What is 5G? | CNBC Explains

That's 4G, the mobile network used around the world to make calls, send messages and browse the Internet. There are now plans for 4G to be replaced by, you guessed it, 5G – a new, faster network that has the potential to transform the internet. 5G is a software-defined network: it means that, while it won't replace cables entirely, it could replace the need for them by operating largely in the cloud. This means it will have 100 times better capacity than 4G, dramatically improving internet speeds. For example, to download a two-hour movie in 3G it would take about 26 hours, in 4G you would be waiting 6 minutes and in 5G you will be ready to watch your movie in just over three and a half seconds.

But not only Internet capacity will be improved. Response times will also be much faster. The 4G network responds to our commands in just under 50 milliseconds. With 5G, it will take about a millisecond, 400 times faster than the blink of an eye. Smartphone users will enjoy a more streamlined experience, but for a world that increasingly relies on the internet simply to function, reducing lag is essential. Self-driving cars, for example, require a continuous flow of data. The faster information is delivered to autonomous vehicles, the better and safer they will be able to travel. For many analysts, this is just one example of how 5G could become the connective tissue for the Internet of Things, an industry that will triple by 2025, connecting and controlling not only robots, but also medical devices, industrial equipment and agricultural machinery. . 5G will also provide a much more personalized web experience through a technique called network slicing.

It is a way to create standalone wireless networks in the cloud, allowing users to create their own custom network. For example, an online gamer needs faster response times and more data capacity than a user who just wants to check their social networks. Being able to personalize the Internet will also benefit businesses. At large events like Mobile World Congress, for example, there is a massive influx of people in a particular area using data-intensive applications. But with 5G, organizers could pay for a larger portion of the network, increasing their Internet capacity and thus improving the online experience of their visitors.

So when can we start using 5G? Well, not yet and, according to some analysts, not until 2020. 5G was created years ago and has been talked about a lot since then. However, it is estimated that even by 2025, the network will still lag behind 4G and 3G in terms of global mobile connections. Its conventional existence faces multiple obstacles. The most important of these, of course, is the cost. According to some experts, 5G could cause network operators to destroy their current business models to make commercial sense. In the United Kingdom, for example, 3G and 4G networks were relatively cheap to install because they could be deployed on existing frequencies, in the country's radio spectrum.

However, for 5G to work properly, it needs a frequency with much higher bandwidth, which would require entirely new infrastructure. Some analysts believe that high construction and operating costs will force operators to share the use and management of the mobile network. This has been less of an obstacle for countries like China, which are taking a more coherent approach. The government, operators and local companies like Huawei and ZTE are about to launch major 5G trials that would put them at the forefront of producing equipment for the new technology. This may be at the expense of the West, where there are concerns about 5G progress in Asia.

A leaked memo from the National Security Council to the White House called for a nationalized 5G network to keep the United States ahead of its global competitors. White House officials dismissed the idea, but some experts predict that by 2025 nearly half of all mobile connections in the United States will be 5G, a higher percentage than any other country or region. However, much of the West is still likely to take a more gradual approach to 5G, driven by competition but with a haphazard development style. For example, AT&T has pledged to start rolling out 5G later this year, but only in a handful of cities.

However, it is predicted that for key industrial areas the technology will be adopted quickly, while for many rural areas 5G may be a long way off. But when 5G is established and reaches its supposed potential, it could even change the way we access the Internet at home and at work: the wireless network will replace the current system of telephone lines and cables. It may not happen overnight, but 5G is coming. Hey guys, thanks for watching. If you would like to see more of our technical videos, check out these. Otherwise, comment below the video for any future explanations you want us to do and remember, don't forget to subscribe.

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