MC Explains | What sets apart 5G from earlier telecom services

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 1 launched the fifth-generation (5G) telecom services in the country.

The Union Cabinet had in June approved a proposal to auction the high-speed 5G telecom spectrum for 20 years. The 5G telecom technology is a quantum jump from the 4G technology in terms of speed, number of services it can offer, accuracy and much more. That has caught the imagination of the general public and industry. So, how does it differ from 4G, and what are the positive changes it could potentially usher in to our lives? We take a look here.

Latency

The most important difference between 4G and 5G is about latency. Latency, or the lag that takes place in communication over a telecom network, in the case of 4G ranges from 60 milliseconds to 98 milliseconds. In 5G that decreases to less than 5 milliseconds. Some estimates say this can go down to 1 millisecond. This makes it possible to receive data on near-real-time basis, which sets the ground for the many use cases that 5G can be used for.

Speed and Capacity

5G is all about speed and capacity. Data is carried on radio waves. But that comes with a limit. Currently, consumption of data is growing at an estimated 60 percent per annum. That means, a lot more people are entering the arena to use the same amount of radio waves. But 5G comes with greater capacity, which means more data can be transmitted at greater speeds for a greater number of users at the same time. In terms of numbers, 5G can attain speeds of between 10 gigabits per second (GBPS) to 20 GBPS, which is 10 times faster than 4G. These speeds are technically known as peak speeds; the actual on-ground speeds would be lower.

Capability

Till 4G, networks were designed to connect phones. With 5G, that has changed. It is now more about connecting many facets of our lives to various services—for instance, in Internet of Things (IoT), which connects various devices like microwave ovens, lights, fans, computers, traffic lights, and so on. Thus, it can operate in the form of different networks. In technical terms, this is known as ‘network slicing’. So, using 5G, we will be able to not just operate phones, but a whole lot of other devices too to keep us truly “connected”.

Connections

From the earlier days till 4G, it has been common to experience network congestion when more devices are used at any one location. Not anymore with 5G. This new technology has the capability to intelligently and precisely transmit to a large number of devices at any location. According to an Ericsson report, up to one million devices per square kilometre can be effectively serviced using 5G technology.

Use cases

5G has begun to be used in many industries. Going forward, it will find use in more industries, and areas that affect our lives on day-to-day basis. For now, it is being used in:

Traffic

One of the most visible uses of 5G technology in infrastructure is in the area of traffic. As more cars, railways, airlines and ships enter the transport scene, 5G technology can help connect these modes of transport with traffic infrastructure on near-real-time basis, helping them attain greater coordination and smooth operations. Information such as adverse weather, repair work, and other blockages can be transmitted on near-real-time basis to vehicles on the road and other transport modes, which can help obviate traffic jams, delays and mishaps.

Agriculture

When soil sensors placed underground measure out the exact amount of water and fertilisers needed for crops, it is 5G technology at play. From finding the right time to sow to self-driving robots doing various mundane and repetitive activities in the fields, 5G finds a number of uses in agriculture. With more and more people migrating from villages to urban areas giving up agriculture for formal jobs, there is a need for greater food production at great productivity levels and using inputs better – that’s made possible by the use of 5G technology.

Manufacturing

Using 5G, companies can set up smart factories. This can be done by putting to use 5G in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR), automation, and IoT, among others. Robots can be made to undertake tasks that need high precision or heavy weight lifting. Low latency, high bandwidth and secure connectivity that come with 5G make this possible.

From industry to industry this can be changed to suit the needs. For instance, in the pharma industry, 5G can be used to undertake large scale data crunching for the development of new formulations, while surgeons can use the technology effectively for remote surgery. Robotic devices can conduct such surgeries at remote locations as the surgeon sends commands from a city, thanks to extremely low latency levels. Blood loss can be obviated and the surgery conducted as safely as if the distantly-located surgeon were conducting it with his own hands.

The shipping industry is eyeing more reliable and faster 5G coverage at sea through the integration of satellite networks with the 5G network, as well as using IoT to track the hundreds of thousands of containers in various ports during the course of transit of goods.

Gaming

The online gaming industry has received a big boost from the fast spread of smartphones in India as well as globally. Gaming is not just entertainment anymore, for some it is a source of income. All this is possible due to on-the-go gaming. High-speed gaming and the capacity to host multiple players from multiple location at near-real-life speeds through the use of 5G make this possible. According to one study, the online gaming market valuation is expected to rise from about $198 billion in 2021 to $340 billion in the next five years. All this will be made possible thanks to 5G technology.

The use cases of 5G will expand to practically all spheres of life as new technologies emerge in the years to come and IoT gathers momentum. In fact, it can safely be said that 5G is laying the ground infrastructure for a truly connected world of the future.