Summary: According to reports, people who are obsessed with technology are generally speed and performance enthusiasts, who love high-speed processors, large memory, and flying network connections. But from the current technology perspective, it is unlikely that there will be significant improvements in processors and storage, but network speeds are different because 5G is already on the road. In the United States, operators AT&T and Verizon have both started small-scale 5G network experiments, and the network is expected to be officially launched in 2020. For 5G, perhaps everyone is most familiar with the improvement of network speed, but this technology is not that simple. Below, the author lists the key points

According to reports, people who are obsessed with technology are generally speed and performance enthusiasts, who love high-speed processors, large memory, and flying network connections. But from the current technology perspective, it is unlikely that there will be significant improvements in processors and storage, but network speeds are different because 5G is already on the road.
In the United States, operators AT&T and Verizon have both started small-scale 5G network experiments, and the network is expected to be officially launched in 2020. For 5G, perhaps everyone is most familiar with the improvement of network speed, but this technology is not so simple. Below, the author lists 5 questions about 5G technology that you must know.
5G brings more than just an increase in internet speed
In terms of network speed, 5G will be 10-100 times faster than existing 4G, which means we can enjoy ultra-high network speeds of 4Gbps in the future (which is also the reason why 5G is named “Fiber optic Network without Fiber Optics”).
Hank, Vice President of AT&T’s Network Architecture Department, explained that the rapid progress in network speed is mainly due to operators opening up more wireless channels and the use of millimeter wave technology (shortened signal transmission distance, faster network speed). In addition, the use of small base stations has increased network coverage, and data transmission and exchange distances have also become shorter.
Hank believes that 5G brings more than just an increase in speed. In fact, what is more important for users is the increase in network capacity of 5G, which can carry more devices. With the deepening of the construction of the Internet of Things, there will be more and more connected devices in the future, from security systems in offices to broadcasting in cars, all of which will become members of 5G networks. It is expected that by 2020, there will be an explosive growth in the number of connected devices, with your clothes, sports accessories, bridges, and even your body becoming a part of the network.
As the founder of Recon Analytics and a 5G network expert, Entner said, “With the continuous advancement of the Internet of Things revolution, 5G networks will become a strong backing for billions of devices in the future.”
2. The network architecture is completely refreshed
Gartner expert Shama said that in addition to fast speed and low latency, 5G networks also have strong backward compatibility, so researchers can have greater autonomy in modifying their architecture.
“5G wireless networks will join a new architecture similar to Cloud RAN (Cloud Wireless Access), and localized micro data centers will rise. They can support server-based network functions such as industrial IoT gateways, high-definition video caching, and transcoding. In addition, support for the new topology protocol allows 5G to better manage more dispersed heterogeneous networks,” said Shama.
“5G networks will see rapid development in base station construction,” said Entner. “At present, we do not know what wireless data transmission technology will be adopted in the future, and many people have disagreements on this issue.”
3. Preliminary experiments are currently underway
In addition to the previously mentioned AT&T and Verizon, many companies have also started testing 5G networks, including Alcatel Lucent, Ericsson, Fuji, Nokia, and Samsung.
In addition to these veteran telecommunications equipment manufacturers, many technology companies are also eyeing the business opportunities brought by 5G technology. Google (Weibo) recently acquired 5G network technology company Alpental to promote the advancement of millimeter wave technology. Microsoft has also started using the blank spectrum of televisions for testing. In addition, Facebook has launched an open computing initiative that will become part of the Internet, org, and provide online support to impoverished developing countries in the future.
4. There is currently no major breakthrough in Wi Fi technology
Although 5G technology will make significant progress in the coming years, Wi Fi, which we are familiar with, does not receive this treatment. Hank believes that the industry has made a big mistake in this regard, after all, the two technologies will continue to coexist in the future, and the progress of Wi Fi technology cannot be ignored. However, Entner stated that the industry has also considered Wi Fi, but the main task of 5G is to carry the gradually increasing number of connected devices in the coming years, rather than working together with Wi Fi at home.
“5G is very important because the existing network design is no longer able to accommodate the vast amount of devices in the future,” said Entner. “The current situation has greatly exceeded expectations from 10 years ago, and we need to find effective solutions.”
5. The United States will not become the first country to deploy 5G networks
In addition to American operators, NTT Docomo from Japan has also started testing 5G networks. In addition, South Korea is likely to officially launch 5G networks before the opening of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. Therefore, in the construction of 5G networks, the United States is not at the forefront, and it is Asian countries that can truly experience this technology first.