Technology Tips – Published April 2020 in the Guide and Digest
By Don Trauger – Kennett
You have seen the TV ads proclaiming that the latest cell phone technology (5G) is here and ready for you to use. If you live in certain areas of the country that may be true. Of course you will need to purchase a compatible 5G cell phone to take advantage of the claims for higher speed and apps that that may only run on 5G.
What exactly is 5G? It’s the latest “generation” (G denotes generation) of cell phone technology that started with 1G back in 1979. It presently incorporates higher speeds (up to 2.5GB/s). It also consists of new encoding technology with higher frequencies to accomplish the higher speed. However, there are problems with this new technology that have required companies like AT&T, Verizon and T-Moble to engineer major compromises so that users can experience reliable connections. The problem stems from the fact that the higher frequencies used in 5G don’t travel as far as our present 4G. All telecoms that are involved in 5G are working to overcome the pitfalls that arise with this new technology. For instance they are using the 5G encoding format then piggybacking it on 4G. This results in slower speeds but makes for a more reliable connection.
It will be 2-3 years, at a minimum, before 5G becomes a widespread cell phone technology. Another concern will be how cell phone hardware and software evolves to take advantage of the faster 5G technology. Remember that you are only as fast as the slowest link in the equipment you are using.
On another note, we’ve become used to Wi-Fi Internet speeds as being a big factor particularly for multiple users in a home streaming video at the same time. This environment puts maximum pressure on the Wi-Fi system to deliver a smooth jitter free picture. There is 5G built into the Verizon routers we use. However, don’t confuse Verizon’s router 5G with cellular 5G. Verizon’s 5G is a Wi-Fi service that does not offer any of the cellular 5G advantages. It does have 9, 5G Wi-Fi channels, compared to 11 on the 2.4GHz band. The 5G band allows for a more reliable connection without interference from your neighbors that may be on the same 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi channel as you. Comparing Wi-Fi 5G with cellular 5G is the one fact that the higher the frequency the shorter the distance the signal travels and that includes penetrating the walls of your home.
We will discuss this subject and others at our PC Club meeting on Tuesday April 21 at 7 PM. Watch our channel 1971 for a possible meeting cancellation due to elevator construction.