5G networks are already on the horizon.
The “G” in 3G, 4G and 5G stands for “generation.” So 5G will be the fifth generation of wireless network technology.
Five years after the first 4G smartphone hit the market, the wireless industry is already preparing for 5G. Each of the four nationwide cell phone carriers, as well as smartphone chipmakers and the major network equipment companies are working on developing 5G network technology for their customers.
At this point, 5G networks are just being created, so it is not yet know what it will look like and exactly when it will get here. Currently, experiments are planned for the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, with mass deployments beginning sometime in 2020.
What we do know is that 5G networks will be about 66 times faster than 4G. It will be faster, smarter and less power-hungry than 4G, enabling a myriad of new wireless devices. 5G will let us have faster smartphones, more smart-home devices and longer-lasting wearable gadgets.
