When tech insiders discuss the differences between 4G vs. 5G, they’re usually talking about connectivity. Connectivity is the ideal metric for evaluating the strength, quality, and value of your internet, but is 5G speed compared to 4G going to be as significant a shift as some industry experts predict?
Population density, travel speed, and distance all affect how fast a device can communicate with a network. Many experts predict that 5G networks will enhance performance related to many of these aspects, improving network features such as mobility, energy, speed, and range of services. All this sounds simple on paper but has significant implications on a global scale. Better efficiency means 5G wastes less power than 4G LTE, which uses substantially more energy than its newer iteration. Better connectivity means that millions of people living in densely populated cities can connect concurrently without experiencing latency or speed issues. Better mobility means we can stay connected while traveling faster than ever.
Many service providers are already offering 5G connectivity, but it’s not yet available to most consumer markets. Service providers are slowly integrating 5G into their networks and plans, which will, in turn, require a new generation of devices. Once 5G is readily available to the masses, how much will it change the world we live in? Knowing what impact prior networks have had in the past can give us an idea of the impact 5G will have in the future.