5G, also known as the fifth-generation network is the latest mobile network. It stands the. At the same time, previous versions are 1G,2G,3G, and 4G.
Its manufacture was started at the end of 2018. It is a global wireless network for internet usage. It is expected that it is giving speed limit in GBPS. The expected speed rate is more than 10GBs. Which is round about 100x from the old network 4G. 5G is nowadays available in smartphones. It is mostly available in high pricing smartphones nowadays, but it is making its way to low budget phones. 5G is considered a big step for the betterment of networking technology. However, most of the countries are not able to run 5G networks.
There are some additional components for 5G which were not available in 4G. These components are:
mmWave
This is a high-frequency spectrum. Its frequency varies in the range of 17-100 GHz. It is supposed to have high bandwidth for the high speed of the network. Most carriers are trying to get 18-24 GHz frequencies, which is very less than mmWave.
Low band
This time the band contains very low frequencies. It is said that they can travel long distances. The frequency is less than 800MHz.
Beamforming
It is frequently used in base stations like mmWave and sub-6GHz. This is mainly used to redirect waveforms towards consumer devices.
Sub-6GHz
This is operated for Wi-Fi-like connections. The frequencies vary between 3GHz-6GHz. Sub-6GHz is operated for common indoor uses and powerful outdoor base stations. mmWave, Beamforming, Sub-6GHz are used for the fast manufacturing of 5G networks. There are other manufacturing components that are not talked about, but these are the majors. These are in short all the technologies responsible for the difference of 5G from 4G.
Differences between 5G and 4G
If we talk about the differences between 4G and 5G, they are the additional technologies used by 5G which were not known at the time of manufacture of 4G. These are responsible for the practical improvement in working such as it results in a faster speed. For example, let us say the speed experienced by 4G users is approximately 20Mpbs, whereas 5G users experience speed above 50Mpbs. From this, we can conclude that 5G is a lot faster than 4G. It is also known for lower latency as compared to 4G networks. This is a lot beneficial for gaming. On the other hand, 5G networks have a plus point in hardware manufacture also. Smartphones that are compatible with 5G can also run 4G networks. But smartphones manufactured for 4G cannot use 5G.
How does 5G work?
5G is working according to some principles. One of them is that it aims towards higher use of wireless spectrum, which results in faster speed and more capacity for users. For achieving this point, 5G is using high-frequency technologies such as mmWave as previously discussed. The name knows these kinds of technologies of New Radio Technologies (NR). Speaking of which, another New Radio Technology(NR) is sub-6GHz.
mmWave vs sub-6GHz
mmWave consists of very high frequencies which are discussed whenever a 5G network is discussed. This provides us with a higher speed, but the range is low despite sub-6GHz. New base-station and user-device hardware are the requirements of the mmWave network. It also consumes a whole lot of power. Also, it is not compatible with all smartphones. It is way too expensive as compared to a sub-6GHz network. Sometimes people get confused by the fact that 5G and mmWave are the same things. But in reality, they are not the same. mmWave was used only in the initial stages of 5G globally. And it is not used individually or without sub-6GHz. These two parts(mmWave and sub-6GHZ) of the spectrum are significant. Sub-6GHz is used as Wi-Fi-like technologies. It is famous due to its faster speed. And it is beneficial for outdoor base stations.
Standalone vs Non-standalone networks
Every network requires data pipes for data transfer irrespective of which data network it is. In the case of 4G, also data pipes were used to transmit data. These were supporting the speed which can be managed through a 4G network. Apparently, the fifth-generation network data pipes should be changed. But the fact is these data pipes can still perform some tasks like Control Plane, Routing Traffic, etc. So, at some points, these data pipes are used for 5G networks.
After some time, Non-standalone networks(NSA) can be converted to Standalone networks(SA). This means the fifth-generation network will handle the Control Panel, Routing Traffic, and other things on its own.
Is 5G worth it?
We all know that faster data speeds are for everybody’s best. This is a great accomplishment for downloading files. But for other ordinary use, 4G networks are also working well. We don’t need this much speed for browsing purposes or for using social media. We don’t think it is an excellent idea to consult a market for buying a smartphone that is compatible with 5G immediately. Some old smartphones working from the past most years supporting 4G can still work for a long time. But if a person is planning future usage of the data network, then 5G is quite a beneficial thing. Otherwise, after some time 5G will become much more popular throughout the globe.
Is 5G safe to use?
It is completely safe to use a 5G network. If we talk about controversies, we have to say that they are based on a lack of understanding and information. Most of the components that 5G is using are the same as 4G networks. Take data pipes, for example. Mostly Sub-6GHz is also the same as 4G data networks. And higher frequencies like mmWave are also permitted to be used in limits.
How fast is 5G?
When we talk about network speeds, then there is always a difference between theoretical calculations and practical consumptions. It is said that 5G network bandwidth can access up to 10GBs of data, which is 50Mpbs to 100Mpbs for users. It is not a maximum range; in fact, it is an average speed. One can get speed even higher than 100Mpbs in low consumption areas or areas with a mmWave access nearly located. If we say how much faster the fifth-generation network is compared to 4G, then it is challenging to answer. Every device(smartphone) has its own modem inside its hardware. The speed of a network also varies with the limit of that modem.
