Next network: 5G
Drivers of digitization?
12 November, 2021 by
Next network: 5G
manaTec GmbH, Sophia Grünig
 


5G is the name given to the fifth-generation mobile communications network. The successor to LTE (4G) and UMTS (3G) is to become the new standard and is aimed at higher data rates, improved capacity and an intelligent network.

Significant differences from its predecessors include increasing transmission speeds with decreasing costs and low energy consumption, barely noticeable latency - i.e., response speeds - and greater variability, which means that the network can determine requirements and adjust its performance accordingly.

Specifically, 5G enables data rates of up to 10 gigabits per second and latency of less than 1 millisecond. This means up to ten times higher data transmission than with the 4G network. These improvements come from new transmission technologies on the air interface and increased radio frequency ranges. Like 3G and 4G, 5G is used at 2 gigahertz and also at 3.4 to 3.7 gigahertz with shorter waves. This means that more information can be transmitted in less time, but it also means a shorter range, which is why significantly more radio masts are needed.

As the successor of 3G and 4G, the new network offers unprecedented data transmission speeds.
As the successor of 3G and 4G, the new network offers unprecedented data transmission speeds.

With its enormously high speed and network capacity, the 5G network is regarded as a driver of digitization. A resulting new dimension of networking and communication in real time is changing almost all areas of life in our society. The new mobile communications standard ensures faster and more reliable (mobile) Internet, which is not only important for mobile gaming and streaming and major events, but also means a growing number of networked everyday objects. Whether smart mobility or smart metering and smart home - pretty much all smart city concepts, which have already been addressed in our blog, will become more feasible.

Above all, however, business and industry will benefit enormously from the new generation of mobile communications by increasing efficiency and reducing costs at the same time. The development of Industry 4.0 will receive a significant boost with the fast transmission rates. Particularly worthy of mention here are new possibilities for networking and collaboration as well as the revolutionization of plant control by means of machine-to-machine communication.

The time and cost involved can be seen as a disadvantage. Due to the high frequencies that will be used, the amount of transmission towers will have to increase for a nationwide installation of the 5G network - the costs, both for construction, commissioning and maintenance, are expected to be higher than for 4G networks. However, the expensive and lengthy rollout of the 5G network is not the end of the story; new terminal devices with a corresponding chip are also necessary for use.

Concerns about health and safety are also growing with the debate about the 5G network. It should be noted that 5G will have little effect on radiation exposure, since the radio frequencies used are largely the same as for 4G and are already being used for other purposes. The radiation power is monitored, measured and documented by the responsible Federal Network Agency. Recommendations regarding the use of the cell phone have been published by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection on its website. With regard to the question of how secure the 5G network is, it cannot be denied that an increasing number of networked devices also creates more gateways for cyber criminals. However, as various security measures are tested and fundamentally improved with the installation of a 5G network, a much more reliable and resilient network can be built.

With the 5G standard, nothing seems to stand in the way of digitisation and interconnectedness.
With the 5G standard, nothing seems to stand in the way of digitisation and interconnectedness.

But when can consumers expect the promising network?

On June 12, 2019, the auction of 5G mobile frequencies ended after more than twelve weeks. Both Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone, Telefónica and 1&1 Drillisch (United Internet company with GMX and Web.de) secured these 41 frequency blocks and paid a total of EUR 6,549,651,000. Deutsche Telekom invested the most money with around EUR 2.2 billion. This was followed by Vodafone with EUR 1.9 billion, Telefónica with EUR 1.4 billion and 1&1 Drillisch with around EUR 1 billion. This means that in future there will be radio masts in Germany belonging to four companies instead of the previous three. The frequencies are allocated until 2040, after which they can be re-auctioned.

5G has already been on offer in a few locations in Germany since July 2019; according to the telecommunications providers, 5G should be offered to the majority of Germany by the end of 2022. Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone are currently furthest along with the development of their networks. Deutsche Telekom has announced that it wants to provide 5G to at least 99 percent of the German population by the end of 2025.

However, since the network rollout involves enormous costs and comprehensive approval procedures, this will probably take some time. Metropolitan areas can expect partial networks even earlier.

No one can or wants to say how long the expansion of the technology will actually take and how many billions will be swallowed up in the process. One thing is certain: an international race for the technology has begun, and China, South Korea, Japan and the USA in particular have declared 5G to be a key technology of the future. The German government has also announced its intention to become the lead market for 5G. Whether and how this will succeed remains to be seen.


Sources: www.bsi.bund.de, www.verbraucherzentrale.de, www.handelsblatt.de

 
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