5G is a new generation of high-speed internet signal that can and will change the world as we know it. It is already existing in some European countries and with good planning and investment, 5G could be spread all over the world in the next five years. This is the first step towards a fully functioning Smart city as it has zero latency, providing instant visible results.  If you thought that transmission of information was rapid, hold on tight, 5G will make you question your perception of speed!

What is 5G?

With the advances in technology, the world surely becomes a more connected place. 5G stands for the newly created mobile internet that potentially builds the foundations of a whole new generation of communication. What’s wrong with the already existing one, some would ask. Nowadays everybody is streaming music and video content which is naturally generating greater data consumption that requires more powerful sources of internet. 5G is crucial to the evolution of technology as it would allow far more complex technological concepts to exist; think of self-driving vehicles, traffic data apps, and real-time health-monitoring machines. Such softwares require massive amount of high-speed internet connection from multiple consumer parties, which as we all know is not yet freely provided.

How is 5G different to 3G and 4G?

An obvious and easy to spot on difference is that 5G would cease the need of existence of cables when it comes to broadband. This means cable free companies and factories! Further, although 5G essentially builds up on 4G and might not appear so different at a first glance, if internet providers are invested enough, 5G could achieve downloading speed of up to 20 times higher than the already existing one. For comparison, the fastest functioning 4G network obtains 45Mb per second, whereas 5G promises of an average speed of 1Gb per second. In other words – you would be able to fully download a high-quality movie in seconds!

5G mobile phones

Technology companies are already launching new devices that would support the 5G. Unfortunately, the new internet signal would require new generation smartphones. Some of them are already existing on the market and there are plenty more to come by the end of 2020. Some of the models include: Moto Z3, Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, iPhone 12, OnePlus 7 Pro 5G, Huawei Mate X.

Is it all good?

Some concerns include conspiracy theories such as the idea that 5G is a new ever-encompassing form of control. 5G demands more digital devices and structures in order to function properly, because 5G frequencies cannot pass through objects such as trees, walls and buildings. This would require cutting down trees plus putting antennas all over the place. As the brain absorbs electromagnetic waves when processing information, some scientists are worried that the frequencies emitted by the devices would be much more harmful than the already existing ones. David Icke (see the link below), for instance, argues that the 5G waves would be absorbed by the human brain and directly affect our behavior and emotions causing physical, mental, psychological discomfort and disease. In his words, this could prompt a new form of military and government control over society. Whether it is just another conspiracy theory or not, it is worth knowing the vast array of possibilities that 5G opens.

To sum up, 5G surely promises great technological advances, but also hides some risks. As technology is nowhere near slowing down or stepping back, perhaps it is salient to establish new ways of regulation and societal organisation in general. Before implementing drastic changes towards building a smart city, we must first of all create smart people and smart structures.

If the topic grasped your attention and you want to know more, take a look at the following sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEx_d0SjvS0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPnX1BAdOTU

https://www.techradar.com/news/what-is-5g-everything-you-need-to-know/2

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/5g-release-date,review-5063.html