It's the high-speed technology that’s set to revolutionise how we use the internet.
5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.
And – in late May – Manchester city centre became one of the first British cities to experience the full potential of 5G.
Operator EE, owned by BT, launched its 5G network simultaneously across Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Cardiff and Belfast.
Rival operator Vodafone also launched its 5G network earlier this month [July] with Manchester, once again, among its first locations.
So, why does 5G matter and why - in particular - should businesses be interested in its advent?
In short, 5G offers internet speeds many times times faster than the 4G that’s hitherto been available.
Combining cutting-edge network technology and the very latest research, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current connections, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.
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Dr Sunday Ekpo, a lecturer in electrical and electronic engineering at Manchester Metropolitan University, is unequivocal about the significance of 5G’s arrival.
Dr Ekpo explained: “ Manchester is amongst the first six 海角视频 cities to get 5G connectivity.
“This signifies a deserved respect for the historical technology hub role of the city in the 海角视频.
“It shows an appreciation of the digital culture and smart socio-economic potentials of the global city.
“The presence of 5G in Manchester acknowledges the innovation and creative resources available in the city as the Northern “Powerhouse.
“It indicates the enormous transformational opportunities that the city of Manchester economy can bring to the 海角视频 and the multicultural international presence through digitisation.
“Moreover, industrial, commercial, domestic, municipal and educational activities in Manchester have the potential to function seamlessly through the ubiquitous transformative information technology that the 5G technology ecosystem promises.
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“This will enable Manchester to enhance its digital economy outlooks locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.”
A number of 5G-capable handsets are available from manufacturers including Samsung, OnePlus, LG, HTC and Oppo.
So, what does the advent of 5G mean for business?
Some analysts have expressed their view that it will “create waves of innovation that disrupt every industry”.
Expectations around 5G download speeds vary - from more conservative estimates of ten times faster than 4G up to 1,000 times faster.
This is likely to mean that businesses will be able to stream high-resolution video, audio and images with practically no delay generating huge opportunity for instantaneous communicatiobetween customers and co-workers.
Furthermore, making online sales and sharing files to the cloud will also become even quicker.
When Dr Ekpo is asked how Greater Manchester’s tech community should be embracing the opportunities presented by 5G currently, he is equally forthright.
He explained: “The Manchester tech community should engage more with the key stakeholders through innovation-driven collaborations that will enable the opportunities of 5G connectivity to be harnessed for a stable sustainable city-wide economy.
“Inter- and intra-SMEs partnerships that focus on the digital economy boosting promised by the 5G technology ecosystem should be frontally pursued.
“Knowledge transfer partnerships and industrial innovation engagements with the research institutions should be judiciously promoted and implemented.
“Expert sharing for niche products that are customisable and demand-driven should also be welcomed and encouraged for mutual business benefits.
“The future is bright as 5G presents a fundamental, revolutionary change with a wide-reaching impact that promises to prepare the stage for the digitisation of modern life and entities.”
Lawrence Jones MBE on 5G connectivity
Whilst 5G connectivity may have been hitting the news recently because of controversies around one of the technology’s providers, Huawei, the high-speed mobile data option has the potential to take our digital lives to another level.
The 5G connectivity provides connection speeds similar to that of a good level of wifi but without the need for cables and a fixed location hub.
Higher security, faster speeds, better customer experience and increased productivity are just a few of the potential benefits of faster connectivity on the go. Imagine being able to manage your workload on the go without having to use spotty public wifi, or worse, the wifi on trains!
It seems like it’s a win-win development. The challenge is accessibility at the moment though. Despite the technology already being available through certain providers in some areas of the country, only a few devices currently have the capability. When I say a few, it is literally a handful. That said, research by Strategy Analytics recently predicted that around 45 million PCs and tablets will have 5G connectivity capability by 2023. In less than four years, that is a huge amount of change!
Speed is absolutely essential in every part of business and if connectivity can be faster on the go, that’s only a good thing for businesses and consumers alike.