G is the most widely used standard in the world — used in nearly every country. The exception is in some developing countries, where 4G is often only available in major cities while rural areas are still stuck on 3G. Myanmar is a good example: 4G only became available in Nay Pyi Taw, Yangon, and Mandalay a few months ago, while the rest of the country still relies on 3G.
How fast could 5G actually be?
Estimates of 5G’s speed vary quite a bit. Nokia has said 5G could be at least 40 times faster than 4G. On the video side, 5G is expected to support 8K resolution, up to 16 times sharper than the 4K standard commonly used with 4G today. Telecom giants Verizon and AT&T estimate that 5G connection speeds could be anywhere from 10 to 100 times faster than 4G.
Back in the days of 3G, downloading a regular movie could take hours. With 4G, that same movie can be downloaded in just a few minutes — 4G tops out at around 42 Mbps. With 5G, a movie could reportedly be downloaded in just a few seconds. Nokia estimates that 5G could reach download speeds as high as 73 Gbps.
Who’s racing to roll out 5G first?
The U.S. and the European Commission, along with China, South Korea, and Japan, are all racing to be among the first to deploy 5G. Of these, the U.S. is working hardest to take the lead, backed by support across the board. Under the Obama administration, the U.S. government put roughly $400 million toward 5G research, and the chair of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission has urged the country to become the first to roll out 5G and to prioritize securing broad, high-capacity spectrum for it.
Verizon and AT&T say they expect to reach a demonstration-level stage of 5G testing sometime in 2017, though a fully functional, widely usable version likely won’t arrive until around 2020. South Korea and Japan, meanwhile, are aiming to have 5G ready in time for the Olympics they’ll host in 2018 and 2020 respectively.
We wanted to share this overview so readers can understand how 5G — offering far greater speed and capability than today’s 4G — is being developed, and how it stands to benefit people once it arrives.