The fifth generation of cellular networks, which promises unprecedented speeds, even 1000 times faster than 4G, arouses numerous press controversies, political maneuvers, and public interest.
It is a deeply innovative technology that will take us into a new era of total connectivity. Since the launch of 5G at the end of 2018, the pioneers of this technology are South Korea – which launched 5G across the country, China – launched 5G services in 50 cities, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
The Ericsson Mobility Report at the end of 2019 shows that the total number of 5G subscriptions had exceeded 13 million globally and estimates that there will be over 2.8 billion global 5G subscriptions by the end of 2025.
What is different about the 5G technology?
5G technology differs from the current telecommunications standard – 4G – in a few key and revolutionary aspects:
- Speed. The online user experience will be radically changed. 5G will allow people to download entire movies to their phones in seconds. Data will be transmitted 20 times faster than in 4G. If in 4G it takes an average of 6 minutes to download a movie, in 5G it takes less than 20 seconds. Such speeds will bring the future of the Internet of Things much closer.
- Latency. Latency is the time required to send from point A to point B. With 5G we are almost talking about real-time responses between devices. with a latency of 1 millisecond, compared to 50 milliseconds on 4G. This means data transfer almost instantly and brings advantages in many industries, such as healthcare or aviation, where rapid response is of paramount importance.
- Bandwidth. Higher bandwidth means more connectivity. 5G has a bandwidth greater than 4G, which allows it to support 10 times more devices per km2 than 4G. This eliminates the current overload problems, which will have a visible impact on smart homes.
- Interference. Unlike 4G and 3G, where devices use the same frequency spectrum, 5G uses a very high-frequency spectrum that does not overlap with those currently used. This means that there is no interference or noise.
What industries will revolutionize 5G?
The 5G technology brings exponentially higher speed and almost non-existent latency, which, in short, means a communications revolution. This makes it the mainstay in the exponential development of the Internet of Things (IoT) – a concept that involves connecting the Internet through billions of devices, services, and automated systems, thus forming a network of systems that allows data collection and exchange and thus creating an interconnected world.
A real technological transformation, which brings close the image of smart cities, smart buildings, or autonomous cars. It will be much easier to be interconnected: people – machines – devices.
If today’s networks connect people primarily to humans, the next generation will connect a vast network of sensors, robots, and autonomous vehicles through sophisticated artificial intelligence. Applications include but are not limited to:
- Autonomous cars – they will make safer decisions in real-time.
- Smart homes and smart cities – buildings, cars, and people will be interconnected in the cities of the future.
- Connected portable devices – will allow remote monitoring and real-time updates.
- Smart factories – 5G will improve performance and productivity by integrating augmented / virtual reality with robots and advanced real-time data analysis.
- Connected and interoperable medical services – for example, remote surgeries with robots and artificial intelligence.
These use cases – and more – will bring 5G technology to a market of nearly $668 billion by 2026, according to Allied Market Research.
What plans does Romania have with 5G technology?
Romania was one of the first European countries to have the launch of 5G – since 2019 – considering that 3 of the 4 operators on the market have left 5G technology on the local market. It is very possible that from the end of the year 2020 we can use it. Eduard Lovin, Vice President of the National Communications Regulatory Authority (ANCOM), said at the ZF Cybersecurity Trends 2020 Videoconference that licenses for the additional 5G spectrum will be granted in the 4th quarter of this year.
The 5G technology is a priority for the Digital Single Market Strategy. Facilitating the implementation of 5G and ensuring an optimal infrastructure connectivity framework will play an important role in increasing Romania’s competitiveness and the digital transformation of the European Union.
Dragoș Preda, Secretary of State, Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communications, says that “5G technology will generate an economic value of 4 billion euros for Romania in the coming years.” He also stated at the Cybersecurity ONLINE FORUM during COVID-19 that “5G networks, created to provide a range of opportunities to European countries, especially in the area of innovation, will radically change society”.
