- Whats is 5G,
- How 5G will transform the way we live,
- Health implications of 5G.
How fast is it? How is it different from its predecessors? Did it bring the Covid-19? Where is it being used? Are some of the questions that go through someone’s mind when the term 5G is mentioned.
5G network is rapidly becoming popular since it was first introduced in South Korea (2019). In 2020 more and more global operators continued to join the 5G family.
5G is the next big thing with subscriptions forecasted to reach 3.5 billion by the end of 2026 according to the Ericsson mobility report. The Fifth-Generation network is estimated to account for more than 50 per cent of mobile data traffic at that time.
Up to date, it has been deployed in 35+ countries including South Africa, Germany, USA, Japa, China, Spain and more.
All the major mobile device manufacturers are commercializing the next generation technology with phones such as Samsung’s Galaxy S21, Apples iPhone 12, Google Pixels 4A, OnePlus 8 and more supporting the service.
So perhaps to cool quench your curiosity, this article will help you understand some of the questions surrounding 5G.
What is 5G?
5 G refers to fifth-generation mobile internet connection after the first, second, third and fourth generation. 1G(1979) let us talk to each other long distances, 2G (1991) let us send messages, 3G (1998) brought a better mobile internet experience (with limited speeds) and 4G LTE ( for Long Term Evolution), starting in 2009, doubled data speeds and offered online voice calls. Now 5G offers the same services but with much faster speeds.
How fast is 5G
According to Qualcomm, who invented the breakthrough 5G was designed to give us data peak rates of up to 20 Gbps but they provide us with an average of 1 Gbps depending on the device being used. Now that’s unbelievable right?, with 5G we will be downloading movies at the pace of a picture with 4G.
How will benefit from 5G?
5G will enhance the mobile network, not only to connect people but also to connect and control the machines and objects efficiently. This will bring about advanced automated industries, self-driving car and more advanced medical gadgets.
5G’s low “latency” (the response time between sending a data request to the network, and receiving the data) will reduce the lag time from 4G’s current 20 milliseconds to as little as one millisecond. This responsiveness is said to be critical to the success of many new healthcare technologies.
Downsides
5G can be affected by obstacles such as trees, walls and building blocks.
5G was rumoured to have had brought with it the coronavirus but I can tell you that it has not been scientifically proven, however, it has some health implications. It produces Radioafrequancy radiation, electromagnetic radiation (RFR, EMR) which results in sleep disturbances, headaches, fatigue and loss of appetite.
You will probably experience these symptoms when exposed to high volumes but this is the least harmful thing that humanity has manufactured. According to a report published in July 2019, The idea that 5G could have health implications are new. But conspiracy theories linking 5G with Covid-19 went viral during the lockdown.
Conclusion
Even if 5G mobile network has been deployed in your country, you will need to get a new device that supports 5G. All the latest mobile devices being released in 2021 by mobile giants support this feature.
