100x Faster 5G Internet’s on its Way, but Do we Really Need it?

Fast simply doesn’t seem fast enough these days, given how rapidly expectations about internet speed are rising. But an ambitious project underway at the University of Surrey in England could spectacularly beat consumers’ expectations. If successful, fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology could enable people to download entire movies to computing devices in just five seconds. Compare that to the eight minutes taken by the fastest 4G technology available on the market today and the sheer magnitude of the new wireless technology falls into perspective.

100x Faster Internet Speed could be a Reality Sooner than Expected

The University of Surrey has joined hands with tech majors such as Fujitsu and Samsung to realize this venture. Besides blazing internet speeds, 5G cellphone network will allow millions of devices – such as sensors, home appliances, and smartwatches – to be latched on to it.

With an impressive array of paraphernalia, including 70 powerful radio antennas and ultrafast servers, being deployed to facilitate this project, those working on the project are aiming for its completion in the first half of 2018. Tests and trials in the lab environment have already impressed the team, says Rahim Tafazolli, director of the department handling the 5G project.

Companies are Outspending Each other in Race to Offer High-speed Internet

But there’s no way the researchers at the University of Surrey can rest on this initial success. The competition to bring the fastest wireless technology to the market is already intense. Telecom giants such as NTT DoCoMo, Verizon, and AT&T are developing their ultrafast wireless technologies by pumping in billions of dollars because they know too well that the fortunes of the company that wins this race will dramatically improve. Google is expected to step in to provide 5G services in the future, too, prompting other competitors to hasten their pace.

Buoyed by these developments, telecom equipment vendors such as Huawei and Ericsson are already building their capabilities to install the next-generation equipment needed to power 5G internet.

Will the Global Standard for 5G Wireless Tech be Ready in Time?

The University of Surrey and many other telecom companies might be aiming for 2018 to get their wireless technology on the market but there’s a major challenge that stands in the way. A worldwide standard for 5G wireless technology won’t be ready before 2019. This has led telecom companies to lobby fiercely with industry bodies to ensure that when their wireless technology hits the markets, it will have an upper hand over rivals.

If anything, this could potentially delay a global rollout of 5G wireless technology because detailed agreements will have to be chalked out over radio wave usage and interconnected networks, opine market experts. Realistically speaking, 5G will likely not be ready for widespread use until 2020.

Jumping to 5G Before Addressing Lack of Internet Access in Underserved Regions Could be a Folly, Warn Experts

The disparity between internet connectivity between developed and emerging nations is surprising. In developed countries such as South Korea, the U.S., and the U.K., mobile internet connections are remarkably fast and meet the current needs of consumers. On the other hand, emerging regions have to put up with agonizingly slow internet speeds, marring their ability to use the internet for banking-, health-, or retail-related functions. Analysts in the telecom sector are thus questioning the rush for ultrafast wireless technology when gaps in underserved regions remain unaddressed – especially when global standards for 5G wireless tech aren’t even in place yet.

But telcos don’t seem to be in the mood to slow down and ponder over this, because as Tafazolli puts it, “In the race to 5G, everyone wants to be first.”