What is Satellite Internet?
Ever since the evolution of the internet, it has been a fast race for better speed, better service, and lower latency periods for uploads, downloads, and general internet communication.
We have experienced technological advancements from the First Generation (1G) to Fourth Generation (4G) with 4G being the biggest upgrade until now.
When 4G technology came on the scene in the late 2010s, it seemed like a miracle based on the massive improvements that came with the upgrade.
The 4G internet was 10 times faster than the previous 3G, with upload and download speeds that had never before been seen.
With the advent of 5G however, the speed and advancements of 4G seem like nothing as 5G surpasses every feature of the 4th generation technology with a wide margin.
What is 5G?
5G is the fifth generation mobile network; with an upgraded global wireless standard after 4G.
In telecommunications, 5G is the next generation technology standard for cellular networks. Phone companies began deploying this network since 2019 when some companies finished up the development of this upgraded network
5G technology is expected to deliver speed, reliability, high network capacity, very low latency, higher data speed, availability, and uniform user experience across board.
Basically, 5G is going to be connecting the world in ways that have never been experienced. 5G will bring to bear a new kind of connectivity that will connect people, machines, devices, and even objects as have never before been seen.
5G has been described as a force, and this is no exaggeration. With 100 times the speed of the 4G network, next to zero latency and reliability, it is set to impact every industry and field of endeavor and bring about a new reality.
How does 5G Work?
5G networks are cellular networks with a service area further divided into cells or smaller geographical areas.
5G devices within a cell are connected to telephone and internet network through radio waves with the aid of an antenna within the cell.
These new networks will have an increased bandwidth which will result in faster speeds that could eventually be as fast as 10gigabits/sec.
This increased bandwidth will ensure that the network can serve more than just cell phones; it will go as far as to serve even laptops and desktop computers.
The higher frequency radio waves that will be used to achieve faster speeds will have a shorter coverage range. To achieve wide services, the 5G network will operate on three frequency levels-Low, medium, and high.
The different network frequencies bands will require different antennas and different cells. The different antennas will give different upload and download speeds based on distance and service areas.
Low-band 5G will be on a similar frequency as the current 4G networks (600-700MHz) but with download speed a bit higher than 4G (30-250 Megabits per second). Low-band 5G towers will also have similar features and coverage range as 4G.
Mid-band 5G uses cell towers that provide services up to several miles, and microwaves of 2.5-3.7GHz which allows as much speed as 100-900Mbps. This level of the network is available in most metropolitan areas right now.
High-band 5G uses a frequency of 25-39GHz and achieves a download speed of 1-3 gigabits/sec.
However, the wave on which high-band 5G is transported has a short range of 1 mile (1.6 km) and will require many small cells to function. Owing to the high cost of this network band, there are plans to deploy these cells to dense environments and areas such as stadiums and conference centers.
What is the Importance of 5G
5G has been called the new revolution, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It has been predicted to change the economy of the world owing to the fact that its speed and capacity can make it the greatest technology yet.
According to global estimates, 5G will support about 22 million jobs worldwide and empower the global economy to make about $12.3 trillion in financial output.
Here are a few easy to remember reasons why 5G is important not just to the general or global economy but also to the lives of people all around the world.
• Extensive reach
5G technology can reach well beyond what any current mobile technology can reach.
With its wider bandwidth and fast speed, it stands to make improvements in areas such as virtual reality, augmented reality creation of 3D holograms. It also takes communication and connectivity to a different level than has ever been experienced in the world.
With 5G technology, you can attend a meeting as a hologram while in your home.
• Improved Accessibility and Functions
5G will not only improve personal and interpersonal communication, but it will also introduce advancements in transportation such as driver-less and automated vehicles.
You won’t need to call a designated driver or take a cab after drinking or when you are tired; your car will simply drive you home.
It will also take personal and professional advancements, making it possible for people to explore greater levels of freedom.
5G is also set to enable household appliances to carry out automated tasks that would normally need a person to carry out or supervise.
• Improved Health and Safety
5G holds much potential and this goes farther than just conference calls and super-fast downloads. 5G stands to improve the potential for remote surgery, the creation of smart cities, better-automated traffic control, and other forms of instantaneous responses.
Doctors can practically operate on patients from miles away using robots connected to a wireless network.
5G Myths and Facts
Quite a large number of persons have speculated on the possible side effects of the 5G especially as it concerns the health. While some of these concerns are raised due to the fact that 5G will make use of higher millimeter-wave radiation, some other persons just feel like such great things don’t come without a price.
Conspiracy theorists have linked 5G technology to every extreme health condition and we have seen a recent rave that it is the cause of coronavirus, even though health experts are constantly debunking such claims.
Another concern that has been raised is the fear that the waves from 5G can literally ‘fry your cells’ but how can this be possible? And why will someone put together such a technology that could fry them first?
Some persons also go as far as to say 5G will suck all oxygen out of the world and leave us for dead. Think about it for one second; does it make any rational sense?
First of all, Low-band and Mid-band waves have been used for a long time. Low-band 5G UHFTV waves have been in use since 1952, while Mid-band Sprints have been used since 2007.
While worries concerning the high-band seem to be the greatest, and rightly so when you consider the number of small cell sites and more visible antennas necessary to ensure reach.
However, there is a misplaced worry that the millimeter wave will be harmful to the human cells because it is too strong. In actuality, the millimeter-wave is too weak, that is why it needs a lot to conduct it.
Also, the environment as it is serves as protection from any possible harmful wave. Buildings, leaves, walls, objects, clothing, and even the skin provide more than enough protection from the strongest of these waves.
Studies carried out on millimeter-waves have shown that it cannot penetrate the human skin. At the highest level and at the strongest effect, what it can do is to make things warmer due to higher levels of power specific to the 5G network.
So you see? Most theories are baseless, and most worries are unnecessary.
Conclusion
5G technology will introduce the world to a new industrial revolution. It is expected to directly impact our everyday lives, businesses, society, health, and security, with the possibility of being even more.
To tap into the wide and unimaginable potential 5G holds, we must first study and understand all it entails while keeping an open mind. Only then can you explore all that this network technology has to offer and change your embrace it once it becomes a worldwide commodity.