The Fifth Generation- Our Generation

images.credit//depositphotos.jpg

  As the world technologically evolves, many scientific and technological approaches have been introduced. Cellular networks have proved to advance progressively; from the 1G,2G,3G up to 4G. And now a new prospect for a new generation of networks has been reached: The 5G network.

        5G means the fifth-generation network of mobile networks. Unlike previous networks, 5G offers a faster and more reliable connection for cellular networks. All cellular networks use radio frequencies to transfer information from one part of the world to another but the 5G network uses a higher spectrum called millimeter waves enabling it to transfer information at a faster rate. 

         In April 2019, the 5G network was first adopted in South Korea on a large scale. Since accessing 5G is not readily available, the South Korean technologists used equipment from big mobile network companies such as Samsung, Huawei, Nokia, and Ericsson.

     Many may be wondering what are the advantages the 5G has over the previous networks. These include:

• SPEED OF NETWORK: The most evident advantage of the 5G over the 4G is the speed at which information is processed and transferred from one part of the world to another.
• REDUCED LATENCY: Latency is a delay, a period between the initiation of something and the occurrence; 5G has a reduced latency of about 1 millisecond compared to 4G which had a latency of about 10 to 40 milliseconds thereby enabling the 5G network to give faster responses and download speeds.
• IMPROVED EFFICIENCY: Due to the speed of the 5G network, many tasks are accomplished in a short while. It is expected to improve the efficiency of several work machines thereby affecting production in any company.

PROSPECT FOR NEW GENERATION TECHNOLOGIES: Due to its reduced latency, the 5G network opens a portal for the application of emerging technologies such as 5G telecommunications, holographic technologies, artificial intelligence, internet of things, driverless cars, car to car communication, and even 5G home appliances. This is the beginning of next-generation technologies.

DOES THE 5G HAVE ANY DISADVANTAGE?

        Of course, everything has its advantages and disadvantages. One main disadvantage that the 5G network has to the other network is that it has limited global coverage and would be accessible to a few cities or even countries. So far only about four countries are said to have access to the fifth-generation network.

          Another disadvantage of the 5G network is cyber security. Hackers have the opportunity to carry out their felonious activities more efficiently with the aid of the 5G network. This poses one major effect on human resources as 5G makes it possible for more dangerous attacks since it connects the world’s internet devices.

       One more disadvantage of the 5G network is the high cost of implementation and installation. Equipment for 5G is not readily available around the world and is at a high cost when found.

Is the world ready for the 5G network?

       From our own point of view, the world isn’t ready for the implementation of the new generation network. Judging from the fact that most areas of the world do not have the requirements for the installation of the network.

        Africa might surely be behind in the revolution of cellular networks due to our lack of sophisticated equipment for network transmission.

       Surely, the world is changing and is going digital. The Earth might become a completely digital planet in a few years to come.