With the world moving at the speed of light and more and more technological advances taking place, cell phones and their networks are better than ever. 3G was once all the rage and then came 4G. Now 5G is becoming the new standard. So, what are the differences between 5G and 4G? Keep reading to find out.
1. Overall speed. The first, and perhaps most important thing to note about the differences between 4G and 5G is the speed. 5G has what is referred to as a low latency of about 5 milliseconds, which means that data can be transferred much faster. With 4G, the latency is anywhere from 60 milliseconds to 98 milliseconds.
2. Bases. Another difference is the way that the signals are transmitted and the base stations that are needed to do so. 4G uses cell phone towers, something that there are a large number of. 5G uses small cell technology which means that if the carrier wants to offer and use 5G, it has to put in the right transmitters to be able to do so.
3. Encoding. Still another difference is that though they both use OFDM encoding, 5G is going to operate at a higher megahertz than 4G. 5G operates on 100 MHz to 800 MHz channels while 4G operates on only 20 MHz channels.
4. Network capacity. Since 5G uses small cell technology, it allows for more cell density and for more people on the network. This also means that the speeds are going to be rather consistent across the board instead of being slow in some spaces and faster in others. This stability is going to make it possible for more people to use the network, which is more beneficial for everyone.
5. Possible access issues. Since providers have to update their technology and add more tech to make 5G usable, this might mean that some carriers are going to forego using 5G technology. Also, even if your carrier does provide 5G and uses it, unless you are near a tower for your carrier that has the capacity to use 5G, you may not be able to use it. This can lead to accessibility issues.
What Does the Future Hold?
While progress is inevitable and 5G is sure to become the standard eventually, that does not mean that it is going to be the standard right from the start. It may take time for more carriers to allow for 5G and to upgrade their towers so that those that want to utilize the network can. 5G is a great option. It is going to make a huge difference for a large number of people.
However, it may take time for 5G to be fully used and to be as widespread as many might imagine. In time, it is certain that 5G will replace 4G, but it may take some time to get to that point.