5G is finally starting to feel real
Qualcomm gave us a glimpse of the 5G future earlier this month. Now AT&T is launching its mobile 5G service in a handful of cities.
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| 5G will change our lives... eventually. |
December isn't just time for the holidays. It's a time for 5G merriment.
In early December, Qualcomm went all-in on how the next-generation wireless technology will take shape in 2019. Its chips serve as the brains of high-profile phones, such as the Google Pixel 3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and it used its annual Snapdragon Tech Summit as a showcase for 5G technology, showing off a prototype phone that can tap into 5G networks. Partners AT&T and Verizon pitched in too, setting up "live networks" at the conference hotel in Maui to demonstrate their capabilities. Samsung showed off a 5G reference device at the event.
"A lot of the work went into getting the 5G logo to show on this phone," Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon said as he held up the company's prototype during the keynote.
In mid-December, AT&T took things up a notch by launching its 5G network in 12 US cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, and New Orleans, with just two weeks to spare to make its self-imposed deadline of the end of 2018. But for the moment, its restrictions aren't just geographic -- it'll work only with one specific 5G hotspot from Netgear, which will create a Wi-Fi network that phones, tablets, and laptops can tap into.
For actual 5G phones, you'll have to wait until 2019.
Samsung and
Verizon have said they'll
launch a 5G smartphone in the first half of next year.
AT&T and Sprint too.
Two months back, Verizon launched a variant of 5G as a home internet service, and in early 2019 it plans to begin a standards-based mobile service.
All of this means 5G is going from years of hype -- ever since Verizon talked about moving into the area three years ago -- to becoming reality. Beyond a big speed boost, 5G has been referred to as foundational tech that will supercharge areas like self-driving cars, virtual and augmented reality and telemedicine services, such as remote surgery.
But what exactly is 5G? Why are people so excited? The following is a breakdown of why the next generation of wireless technology is more than just a boost in speed, and why you should be excited.
What is 5G?
It's the next (fifth) generation of cellular technology, which promises to greatly enhance the speed, coverage, and responsiveness of wireless networks. How fast are we talking? Think 10 to 100 times speedier than your typical cellular connection, and even faster than anything you can get with a physical fiber-optic cable going into your house. (In optimal conditions, you'll be able to download a season's worth of Stranger Things in seconds.)
Is it just about speed?
No! One of the key benefits is something called low latency. You'll hear this term a lot. Latency is the response time between when you click on a link or start streaming a video on your phone, which sends the request up to the network, and when the network responds, delivering you the website or playing your video.
That lag time can last around 20 milliseconds with current networks. It doesn't seem like much, but with 5G, that latency gets reduced to as little as 1 millisecond, or about the time it takes for a flash on a normal camera.
That responsiveness is critical for things like playing an intense video game in virtual reality or for a surgeon in New York to control a pair of robotic arms performing a procedure in San Francisco, though latency will still be affected by the ultimate range of the connection. The virtually lag-free connection means self-driving cars have a way to communicate with each other in real time -- assuming there's enough 5G coverage to connect those vehicles.
How does it work?
5G initially used super high-frequency spectrum, which has a shorter range but higher capacity, to deliver a massive pipe for online access. But given the range and interference issues, the carriers are starting to explore lower-frequency spectrum -- the type used in today's networks -- to help ferry 5G across greater distances and through walls and other obstructions.
The result is that the insane speeds companies first promised won't always be there, but they'll still represent a big boost from what we get today with 4G LTE.
Are there other benefits?
The 5G network is designed to connect a far greater number of devices than a traditional cellular network. That internet of things trend you keep hearing about? 5G can power multiple devices around you, whether it's a dog collar or a refrigerator.
The 5G network was also specifically built to handle equipment used by businesses, such as farm equipment or ATMs. Beyond speed, it's also designed to work differently on connected products that don't need a constant connection, like a sensor for fertilizer. Those kinds of low-power scanners are intended to work on the same battery for 10 years and still be able to periodically send over data.
Sounds great, but when does 5G get here?
Verizon launched the first "5G" service in the world in October, but it's a bit of a technicality -- a fixed broadband replacement, rather than a mobile service. An installer has to put in special equipment that can pick up the 5G signals and turn that into a Wi-Fi connection in the home so your other devices can access it.
There's also some debate about whether the service even qualifies as 5G: It doesn't use the standards the industry has agreed upon. The company wanted to jump out ahead and used its own proprietary technology. Verizon argues that the speeds, which range from 300 megabits per second to 1 gigabit per second, qualify the service for 5G designation. Its rivals and other mobile experts dispute that claim.
The launch was extremely limited in select neighborhoods in Los Angeles; Sacramento, California; Indianapolis; and Dallas. (Let us know if you're among the lucky few who get it.)
As of the end of December, AT&T was turning on its mobile 5G network in a dozen cities, and more specifically in "dense urban and high-traffic areas." Take note, Verizon: AT&T boasted that it's the "first and only company in the US to offer a mobile 5G device over a commercial, standards-based mobile 5G network." It plans to boost its coverage to a total of 19 cities in 2019.
Verizon says it'll launch its mobile 5G next year.
No 5G phones? Can't I just pick up 5G with my existing smartphone?
Sorry, no. 5G technology requires a specific set of antennas that aren't available yet. Sprint says it plans to release the first US 5G smartphone next year, which will be built by LG. It's also working on a 5G "smart hub" with HTC, but as with all of the 5G news so far, they've been light on details such as features, specifications, price or availability.
Many of the phones will use Qualcomm's X50 modem, which is designed specifically to tap into a 5G spectrum.
Generally, 5G smartphones are expected to come out in the first half of next year. Rumors point to Samsung being among the first to build a 5G smartphone. The company reportedly will put 5G in a version of its Galaxy S10. Samsung mobile CEO DJ Koh, however, teased that a specific 5G phone will launch ahead of its flagship.
OnePlus has also said that it'll be among the first to have 5G in a phone as well, but that device won't be coming to the US.
Anything I should worry about?
High-frequency spectrum is the key to that massive pickup in capacity and speed, but there are drawbacks. The range isn't great, especially when you have obstructions such as trees or buildings. As a result, carriers will have to deploy a lot smaller cellular radios, creatively named small cells, around any areas that get a 5G signal.
That's going to annoy anyone who doesn't want cellular radios near them. With concerns over potential health risks, as well as the possibility some people will see them as neighborhood eyesores, there may be some objections to these things.
Carriers using low-frequency bands may get away with fewer cellular radios, but 5G will almost certainly require companies to further build out their networks.
How broadly will 5G be available in 2019?
Here's the other concern -- 5G might still be a theoretical possibility for a lot of people.
T-Mobile says it's launching in 30 cities next year, while Sprint will launch in nine cities. AT&T plans to have 5G in up to 19 markets next year, and Verizon aims to launch next year too, but it's unclear how wide the coverage will be. Globally, China, Japan, and South Korea are racing to build out their 5G networks, with Europe behind as it takes the slow-and-steady approach.
So don't feel like you need to rush out to buy that first 5G smartphone. Chances are, service won't be widely available until 2020 or beyond.
Also, while some see 5G helping to improve coverage for everyone, rural areas will likely miss out for a while since it lacks the infrastructure to support all of those cell radios.
Will it cost more?
That's a definite possibility. Says AT&T: "5G brings capabilities that are going to cause us to think differently about pricing. We expect pricing to be at a premium to what we charge today,"
That echoes a comment made back in March by then-Sprint CEO Marcelo Claure, who said he saw 5G as a premium service. New CEO Michel Combes declined to comment on pricing.
There is a precedent for holding the line: LTE didn't cost any more when it first came out -- you just needed to buy a new phone. But pricing models do change over time. Since 4G launched, the carriers both took away unlimited plans and brought them back.
Verizon's home broadband service costs $50 for wireless subscribers and $70 for everyone else. Those are in line with other broadband costs. (You can find out if you're eligible for the service here.)
AT&T's mobile 5G service will be free for "select" customers for the first 90 days. After that, the company will charge $499 for the hotspot plus $70 per month for a plan with a 15GB data cap.
