5G WIRELESS

A NEW STANDARD

The first 5G smartphones will launch this year in the U.S. It’s a major step in wireless tech that promises significantly faster data (at least 20 times greater than 4G), response times of 1 millisecond or less and other enhancements. A big part of the hype and promise: It’s going to let consumers nearly instantly stream entertainment anywhere. For example, a two-hour HD movie that takes five to seven minutes to download over 4G LTE will pop onto a 5G device in just three to four seconds, says Steve Koenig, VP of market research for the Consumer Technology Assn.

Michael Kassan, CEO of consulting firm Medialink, believes the new tech will enable a leap into fresh markets for IP creators.“5g is the ticket to make that happen,” says Kassan. Events at CES focusing on 5G include a keynote from Verizon chief Hans Vestberg.

Verizon, AT&T, T-mobile and Sprint are jockeying for the pole position with 5G’s real-world debut, with the wireless carriers set to roll out phones from Samsung and other manufacturers in the first half of 2019. Apple is reportedly sitting out until at least 2020 for a 5G version of iphone.

Over a longer horizon, 5G networks will enable numerous new applications within the so-called internet of things that includes self-driving cars, smart-home devices and virtual/augmented reality. With 5G, an AR gaming application could overlay real-time statistics about the local area into smart glasses as the player looks around, says Colby Synesael, Cowen & Co.’s managing director of technology media and telecom. “This is the first wireless technology that will go beyond the phone,” he adds.

But 5G won’t start to hit its full potential until the mid-2020s, analysts say. And it will be 2022 before 5G-enabled phones represent 50% of units shipped in the United States, Koenig predicts.“it’s not just going to be ‘flip a switch’ and we’re on to 5G,” he says.