Glossary  >  5G

5G

Noun, Abbr.

5G represents the fifth-generation wireless, which started rolling out in 2019. It succeeds 4G and introduces the fastest mobile network technology to date, aiming for widespread hyperconnectivity across various devices and technologies.

5G utilizes Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM), a method that minimizes interference by spreading signals across multiple channels.

Improving on 4G's foundations, 5G enhances OFDM to offer greater flexibility and scalability while still adhering to similar networking principles. It expands bandwidth capabilities by using both lower frequency bands (sub-3 GHz) and higher bands (like mmWave frequencies at 24 GHz and above).

These advancements enable 5G to offer theoretical peak speeds of up to 20 Gbps—20 times faster than 4G—and significantly reduced latency.

The capabilities of 5G extend beyond enhanced mobile broadband to include:

  • Mission-critical communications
  • Internet of Things (IoT) applications
  • Machine-to-machine communications

The exceptional speed, low latency, and broad bandwidth of 5G are expected to unlock new opportunities and transform industries, making services like advanced cloud computing and gaming more accessible and efficient.

Example of 5G in a sentence:

"The high speed and low latency of 5G have revolutionized real-time cloud gaming and brought it into the mainstream."

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