You’ve heard of 3G and 4G technology for your mobile devices, but have you ever stopped to consider what these phrases actually mean? Since the world is on the cusp of a 5G introduction, it’s time to take a look at what these wireless technologies do, and how 5G can further expand on its formula.

Even though 5G isn’t expected to arrive until at least 2020, it’s worth taking a look at what we can expect to see in the future, and how it will affect your business.

What Does 5G Stand For?
If you’re thinking that 5G stands for something elaborate, think again. All it stands for is “fifth generation,” of mobile connection, as defined according to the IEEE 802.11ac standard of broadband technology. It’s thought that 5G will take various aspects of connectivity to the next level, including user experience, enhanced services, system performance, and business management solutions. According to TechWorld, 5G must also achieve the following in order to even earn the title:

• One to 10Gbps connections to end points in the field
• One millisecond end-to-end round trip delay
• 1000x bandwidth per unit area
• 10 to 100x number of connected devices
• (Perception of) 99.999 percent availability
• (Perception of) 100 percent coverage
• 90 percent reduction in network energy usage
• Up to ten-year battery life for low power, machine-type devices

For reference, 3G and 4G also had their own unique improvements that allowed them to showcase how far mobile technology had come at the time. 3G focused on providing greater connectivity than ever before, whereas 4G worked hard to improve the speed at which this connectivity functioned. But 5G will be even faster, which makes it an even more exciting topic to consider for business, as well as consumer purposes.

The Downside
Despite the overwhelming advantages of 5G, there will inevitably be some downfalls that will need to be considered. Like any new technology, 5G is expected to be somewhat expensive to implement upon its inception, but this price will surely decrease as time goes on. New devices manufactured with 5G in mind will also feel the effects of this cost, making them more costly to pick up, but resilient to the effects of time as older connections grow outdated. Furthermore, if one thing is for sure, there are still places in the world that are without a reliable connection to 3G or 4G, making the jump to 5G all the more daunting.

Thankfully, there is much industry support behind the implementation of 5G, even though it’s still in development. Big names such as Samsung, Nokia, and Qualcomm are already investing in 5G, so it’s only a matter of time before they put together something truly astounding for people all over the world.

Keeping all of this in mind, how will your business use 5G when it finally becomes available? You should always consult Catalyst Technology Group before investing in any new technology. To learn more, give us a call at (317) 705-0333.

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