5G tackles this problem with a different type of base station. Millimeter-wave technology was traditionally expensive and difficult to deploy because signals at these high frequencies attenuate more quickly and are more prone to interference from physical objects. These high-frequency signals can carry more information per unit of time than lower-frequency signals, which gives 5G an edge. Radio wavelengths in these frequencies are between 1 and 10 millimeters-thus the name. There are a number of slices of the radio spectrum available for 5G, but in general 5G signals are between 30 and 300 GHz-a higher frequency band than those used in previous generations. But a number of evolutionary advances to wireless technology have been combined to make 5G different and faster than 4G and earlier network standards.

This broad outline could apply to previous generations of cell networks. Either way, the purpose of each base station is to connect all the devices within its cell to the wider network. That usually takes the form of a high-speed physical connection, although base stations in distant locations may themselves connect wirelessly. These base stations in turn are connected to one another and (usually) to the internet backbone. The area covered by radio waves from a single base station is known as a cell, which is why we refer to cellular networking and cell phones. A physical base station, in the form of an antenna or set of antennas, broadcasts radio waves to nearby devices and receives responses from those devices, allowing information to be sent back and forth. 5G does all this safely, and anything you might read about the supposed dangers of 5G is simply false.Īt a fundamental level, 5G works on the same principles that have defined mobile networking since its beginnings in the late 1970s.

But 5G is also the first wireless technology that telecoms are using to compete with cable or fiber for fixed home internet use. In the public mind, 5G is mostly associated with cell phones, and those remain by far its most widespread use case. and most developed countries, and just about any new cellular wireless device you purchase today will be 5G-enabled.

But 5G has become near-universal in the U.S. Initially, many operators offered 5G-branded services that mixed 4G and 5G technologies and in practice provided speeds closer to the former. First rolled out in commercial applications in 2019, 5G promised a significant increase in network speeds and a decrease in latency compared to 4G LTE networks. 5G (short for fifth generation) is an umbrella term that describes the collection of standards and technologies that define the current generation of wireless network connectivity.

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