How is 5G different than 4G?

June 25, 2020 Category: Pop Culture

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The Internet has come a long way since it was invented in 1989.  It has helped to change the lives of people around the world and it just keeps getting better. Every day we rely on the Internet for entertainment, business, and more. For most people, the faster the Internet, the better the experience. People don’t want to wait for their favourite TV show to load or have reduced productivity due to a slow network.

At Execulink Telecom, we want to keep you updated on the future of technology. The rise of 5G has the potential to dramatically improve your online experience. Discover how to leverage this technology in your own life.

The Next Generation of Wireless Technology

Over the years there have been promising advancements in the world of wireless network technology with updated generations. From 3G we advanced to 4G, and now we have 5G technology to explore.

This generation is expected to transform the way we work, live and play. Overall, more data per hertz will be able to be transmitted over the network at faster speeds. On a larger scale it will increase the interconnectivity of our world to create smart cities. There is also the potential to use 5G to revolutionize and innovate across every industry.

There are exciting aspects that 5G brings to the table which will help to increase adoption rates of this new generation of tech. Yet, this hasn’t been rolled out to the mass consumer market yet. Select service providers are offering 5G to their customers starting with densely populated cities, however, there’s still a long way to go before we use 5G to its full societal capabilities.

Here are key differences between 4G and 5G technology:

Speed

5G has been making waves as people believe that at its maximum speed, it could be up to 100 times faster than 4G technology. To highlight this progress, it’s important to know that 4G was 500 times faster than 3G. As it has evolved, 4G has offered us never before seen video streaming and calling on the go. People have embraced these innovations so much so that the demand has been challenging to support on the network.  Enter 5G with speeds that will go well beyond the fastest broadband connection available today.

This dramatic increase in speed can affect our day-to-day movie and app downloads but can also help larger industries speed up processes.

Yet, don’t count 4G out just yet; over its lifetime 4G speed has become faster, especially with the introduction of LTE. The truth of the matter is speed depends on several factors including the number of devices using the network, your device, your ISP, and more. The same can be said about 5G; considering not all services are created equal, your ISP will be a factor that helps to determine how fast your 5G network will be.

Latency

Where 5G shines in comparison to 4G is in terms of latency rates. Latency is the time it takes for the information sent from the network to reach the receiver’s device. For example, the time it takes from when you send a text to when your friend receives it.

5G is expected to have a much lower latency rate than 4G. The difference could be less than 10 milliseconds versus 20-30 milliseconds.

This can make a difference for online gamers where a few milliseconds in delayed speed can change the outcome of a game. For real-time outcomes, 5G’s reduced latency will make a significant difference.

More Devices

Compared to 4G, 5G provides the opportunity for more devices to be connected to the network. On a day-to-day basis this means when you’re in crowded areas such as shopping centers, airports, concerts, and more, your connection to the network won’t slow down due to the network being at capacity. This has long been a limitation of 4G technology which has difficulties supporting a high number of devices especially during peak hours of usage.  For countries that are densely populated around the world, this can make a difference. 5G is expected to have significantly more capacity than 4G.

This leads to huge advancements on the world scale in various data-driven industries that require many devices to operate in the same area. For instance, self-driving cars and smart home devices can share the network without causing disruptions.

4G and 5G Will Work Together for Now

While 5G offers users enhanced performance beyond 4G networks, the full transition to this upgraded technology won’t happen immediately. Many of us will continue to use 4G networks when 5G is unavailable. Similar to how when 4G isn’t available, we rely on 3G. Don’t think you can forget 4G just yet. When 5G is in the picture, both will work together to provide you with a fast Internet connection.

Click here to learn more about Execulink’s Mobility services

Choose Execulink Telecom

With over a century of experience in the telecommunications industry, Execulink has been serving Ontario proudly since 1904. Our team is extremely knowledgeable about our products and plans and happy to help in any way we can. We offer several unlimited Internet options that are straightforward and easy to understand.

If you’re noticing that your Internet cuts out sometimes, it may be time to upgrade your package or find a new Internet service provider. Consider trying our Internet service, contact us at 1-877-393-2854 today.