What is 5G Wireless Technology?
5G (Fifth Generation of Wireless Technology) is actually really cool, new technology.
5G will allow us to download and transfer on our cell phones and homes at speeds way, way faster than 3G or LTE. SUPER FAST. Like 10 Gigs of data in a few seconds! Like 100 times faster than your current speeds. Download an entire 2 hour 4k movie in less than 25 seconds. It can also support millions more devices than 4G, all at the same time, with no lag. Never buffer again! WOWEE. I wrote about 5G in 2017 when I toured Intel’s self driving cars . 5G is needed for that too by the way.
5G is a new cell technology, so we need to change and add to the old 4G cell phone towers of the past. 5G is split into three spectrums, low (600-800MHZ) and mid (2.5-3.5GHz) and the new high millimeter (24-39Ghz) wave spectrum. The high, band, millimeter 5G signal can only go a very short distance, so we need many, many towers all over the place to work. Buildings, walls, rain, heck – even leaves, can block this high millimeter signal. That isn’t so great, so part of 5G technology is the ability to instantly flip between them all and constantly be searching for the faster signal. No dropped signal, No hiccups. Cool eh?
5G Radiation and Health Effects
Before you worry about 5G radiation or ‘What are 5G’s health effects on us?’…. Here is a nice picture that shows us where 5G sits on the electromagnetic ‘radiation’ spectrum.
CNET
5G Vs A Sunburn
The type of radiation that we know is ‘harmful’ like Ultraviolet, is called IONIZING. It is way over there on the right side near 30PHz. 1 PHz = 1,000,000 GHz. We know that the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause damage to our skin with prolonged exposure. But we all also know that when you get a sunburn it doesn’t fry your brain or burn your kidney into bits. The human skin stops even most of these harmful UV rays without ever causing internal organ cancer issues. We all know this.
Like I mentioned, the 5G high signal is faster, but it doesn’t go very far. It is pretty weak. Complete high band 5G in North America is still quite a ways off. We are not there yet. It’s coming, but it’s not there. All the carriers in the USA and Canada are behind. If they are advertising it, they are likely talking about a version of true 4G and not this brand new, high band 5G, yet they are publishing they have 5G. They do, but only that low or mid part of 5G. Look at the GHZ they are promising. So again, pretty much everything that has been installed in North America IS NOT he new high millimeter (24-39Ghz) yet. That kind has only launched in very few select cities in North America, and usually only has a radius of a few blocks. So what we have in North America pretty much everywhere.. is the same amount we have from LTE. Do keep that in mind.
What is the 5G Race?
USA and many other nations have been concerned because China is farther along in this ‘5G race’. What’s the 5G race you ask? The nations that have the fastest internet speeds will create companies who will come up with innovative awesome tech ahead of the countries that don’t. Technology for self driving cars, smart homes, smart cities, VR, transport logistics, healthcare, blockchain, smart factories. The list goes on. Just like when 4G LTE came out we started streaming video content on our phones like crazy, 5G will do the same for new technology advancements.
Do we NEED 5G?
Again, The USA is behind in getting their 5G setup. China launched their 5G network on Nov 1, 2019. Costs a user $18 a month for 30GB data and 500 minutes of voice chat. Yes please. You’ve probably seen a bunch of stuff in the media talking about EVIL, HUAWEI, CHINESE 5G TECHNOLOGY over the last few years. Perhaps now you can figure out why conspiracy theories have circled them. Huawei is one of the biggest 5G companies in the world.
Overall, 5G is a safe, awesome technology and we don’t even have the new, fastest parts of 5G actually working around the world yet. New is scary. Science is hard. Technology is confusing. It is much easier to simply think things are caused by a monster under the bed. Humans always have.
5G is useful if it is applicated without rebound effect and with respect to degrowth, efficiency & sufficiency 😉