It’s not just in the download speed (already brought here) that 4G and 5G technologies are different. Two other points where they have quite significant distinctions are latency rates and spectrum, as we’ll detail below.
latency rate
Latency is nothing more than the response time between an action and its reaction.
When we compare this indicator, once again, the advantage is on the side of 5G.
While the average rate in 4G is 50 milliseconds, in the most modern technology it is 1 millisecond – that’s right, latency is 50 times lower. In practice, this represents an almost instantaneous response time.
This difference can be felt in a WhatsApp call, for example. If you’ve ever made a call through the tool and had to deal with that delay, you know what we’re talking about.
You ask the person on the other end of the line something, he takes a long time to hear the question and, consequently, your answer too. With 5G, this wait will basically go to zero.
Spectrum
We got to talking about it quickly when we explained how 5G technology works, but we didn’t compare it to the 4G spectrum.
This is another point in favor of the new mobile broadband, which has a greater total network capacity than its predecessor. Each operator has an X block of spectrum that can be distributed by its customers. Let’s assume that, with 4G internet, this value is 200MHz. With 5G, the goal is to increase to 2,000MHz.
That is an increase of 1,000%.
Where is 5G internet available?
The adoption of 5G on the Internet is still very uneven. Countries like South Korea and the United States are ahead, but other countries like Brazil are lagging behind. Find out how the stages of technological adaptation are evolving in some of the major countries around the world.
5G in Brazil
The Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the implementation of 5G technology in the country, which previously had been scheduled to hold an auction for the purchase of radio frequency bands at the end of 2020.
In July of last year, however, operator Claro gave the start to this change in technology.
The company partnered with Swedish company Ericsson to introduce 5G DSS, which provides Internet access 12 times faster than 4G, but the model does not work on the bands intended for 5G mobile broadband. Anatel’s auction technology is expected to arrive in Brazil in 2022, rather than before 2025.
5G in South Korea
South Korea already started implementing 5G technology two years ago.
It is true that the system still has some instabilities, but it is in a much more advanced process than in Brazil, for example.
Currently, three operators offer coverage for the fifth generation of mobile broadband in the country, and several devices from different companies (Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi, LG, and ZTE) already support the technology.
5G in the United States
Next to the Asian country, it is where the implementation of 5G internet is more advanced.
In fact, the two nations fight for this pioneering spirit.
However, even though the United States launched the technology at about the same time as South Korea, the coverage still leaves something to be desired.
According to a recent survey by consulting firm OpenSignal, users have been able to use the technology in just 0.5% of the time.
Verizon, a company that invested in the implementation of 5G in early 2019, being responsible for making the first signals available in the country, has slightly higher numbers.
According to the study, the US telecommunication network provides a high-frequency quality connection 0.8% of the time.
5G in other countries
China is another place that has invested heavily in 5G. In October 2019, the country launched the largest fifth-generation mobile broadband telephone network, available in more than 50 Chinese cities.
The United Kingdom made the technology available last year, while Canada, as well as Brazil, had planned an auction to implement the network in 2020, but, due to the pandemic, it also failed.
The 5G DSS is available in countries such as Uruguay, Suriname, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and Canada itself.
According to VIAVI Solutions’ The State of 5G report, we now have 1,336 cities around the world with the 5G network, an increase of 350% compared to last year.
What are the main features of 5G Internet?
In addition to the technical aspects that allow us to have a new generation in telecommunications, it is clear that what calls the most attention in the 5G internet issue is talking about speed.
According to the Consumer Technology Association, downloading a two-hour movie on 3G could take 26 hours. On 4G, six minutes.
The 5G will allow you to press play and start eating popcorn with the movie appearing on the screen in 3.5 seconds.
The shorter response time – or low latency – will allow processing to be 400 times faster than the blink of an eye.
However, a negative feature of the 5G internet and all the technology that goes with it is its high cost of implementation.
The frequencies used for previous generations were similar to radio, which made the transition easier.
In 5G, we are talking about the same frequency used in satellite transmissions (Super High Frequency).
Although cell phones are starting to be compatible, it is to be expected that governments and companies – depending on the model chosen in each country – will take a little longer to create the necessary infrastructure.
The forecast is that by 2025, 4G and 3G will continue to be the most used in the world.
In Brazil, after auctions are held and operators begin to offer the service, growth should be gradual, first in the large capitals and, only later, in the rest of the country.
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