Most mobile networks around the country are currently using 4G technology; however, upgrades to this technological platform will soon be deployed across the major networks as 5G becomes a reality. These network upgrades will allow users of new smartphones to connect to a 5G network when they are away from a WiFi connection. This migration to a 5G platform should make the mobile phone experience significantly better. 5G is often touted as one of the most impactful technological breakthroughs on the horizon, but what does it actually bring to the table? These are three of the key differences between 5G and 4G.
Speed
The average 4G connection provides speeds of roughly 15Mbps. While this is typically sufficient speed to handle internet browsing and high-definition video streaming, it can still take a long time to download large files. The average 5G speeds are expected to hit 50Mbps. The increase in speed is definitely significant, but most users are unlikely to see a major change when using their smartphones for daily routine applications. This extra speed will mostly come in handy during the download process.
Latency
The improvement to latency is probably the most important difference between 5G and 4G. Latency is best understood as the time it takes for data to reach its destination. The average latency on a 4G connection is approximately 50 milliseconds. This makes it virtually impossible to use 4G for competitive gaming or any other process that requires an instant response time. Users can expect to see their latency drop to 10 milliseconds when using a 5G connection. This will make it possible to play video games online without the need for WiFi. There are a lot of video game fans that are currently unable to play with their friends due to connection issues, but that should not be a problem once 5G is revealed.
Coverage Area
In the early days, weeks, months, and possibly years, 5G will not be ubiquitously available. It is very easy to access a 4G connection almost anywhere in the United States right now, but this was not always the case. It took several years before remote cities started to gain access to the increased speeds of 4G. This will certainly happen again with 5G. The mobile network providers will start by rolling out their new service to the country’s largest cities. The coverage area will then gradually start to expand over time. It will likely take at least a year before the majority of smartphone owners are able to use 5G for the first time.