5G for the Future
In all the hype for the next generation of mobile devices, better known as 5G, very little press seems to be dedicated to the Fifth Generation’s potential for fixed broadband services. 5G mobile services are apparently going to enable the next generation of smart cars, for instance. Cell phones, tablets, and laptops are going to achieve gigabit speeds on 5G. From a technical point of view, 5G is leading to an increase in what’s known as edge computing, wherein local compute and storage infrastructure is clustered around traditional cellular towers and wireless points-of-presence. What then will 5G do for both mobile, and non-mobile devices such as home computers and televisions?
The promise of 5G for home PCs may not be as exciting in terms of speed, as most cable companies currently offer hundreds of megabits of speed, even gigabit speeds in the more metropolitan areas. Using 5G purely as an Internet connection for home devices encroaches on cable companies once customers see prices nearly half of what they’re used to spending for wired services. California customers of Comcast in Silicon Valley, for example, can look to save as much as $30 per month on comparable 5G offerings. 5G’s intersection with the Internet of Things will also have a major impact on fixed home life, not just with PCs, but also refrigerators, coffee makers, exercise equipment, and medical assistive and diagnostic devices occupying the airwaves.
What then might 5G do for television? In the same way 5G wireless aims to save Internet providers from laying billions of dollars’ worth of fiber optic cables, cable television companies might gain new market penetration without having to hang billions of dollars of new cable. The underlying technology isn’t so different from the home computer that would connect to 5G Internet; a sophisticated set-top box taking advantage of live shows, interactive content, and high-speed video-on-demand, all over the air. A substantial infrastructure investment would still need to be made, but miles of cable would no longer be necessary.
Companies like AT&T and Verizon have been offering television over Internet Protocol, or IPTV, for well over a decade without gaining much traction. In the history of communications, we learn that fiber optic technology was developed originally in an attempt to carry television signals over long distances. Of course, the modern Internet runs over millions of miles of fiber optic cables, now having very little to do with television. I doubt television will end up being the driving factor in 5G adoption in the United States. Mobile telephony is already taking over personal entertainment, from offering television content to videogaming.
Keeping up with the fast pace of technology isn’t easy, or cheap. Ask anyone standing in line this Black-Friday for the brand-new Apple or foldable Android phone. Though 5G is rolling out in cities across the globe, ahead of schedule, the next generation in telephony is definitely going to be built for the next generation of consumer. Ultra-high-speed mobile data will enable augmented reality applications, shared virtual reality experiences, and intelligent automation all around us, like self-driving cars and home-delivery robots. It will also reduce the need for as many humans conducting physical labor, simultaneously creating a need to retrain and retool to maintain our new robot workforce.
