Verizon testing 5G, might blow your socks off
Verizon is getting ready to kick its wireless network up another notch with 5G. Yes, you read that right, 5G. How fast is 5G? Preliminary Verizon tests have shown 5G to be 30 to 50 times faster than their current 4G network. Even more surprising, Verizon expects “some level of commercial deployment” to begin by 2017. Look out wireless providers, Verizon is moving up.
Verizon is set to begin field trials on their so-called fifth-generation, or 5G, technology within the next 12 months. Roger Gurnani, chief information and technology architect for Verizon, discussed the development in an interview last week with CNET. 2017 is quite a bit sooner than the 2020 estimation many industry gurus had predicted for the launch of 5G technology.
Verizon would be the first with 5G
The trials would make Verizon the world’s first carrier to seriously move into 5G. It also represents the view, in the broader sense, of the telecom industry to continually improve wireless service by increasing speed. If the 5G launch is anything like the 4G launch, we could be on the brink of another tech revolution
“The future is going to bring more stuff that I can’t really describe,” Gurnani said. “We can’t possibly envision the full range of disruptive products and services. But we have some possibilities.” One of the things they envision: with 5G, a copy of a feature-length film will download to your device in fifteen seconds, versus the six minutes it takes on 4G.
Speed is just one of the many benefits 5G will bring
The new network will be more responsive, more power-efficient, and have the ability to carry heavier data loads. With a more responsive network, tracking will also be improved. Greater power efficiency means less drain and the ability to carry heavier loads mean more people can stream the same things at the same time. However, this is just “in theory;” 5G could look and feel quite a bit differently by the time it gets here, but it’s still exciting nonetheless.
The race for 5G is hardly over, in fact it’s barely begun; however, Verizon aims to stay ahead of the pack and be the first wireless carrier out of the gate to offer 5G to their customers.
