Today, the phrase 5G keeps hitting headlines in nearly every tech news section online. But what exactly does this abbreviation really mean for you?

 

Sure, it’s easy to associate 5G with 4G, and you’d be right. 5G is the newest mobile networking technology following 4G—the mainstream one you’re probably using right now. Compared with 4G networking technology, the 5th generation of mobile networks brings significant improvements in bandwidth and reliability.

 

When talking about the uses of mobile networking technologies, certain devices and scenarios may come to mind—smartphones being one. Undoubtedly, 5G will change our networking experience on phones with its super-fast connections and imperceptible delays.

 

Its influence on your life, however, goes far beyond this. With the increasing deployment of 5G, the following applications will become more and more accessible in everyday life.

 

1. AR and VR

AR (augmented reality) devices and VR (virtual reality) headsets are nothing new. In fact, you may have already tried them out before.

 

To provide real immersion, these devices need to communicate via the internet with minimal delays, which requires a huge amount of bandwidth. Ever since the mainstream roll-out of AR/VR tech, though, there’s actually been some unsatisfactory user feedback. Think about all those complaints about users experience nausea for example.

 

Networking delays are largely responsible for such bad experiences. So 5G may be the best solution for fixing delays with its ultrafast speeds. By accelerating the application of AR and VR in relevant industries, 5G will even enable using VR to support live broadcasts of sports events and concerts.

 

2. Revolutionary Entertainment

Due to the remarkable improvement in bandwidth and speed, 5G is likely to bring major changes to the entire entertainment industry.

 

5G can support the smooth connectivity for the latest tech like 8K Ultra HD videos and cloud gaming. It also has the potential to replace the reliable high speeds provided by wired connections.

 

3. Internet of Things (IoT)

IoT has become a heated topic in recent years. Limited by current tech conditions, we have only scratched the surface of what’s possible. As the 5G era approaches, though, IoT can be expanded with support from faster speeds and larger coverage.

 

Take your average home as an example. If you want to create a real smart home, your internet connection should be reliable, ubiquitous, and online all the time—just like the electricity that powers your home.

 

5G not only ensures transmission speeds among smart home gadgets like intelligent monitor equipment but also connects more devices together to form a smart home network.

 

4. Smart City

5G’s benefits go well beyond the walls of a smart home. They will even help transform metropolises into smart cities. It’ll be possible to collect and process big data and achieve real-time management of public resources.

 

For instance, drivers can receive instant notifications of available parking spots. You won’t need to spend time circling a few blocks to find one. In addition, the development of 5G brings good news to many other aspects of traffic.

 

Because of 5G’s quick response and reliability, you’ll be able to see the real traffic conditions around every corner. You won’t need to listen to the radio to know what the roads are like. This will help reduce traffic jams and even allow self-driving vehicles to respond properly to possible accidents.

 

To sum up, 5G’s going to change the whole game: from entertainment to transportation. As it kicks off now, there aren’t many real-world examples and experience to point to. But one thing is for sure, though.

 

We’re in for a lot of surprises in the near future when it comes to 5G.