By Lynn La, September 2, 2019.
The next generation of high-speed mobile data, known as 5G, is already live in a handful of areas in the US, as well as other parts of the world, including countries such as the UK and Australia. But as this network rolls out, many misconceptions and confusion around the new technology remain.
This isn’t completely surprising — 5G will have an impact on many people’s lives all around the world, so there are understandably still a lot of questions being asked. As the 5G rollout continues throughout 2020, it’s predicted that there will be 1 billion 5G customers by 2023. Not only will these 5G networks connect users to a superfast mobile network, but many other industries will benefit from the faster connectivity of 5G as well, like self-driving cars, drones and the internet of things, to name a few.
To learn more about 5G, we’re debunking a few 5G myths. And if you want to know more about 5G in general, read our FAQ: Everything you need to know about the 5G revolution.
Is 5G safe?
One of the biggest concerns people have about 5G is that the network’s radio frequency will be unsafe, expose people to radiation and cause cancer. The fears aren’t completely unfounded — a 2011 report from the World Health Organization suggested that cellphone radiation should be listed as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” In 2016, a study funded by the US government showed a link between radio frequency radiation and cancers in rats. And popular phones like the iPhone and Galaxy handsets may exceed the level of radio frequency radiation allowed by the FCC.
But the link between cancer and phones may be overstated. For one thing, a number of things that we encounter every day are considered to be carcinogenic hazards to some degree, including diesel fuel, aloe vera and pickled food. The aforementioned 2016 study also exposed male rats to levels of radiation that exceeded radiation levels that humans would come across from their cellphones.
Though it’s too early to be 100% confident, we do know that on Aug. 8, after more than six years of research and review, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai circulated a proposal to deem cellphones, including ones that use 5G, as safe. As CNET Senior Writer Maggie Reardon reported, that includes “current exposure levels for cellphones, wireless towers, Wi-Fi routers and all other devices emitting RF signals.” In addition, “Agency officials … don’t have any concern for new gear using 5G technology, including gear that uses millimeter wavelength frequencies.”
Will 5G replace 4G? Will I need a new phone?
While you will need a 5G phone to access a 5G network, it doesn’t mean you need one to reap some of its speed benefits. In fact, as the next-gen network rolls out, you may experience faster speeds on 4G as well (more on that below). In addition, 5G is not replacing 4G altogether. Rather, it’s building on top of existing 4G networks. All major carriers in the US and around the world are a ways away from a solid network-wide rollout. Even if 5G is available in your area, your phone isn’t obsolete just yet. It will still work perfectly fine on 4G.
But will my current phone be faster?
According to a GSMA Intelligence report, 15% of global mobile connections will be on 5G by 2025. By that same year, 4G LTE usage will be about 59% — an increase from 43% in 2018. In short, 5G will not replace LTE in the way that 4G did with 3G when it launched.
Taking that into consideration, those with 4G phones may see a boost in speed as 5G networks roll out. This is due to two reasons: dynamic spectrum sharing and carrier aggregation. Coming to the US in 2020, DSS technology allows carriers to employ the same spectrum band for 4G and 5G. As people transition to 5G, “lanes” for 4G will be kept open for smart home devices and users who aren’t on 5G yet. As more people leave 4G, its capacity increases and so will speeds.
Carrier aggregation allows carriers to combine 4G signals with other 4G signals, which will result in “a huge performance and capacity lift,” according to Verizon’s vice president of technology, Heidi Hemmer. 5G builds on 4G technology too, so you’ll also experience lower latency periods (aka: the time between when your phone pings the network and when it responds) as carriers develop their 5G networks…
Continue reading at cnet.com HERE.
