WHAT IS 5G?

5G, or fifth-generation cellular services, are the next version of wireless voice and data networks. They will offer faster speeds, better coverage and far better battery life for devices. The world has already seen four generations of cellular infrastructure.

Now, 5G will be the latest and will require a massive round of new investment by cellular carriers. But what is it exactly? 5G is an upgrade to the cellular networks that currently blanket the country. Consumers will require new cellphones as current 4G devices won’t be able to receive the new signals.

The speed increase will be significant.

Current 4G cellular networks have top transmission speeds of between 12 megabits per second (mbps) and 50 mbps. In a test of 5G cellular technologies at its labs in Vancouver earlier this year, Telus hit a top speed of 29.3 gigabits per second (gbps). That’s more than 550 times faster than current network averages. Industry analysts expect average consumers will get speeds of around 3.6 gbps, which is about 72 times faster than what they are currently experiencing.

The technology is being designed to handle large consumer loads, with current requirements calling for networks to support “several hundreds of thousands of simultaneous connections” at the higher speeds.

The new technology is also being designed to allow for better cellular coverage than what is currently available. That should lead to more connectivity for cellular and mobile data users in areas where there previously was none.