What will 5G technology bring us?
5G will increase internet speed on smartphones. Next-generation? Thanks to 5G technology, the Internet on our smartphones will become even faster.
Today, the use of the mobile 5G standard is becoming one of the most important indicators of the innovative power of a country. The 5G technology race dictates the terms of the global economy, has the potential to dramatically cool relations between China and the United States and, it seems, could trigger a "cold war" for the technology of this century.
What is 5G technology?
5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology. 5G technology allows you to achieve previously unattainable speed and reliability of the Internet connection on smartphones and other devices. Compared to today's capabilities, the speed will increase by a hundred, or even a thousand times and the average download speed on a 5G network will be about gigabits per second.
What will the emergence of such a fast mobile internet affect? Quite simply, it will change the lifestyle of users and create new opportunities in the economy and management of the social sphere.
What will 5G technology bring us?
Users will experience innovation in entertainment and lifestyle. From simultaneously downloading and playing movies over a mobile connection to interactive games in real-time in augmented and/or virtual reality environments connected to real life (for example, it can be a hunt for virtual dinosaurs on the streets of a city). It will be possible to connect not only smartphones to the 5G network but also cars or home electronics. They can be made part of an “intelligent environment” customized to the needs of the user, and even creating demand on its own.
With the help of 5G technology, the economy and management of the social sphere are also embedded in the “smart environment” or infrastructure. This can increase productivity or improve the efficiency of logistics and management. 5G is an important step towards further digitizing our world.
An illustrative example of 5G technology
Imagine a self-driving truck that delivers raw materials to a shoe factory every day. Material requirements are calculated in real-time by analyzing and evaluating digital data, thus avoiding overproduction. In such a scheme, you can even take into account models that will be made according to individual customer orders coming online.
Between millions of devices and digital infrastructures such as smartphones, computers, warehouse or traffic management systems, huge amounts of data need to be transferred in no time. The introduction of such technology could lead to the emergence of new sectors of the economy, to changes in political and social culture.
But, of course, such a “fine-mesh” global network also raises certain concerns. People who will grow up in such a world will transfer a very large share of independence to technology: from physical skills in interacting with the environment to the ability to experience emotions and communicate with real people. If the machines are programmed to protect the interests of those in power, then it will be very difficult for a single person to oppose them, because his location and all his communications can be easily tracked and even imperceptibly intervened in them.
Security threats to economies and governments are no less significant. Early 2018 survey conducted by the Australian government showed that a country with a deployed 5G network would be extremely vulnerable to outside attacks, including spyware. Anything from electricity and water networks to waste disposal systems can be a potential target. Hackers could also use technology to influence elections or public opinion.
It can be assumed that the 5G standard carries as many risks as it does benefits. But technical progress is unstoppable and it is unacceptable to stop it. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly analyze the risks and problems associated with it, to think over effective measures to eliminate them.
