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Someone feel free to help me understand what the point of 5G is when it comes to cellular networks.

Other than higher speeds, why spend all that money on 5G when it can be used to make LTE even better and stronger? Isn’t 5G going to reach even shorter distances?

People claim VoLTE isn’t as reliable as it should be. Why start on something new when the building out of the older network isn’t stable enough yet?
5g gets people excited. Aren’t you excited? I am
 
in terms of sheer number of countries, this may be so. yes, 3G exists.
but actually LTE overtook 3G even several years ago to be the most used standard.

all developed countries have been relying on LTE for several years now.
and countries like vietnam, cambodia, myanmar, malaysia, china, all have well deployed LTE networks.
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most of the posters in this thread you started ignore your point:
"why spend all that money on 5G when it can be used to make LTE even better and stronger?"

this is indeed the point.
all the times that the standard has changed has left such tremendous difference between the "max theoretical speed" and speeds that are actually achieved.

all carriers market these newer standards.
and make vague promises about greater speed.
but actually very very very few of the carriers ever deploy enough of the new standard equipment to make higher speeds really felt in a consistent way across their network.

as a standard, the only real advantage for the next 10 years of 5G is that the internet of things will have more connected devices and maybe that reality won't by itself slow down the entire network by using this new standard.

other than that, i bet that achieved 5G speeds will not be any faster than an optimized LTE network.

you are right.


And that is because it is 4g LTE enhanced not 5G. LOL. 5G is a bogus term to make sells.
 
Marketing terms aside 5G (3GPP's 15th standard I believe) will evolve like the standards before it.

Any benefits we see will be a side effect of the protocols flexibility. Cellular network providers will adopt it due to the efficiency improvements of the standard and reduction in overhead.

Its more energy efficient for them. More users per network can be achieved. Connection speed across the networks umbrella (ie less towers and/or less infrastructure per tower). Better transfer between towers (used for mobile wifi for transportation). Features to sell you or to set them apart from the competition. Etc etc....

Also while they have a tight grasp on LTE I'm sure 5G will also offer telco's more control and/or easier control for individual devices/subscriptions.

Competition is the only thing that will break the status quo and help the consumer realize the potential of 5G. For example if your telco could get rid of a tower rental in an area but offer the same level of performance you currently have, they will. The competition offering better performance and getting all that areas customers is what will help prevent that.

Cable networks and cellular networks are the worst when it comes to this though, they don't compete very hard with each only offering the bare minimum over the next, cellular being the worst. Offer you unlimited with caps and things like that. How about about that awesome wifi calling feature? You know the feature that allows you to use your broadband to compensate for the deficiencies in their network? I'm not saying their aren't use cases due to wall penetration and where you are in your home (basement) but its like putting a stamp on an email. /rant
 
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One thing that's strange about all the "5G" hype is that... LTE was supposed to be a technology for the long term (hence Long Term Evolution being the name) and that the idea was to keep improving and expanding upon it for faster and faster speeds.

Yet now the industry is moving away from "LTE" towards this nebulous "5G". What happened to the "long-term" part of LTE?
Well... 5G sounds better than LTE for marketing purposes? Plus who cares about long term? Enjoy the current and think about the future later. /s
My old landlord still uses an iPhone 4 with AT&T. She wonders why her signal isn’t as good as it used to be. I tried talking her into upgrading but she said there’s nothing wrong with it so no need to replace it. For what she uses it for, it still works for her but she’d like an iPhone with LTE on it.
Once 3G signals are cut, go back and ask her what she would love to do. Would she upgrade or give up? Do me a favour please. :D

I want to see how this saga end.
A few members of my extended family have Verizon basic phones on the 3G network and have to figure something out by the end of the year.
So quick? Optus/Telstra hasn’t even planned to retire 3G network yet. Oh yeah I get it, Australia.
But like, still, in some areas even 3G signals are difficult to penetrate, let alone the far worse 5G.
 
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The UK has one of the slowest average speeds for internet in the world. There are 3rd world countries where connectivity and speed our rank the UK.

This is due to overload on current networks where connections are present, and terrain that isn’t suited (mountainous regions).

There are parts of Wales and Scotland that are still on dial-up!

There has been improvements over the last few years, but there is still a long way to go. 5G offers some solutions. Automation is the other big issue. Self-driving cars and a massive shift in reliance on robotics is calling for faster networks that can take more traffic at faster speeds. With 5G, a surgeon in America can perform a life-saving operation on a patient in China by controlling robotics in real-time.

All we need to do is get past this ugly issue with Hauwai (sp?) and the world can start to be ultra connected.
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Why did we move to 4g from 3g? What was the point?
Depends where you are in the world.

4G was the next big step from 3G. Some counties adopted it a long time ago and some only a few years ago.

5G wasn’t a possibility when 4G was released, it was a pipe dream. But science and technology moves on rapidly at times, and 5G came quickly once it got started.
 
A point is that many people currently suffering a fallback of a low speed '3G' network during 4G congestion, will have a 4G fallback during 5G congestion.

& the whole progression thing, like the fixed network.

It's tech evolution. Deal with it....& eventually, you'll appreciate/use it.
 
Other than higher speeds, why spend all that money on 5G when it can be used to make LTE even better and stronger?

Because 5G is exactly what you said, a better and stronger LTE.

Isn’t 5G going to reach even shorter distances?

The 5G that everyone hypes about, is only one part of 5G called mmWave. Using 26/28Ghz Spectrum giving you super speed at short distance within clear line of sight. It is exciting to media because it gives you to potential to have 2Gbps speed, and since they are short distance they are less likely to be congested like cell tower. And it is really good at show casing.

The other part of 5G is what you don't often hear about, partly because it is boring. You have a new Air Interface called NR, that work across from low band frequency all the way up to 60Ghz. And there are many more spectrum available, like the new 3.5Ghz. There is better LAA, MU-MIMO, Small Cell Support, Network Slicing, Lower Latency, Super Low Latency Mode called URLLC, ( Which is what the media constantly bagging on about 1ms, are not going to be used in your general purpose mobile network as it is for special usage only. ). Many of these ( if not All ) exist in one form or another in the later part of 4G or 4.5 / 4.9G. They are just iterative improvements. Much like how you upgrade from 4G to 4.5G, and 4.5G to 4.9G.

So the reality is, 5G is exactly what you asked for, a better and stronger 4G.


People claim VoLTE isn’t as reliable as it should be. Why start on something new when the building out of the older network isn’t stable enough yet?

VoLTE is described by China Mobile as the most complex migration in Tech Industry. VoNR is built on the knowledge they learned during the VoLTE work. And hopefully this time it will be better.

There are also a lot of other bankend improvement that lower MNO's operation complexity and cost. ( And by lowering complexity I don't mean it is simple. 5G is a complex beast )
 
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The other part of 5G is what you don't often hear about, partly because it is boring. You have a new Air Interface called NR, that work across from low band frequency all the way up to 60Ghz. And there are many more spectrum available, like the new 3.5Ghz. There is better LAA, MU-MIMO, Small Cell Support, Network Slicing, Lower Latency, Super Low Latency Mode called URLLC, ( Which is what the media constantly bagging on about 1ms, will not going to be used in your general mobile network as it is for special purpose only. ). Many of these ( if not All ) exist in one form or another in the later part of 4G or 4.5 / 4.9G. They are just iterative improvements. Much like how you upgrade from 4G to 4.5G, and 4.5G to 4.9G.
That’s what I want for how 5G is better than 4G. Yes, I probably can get this information myself by doing a bit of research but hey. ;)
I am already super tired about the fact that media cares ONLY about speed and nothing else, as if speed is the ONLY improvement about 5G over 4G. Let them brag about 2Gbps download speed when upload speed is still capped at 10Mbps in USA, and media never shows that data.
 
What's the point of 4G, 3G, radio waves, X-rays, morse code, electricity, gas, coal, iron, etc.?
 
Because 5G is exactly what you said, a better and stronger LTE.



The 5G that everyone hypes about, is only one part of 5G called mmWave. Using 26/28Ghz Spectrum giving you super speed at short distance within clear line of sight. It is exciting to media because it gives you to potential to have 2Gbps speed, and since they are short distance they are less likely to be congested like cell tower. And it is really good at show casing.

The other part of 5G is what you don't often hear about, partly because it is boring. You have a new Air Interface called NR, that work across from low band frequency all the way up to 60Ghz. And there are many more spectrum available, like the new 3.5Ghz. There is better LAA, MU-MIMO, Small Cell Support, Network Slicing, Lower Latency, Super Low Latency Mode called URLLC, ( Which is what the media constantly bagging on about 1ms, are not going to be used in your general purpose mobile network as it is for special usage only. ). Many of these ( if not All ) exist in one form or another in the later part of 4G or 4.5 / 4.9G. They are just iterative improvements. Much like how you upgrade from 4G to 4.5G, and 4.5G to 4.9G.

So the reality is, 5G is exactly what you asked for, a better and stronger 4G.




VoLTE is described by China Mobile as the most complex migration in Tech Industry. VoNR is built on the knowledge they learned during the VoLTE work. And hopefully this time it will be better.

There are also a lot of other bankend improvement that lower MNO's operation complexity and cost. ( And by lowering complexity I don't mean it is simple. 5G is a complex beast )
Is 5G messing with the weather forecast legit?

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy...erfere-with-us-weather-satellites-navy-warns/
 
That’s what I want for how 5G is better than 4G. Yes, I probably can get this information myself by doing a bit of research but hey. ;)
I am already super tired about the fact that media cares ONLY about speed and nothing else, as if speed is the ONLY improvement about 5G over 4G. Let them brag about 2Gbps download speed when upload speed is still capped at 10Mbps in USA, and media never shows that data.

I used to be quite unhappy about it. But if you think about it, their job is to hype, and the more people that switch to 5G the better.


I don't know the exact answer, but as far as I am aware, US aren't even using those spectrum listed in the Weather Forecast. It is using something slightly above those range. Whether it will cause interference will require others looking into it. ( I seriously doubt it is a problem )
 
I used to be quite unhappy about it. But if you think about it, their job is to hype, and the more people that switch to 5G the better.
Yeah, that’s basically what media or propaganda machine is designed for. I think all I can do is to resist this hype and keep my head clear to not falling into this 5G speed rabbit hole. Maybe help a couple others leaving this hype train as well in the process.
 
Yeah, that’s basically what media or propaganda machine is designed for. I think all I can do is to resist this hype and keep my head clear to not falling into this 5G speed rabbit hole. Maybe help a couple others leaving this hype train as well in the process.

I am OK with average Joe getting over hyped and spend money on it, it makes them fell good anyway. Just don't come on to Internet forums ( technical ones ) and start boasting about it.
 
I am OK with average Joe getting over hyped and spend money on it, it makes them fell good anyway. Just don't come on to Internet forums ( technical ones ) and start boasting about it.
Finger crossed.
 
5G is many things:
- it’s an excuse for carriers to charge you more money for the service you are already paying for
- it’s a huge excuse for the Silicon Valley companies to trick investors with (we are still losing money because we don’t have 5G. Why? Because science!)
- it’s another race for politicians to rally their citizens to be the first country with 5G (and thus give us more of your tax dollars)

But hey, it’s number 5 is bigger than 4, so it’s better. You want better, right?
 
5G will matter to provide internet access through hotspots for homes, as carriers won’t be limited to whoever owns the wiring in the ground, and it will create a level playing field in providing gigabit speeds for home users - including in areas not currently served by wired providers.

This won’t matter for another 2-3 years though.

It brings little to not benefits for iPhones or smartPhones.
 
5G will matter to provide internet access through hotspots for homes, as carriers won’t be limited to whoever owns the wiring in the ground, and it will create a level playing field in providing gigabit speeds for home users - including in areas not currently served by wired providers.

This won’t matter for another 2-3 years though.

It brings little to not benefits for iPhones or smartPhones.
5g has more benefits for home users then wireless. Might be able to totally get rid of having to need a cable provider for home internet. The ability to download large files quickly is a huge advantage at home.
 
5G will matter to provide internet access through hotspots for homes

5g has more benefits for home users then wireless.
Yup!

I think 5G fixed wireless access will provide the biggest impact of the new technology, at least in the short term.

The potential of 5G FWA is huge, but it seems to be mostly ignored, as most news about 5G has to due with mobile. I personally think that 5G mobile will have little impact in most peoples' lives for many years to come.

It brings little to not benefits for iPhones or smartPhones.
Yeah, there does seem to be so much hype for the 5G mobile, but I think the hype will fizzle out as more and more people get phones with 5G capabilities. I bet many people will still be using LTE for a long while.


This won’t matter for another 2-3 years though.
I will be surprised if it will be 2-3 years for mobile 5G, but for 5G FWA, I bet the 2-3 year mark might be accurate.
 
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