The craze is on, with new flagship phones ready to embrace 5G, 4G phone owners are worried that it'll affect the performance of their phones. But does it affect old cells? The answer could surprise you.
According to experts, your old 4G phone may get a boost. 5G technology dramatically increases the speed and coverage of wireless networks. In reality, it can run 10 to 100 times faster than the average 4G cellular connection.
The new cellular tech is quicker than your fiber-optic cable in your house. It even has a better ping response than wired home systems. The only problem is it has limitations. Higher frequency bands called millimeter wave (used by Verizon and AT&T) can provide excellent speeds, but the signals have a limited distance.
IHS Markit analyst Wayne Lam said that both technologies would exist for a very, very long time. The big difference between 5G and 4G is how the latter overtook 3G. 5G will be different because it will not supersede the older cellular network, but it will build upon it.
5G will undoubtedly coexist with 4G, as its inherently backward compatible to 4G. Experts estimate that 15% of mobile connections in the world will be on 5G after six years.
Operators around the world agree that LTE is and will be the foundation for the next ten years. LTE speeds are improving, which makes it possible for consumers not fully to embrace 5G.
The "non-standalone" tech will allow cellular carriers to roll out 5G more quickly. The only sacrifice is it isn't full 5G until you're picked up by 4G support.
In short, you don't necessarily need to join the 5G bandwagon. Even if it's widespread, US Carriers won't necessarily abandon older wireless technology, especially in rural communities. It seems that 4G will have to stay a little longer.
Until your phone gets an upgrade, 4G is more than enough to deliver you to the internet of things. The truth is 5G isn't that accepted, yet as a global standard for network, lots of third world countries still have 4G networks.
Another thing worth noting is it will take time to put 5G on lower-tier smartphones. It's most likely that these devices will have 4G as it's network. So if you're worried of 5G, don't be, 4G is still fresh and all.
This article was first published in IBTimes US. Permission required for reproduction.
