gigabits of bandwidth delivered to smartphones
have inevitably grabbed the headlines, as have
teething problems that hint at real-world
limitations for the new technology. But it will
likely be the more nuanced capabilities of the
new network, rather than YouTubers firing up
Speedtest on their 5G handsets, that will have a
greater impact on how we live and work.
For instance, future visions of a vast array
of connected devices—including the so-called
Internet of Things—will depend on it. Potentially
world-altering technologies, such as autonomous
cars, fall into that category. Similarly, much
lower latencies will hugely reduce the need for
wired connections to client devices of almost
any kind. Wireless local delivery of really fast
home connections will also change the core
infrastructure of the Internet for domestic users.
Rolling out new 5G home services should be far
quicker and easier than digging up roads to supply
optical fiber to every house.
At its best, 5G promises to be something
of an end game. All the bandwidth you’ll ever
need, delivered with the lowest possible latency,
pretty much wherever you are. Truly ubiquitous
connectivity—in every sense of the word. If all that
sounds great, it won’t happen overnight. Nor will
5G deliver on everything it promises immediately,
if indeed ever. So, while 5G networks are already
being rolled out in the US and across the globe, like
pretty much all previous generations of cellular, it’s
a piecemeal affair rather than a big bang.4K Net flix from here?
Well, possibly, but
that’s missing the
really important things
about 5G.maximumpc.com SEP 2019 MAXIMUMPC 45