5 G: All information about the LTE successor

After LTE, i.e. 4G, was put into operation for the first time in 2010, the successor 5G is now the measure of all things. We give you all the information about the new mobile network and show you where you can already use it.

The 5G mobile network can do that

The performance of the new technology marks another milestone in the history of mobile networks. The key data of the new standard far exceed that of 4G.

• 5G delivers a data rate up to 100 times higher than the 4G network. This corresponds to a value of up to 10, 000 Mbit / s and is therefore finally suitable as a replacement for a cable connection.
• There is also a very low latency of less than one millisecond. This is the delay in the communication between you and the cell tower.
• 5G can also address many more devices at once. Worldwide, more than 100 billion devices should be able to communicate at the same time. Missed New Year's Eve calls are a thing of the past.
• The lower power consumption is also very important for end users. This can be up to 90% lower than in the 4G network. Smartphones can therefore be used for longer.

4G successor: Timeline of research

5G had been worked on for some time before the first areas could be supplied with 5G. The major network operators and chip manufacturers regularly achieved breakthroughs and worked closely together.

• The network supplier Ericsson already showed a prototype of the new network in 2015. At the Mobile World Congress they installed a test facility that managed a data rate of 4000 Mbit / s.
• Exactly one year later, several manufacturers published their developments for the new standard. Telekom also presented a functional prototype.
• In 2017, Intel presented a 5G-capable modem at CES. The chip manufacturer Qualcomm also had something up its sleeve at the time. That was a big step towards the marketability of the new technology.
• Intel and Qualcomms chips are built into almost every smartphone. The introduction of the modem therefore meant that progress was also made in the user area.
• In 2018, Telekom installed its first 5G live network in Berlin. With four radio stations, the group is testing the new standard under real conditions.
• In 2019, the first cities and areas will be equipped with a 5G network from Vodafone. These include Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund. The option can be added to contracts for € 5.
• In comparison to the 25, 000 4G masts in Germany, the 50 5G stations are hardly worth mentioning.

5G: This is what the future of the new standard looks like

Network operators and hardware manufacturers are working flat out on the new technology. It should be distributed as quickly as possible in Germany and made accessible to the mass market.

• The new standard offers enormous opportunities for connectivity in the future. Not only do consumers need ever higher data rates, the Internet of Things will soon also need better network capacity. The standard is therefore an important component of technological progress.
• The largest construction site is currently the cost associated with the expansion. Radio masts must be connected to the core network via fiber optic or directional radio. This of course costs the network provider a lot of money.
• The frequency ranges above 6 GHz also require many small transmission towers instead of a large one. The installation of all these transmission masts is again very expensive, especially in urban areas. In order to guarantee a nationwide 5G network in Germany, around 800, 000 masts must be available.
• After the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, the Huawei Mate X 5G and some other smartphones with 5G have already been sold, all new devices should gradually be equipped with the technology.

In the next practical tips, we will explain the difference between LTE and 4G and what exactly 4G is compared to 4G +.