The fifth generation of mobile networks is called 5G. This new worldwide wireless standard follows the networks of 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G. A new type of network, made possible by 5G, is intended to link almost everyone and everything, including machines, objects, and gadgets.
The goals of 5G wireless technology are to provide more users with more consistent user experiences, ultra low latency, vast network capacity, faster multi-Gbps peak data speeds, and increased reliability. Improved output and efficiency stimulate new user experiences and create links with new industries.
Who invented 5G?
Although 5G is not owned by any one entity, a number of businesses in the mobile ecosystem are making significant contributions to its development. The numerous fundamental technologies that propel the sector forward and comprise 5G, the upcoming wireless standard, were largely invented by Qualcomm.
Our company, 3G Partnership Project (3GPP), is the driving force behind the establishment of global standards for 3G UMTS (including HSPA), 4G LTE, and 5G technologies.
Several key innovations in 5G design, from the service layer to the air interface, are being driven by 3GPP. Mobile network operators, vertical service providers, infrastructure vendors, and device/component makers are among the other 3GPP 5G members.
What underlying technologies make up 5G?
The foundation of 5G is Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, or OFDM. This technique modulates a digital transmission over many channels in order to minimize interference. 5G employs OFDM concepts in addition to the 5G NR air interface. Wider bandwidth technologies like mmWave and sub-6 GHz are also used by 5G.
5G OFDM functions using the same mobile networking concepts as 4G LTE. Nonetheless, OFDM can be further improved by the new 5G NR air interface to provide a far greater level of flexibility and scalability. For a range of use cases, this might provide more people and things access to 5G.
Broader bandwidths will be available with 5G as it increases the use of spectrum resources from sub-3 GHz, which was employed in 4G, to 100 GHz and higher. Extreme capacity, multi-Gbps speed, and low latency will be provided by 5G, which can operate in both lower bands (such as sub-6 GHz) and mmWave (such as 24 GHz and higher).
In addition to providing faster and better mobile broadband services than 4G LTE, 5G is intended to open up new service opportunities including mission-critical communications and linking the vast Internet of Things. Numerous novel 5G NR air interface design strategies, including a unique self-contained TDD subframe design, make this possible.
What are the differences between the previous generations of mobile networks and 5G?
The previous generations of mobile networks are 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G.
First generation – 1G
1980s: 1G delivered analog voice.
Second generation – 2G
Early 1990s: 2G introduced digital voice (e.g. CDMA- Code Division Multiple Access).
Third generation – 3G
Early 2000s: 3G brought mobile data (e.g. CDMA2000).
Fourth generation – 4G LTE
2010s: 4G LTE ushered in the era of mobile broadband.
1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G all led to 5G, which is designed to provide more connectivity than was ever available before.
5G is a unified, more capable air interface. It has been designed with an extended capacity to enable next-generation user experiences, empower new deployment models and deliver new services.
With high speeds, superior reliability and negligible latency, 5G will expand the mobile ecosystem into new realms. 5G will impact every industry, making safer transportation, remote healthcare, precision agriculture, digitized logistics — and more — a reality.
How is 5G better than 4G?
There are several reasons that 5G will be better than 4G:
• 5G is significantly faster than 4G
• 5G has more capacity than 4G
• 5G has significantly lower latency than 4G
• 5G is a unified platform that is more capable than 4G
• 5G uses spectrum better than 4G
5G is a unified platform that is more capable than 4G.
While 4G LTE focused on delivering much faster mobile broadband services than 3G, 5G is designed to be a unified, more capable platform that not only elevates mobile broadband experiences, but also supports new services such as mission-critical communications and the massive IoT. 5G can also natively support all spectrum types (licensed, shared, unlicensed) and bands (low, mid, high), a wide range of deployment models (from traditional macro-cells to hotspots), and new ways to interconnect (such as device-to-device and multi-hop mesh).
5G uses spectrum better than 4G.
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5G is also designed to get the most out of every bit of spectrum across a wide array of available spectrum regulatory paradigms and bands—from low bands below 1 GHz, to mid bands from 1 GHz to 6 GHz, to high bands known as millimeter wave (mmWave).
5G is faster than 4G.
5G can be significantly faster than 4G, delivering up to 20 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) peak data rates and 100+ Megabits-per-second (Mbps) average data rates.
5G has more capacity than 4G.
5G is designed to support a 100x increase in traffic capacity and network efficiency.1
5G has lower latency than 4G.
5G has significantly lower latency to deliver more instantaneous, real-time access: a 10x decrease in end-to-end latency down to 1m/s.
How and when will 5G affect the global economy?
5G is driving global growth.
• $13.1 Trillion dollars of global economic output
• 22.8 Million new jobs created
• $265B global 5G CAPEX and R&D annually over the next 15 years
Through a landmark 5G Economy study, we found that 5G’s full economic effect will likely be realized across the globe by 2035—supporting a wide range of industries and potentially enabling up to $13.1 trillion worth of goods and services.
This impact is much greater than previous network generations. The development requirements of the new 5G network are also expanding beyond the traditional mobile networking players to industries such as the automotive industry.
The study also revealed that the 5G value chain (including OEMs, operators, content creators, app developers, and consumers) could alone support up to 22.8 million jobs, or more than one job for every person in Beijing, China. And there are many emerging and new applications that will still be defined in the future. Only time will tell what the full “5G effect” on the economy is going to be.
How will 5G affect me?
5G is designed to do a variety of things that can transform our lives, including giving us faster download speeds, low latency, and more capacity and connectivity for billions of devices—especially in the areas of virtual reality (VR), the IoT, and artificial intelligence (AI).
For example, with 5G, you can access new and improved experiences including near-instant access to cloud services, multiplayer cloud gaming, shopping with augmented reality, and real-time video translation and collaboration, and more.
How fast is 5G?
5G is designed to deliver peak data rates up to 20 Gbps based on IMT-2020 requirements. Qualcomm Technologies’ flagship 5G solutions, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ X65 is designed to achieve up to 10 Gbps in downlink peak data rates.
But 5G is about more than just how fast it is. In addition to higher peak data rates, 5G is designed to provide much more network capacity by expanding into new spectrum, such as mmWave.
5G can also deliver much lower latency for a more immediate response and can provide an overall more uniform user experience so that the data rates stay consistently high—even when users are moving around. And the new 5G NR mobile network is backed up by a Gigabit LTE coverage foundation, which can provide ubiquitous Gigabit-class connectivity.
Is 5G available now?
Yes, 5G is already here today, and global operators started launching new 5G networks in early 2019. Also, all major phone manufacturers are commercializing 5G phones. And soon, even more people may be able to access 5G.
5G has been deployed in 60+ countries and counting. We are seeing much faster rollout and adoption compared with 4G. Consumers are very excited about the high speeds and low latencies. But 5G goes beyond these benefits by also providing the capability for mission-critical services, enhanced mobile broadband and massive IoT. While it is hard to predict when everyone will have access to 5G, we are seeing great momentum of 5G launches in its first year and we expect more countries to launch their 5G networks in 2020 and beyond.
Do I need a new phone if I want 5G?
Yes, you will need to get a new smartphone that supports 5G if you want to be able to use the network. For example, smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 5G Mobile Platforms are 5G compatible.
There are several new mobile phones available that are designed to support 5G, and multiple carriers across the world support the 5G wireless network. As the 5G rollout timeline progresses, more smartphones and carrier subscriptions will become available, as 5G technology and 5G compatible devices becoming more mainstream.
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