5G The Complete Manual 4th Edition, 2022

NEW 5G 100% UNOFFICIAL The Complete Manual Digital Discover the future of mobile networks Edition Find out how 5G will change your life FOURTH EDITION

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Welcome to 5G The Complete Manual We’ve been listening to networks, phone manufacturers and politicians rave about 5G for such a long time now that it’s easy to dismiss the whole thing as corporate and political hype. But as soon as you dig beneath the surface of 5G, scratch past the topsoil of faster movie downloads and better web browsing, it becomes clearer what a revolution 5G will be. So if you’re interested in how the tech works, the ways it’s going to transform cities and homes or just want a faster phone, let us fill you in.

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5G The Complete Manual Future PLC Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA Editorial Editor Josh Russell Art Editor Ryan Wells Compiled by Aiden Dalby & Steve Dacombe Senior Art Editor Andy Downes Head of Art & Design Greg Whitaker Editorial Director Jon White Photography All copyrights and trademarks are recognised and respected Advertising Media packs are available on request Commercial Director Clare Dove International Head of Print Licensing Rachel Shaw [email protected] www.futurecontenthub.com Circulation Head of Newstrade Tim Mathers Production Head of Production Mark Constance Production Project Manager Matthew Eglinton Advertising Production Manager Joanne Crosby Digital Editions Controller Jason Hudson Production Managers Keely Miller, Nola Cokely, Vivienne Calvert, Fran Twentyman Printed in the UK Distributed by Marketforce, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU www.marketforce.co.uk Tel: 0203 787 9001 5G: The Complete Manual Fourth Edition (CMB4332) © 2022 Future Publishing Limited We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from responsibly managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. The paper in this bookazine was sourced and produced from sustainable managed forests, conforming to strict environmental and socioeconomic standards. The paper holds full FSC or PEFC certification and accreditation. All contents © 2022 Future Publishing Limited or published under licence. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be used, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any way without the prior written permission of the publisher. Future Publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in England and Wales. Registered office: Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All information contained in this publication is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. You are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this publication. Apps and websites mentioned in this publication are not under our control. We are not responsible for their contents or any other changes or updates to them. This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein. Future plc is a public Chief executive Zillah Byng-Thorne company quoted on the Non-executive chairman Richard Huntingford London Stock Exchange (symbol: FUTR) Chief financial officer Penny Ladkin-Brand www.futureplc.com Tel +44 (0)1225 442 244

Contents What you can find inside the bookazine Introducing 5G How 5G will transform... 08 Everything you 46 Wearables 58 Augmented reality need to know Smartwatches and fitness 5G could be the key to It’s really fast. But speedier trackers could be even unlocking AR’s potential mobile downloads are more useful with 5G only part of why 5G will 64 Virtual reality change everything 50 Smart homes The next-gen of mobile 5G will make your home connectivity is the boost 16 How does 5G smarter, faster, and better VR needs improve on 4G? Here are 10 things 5G can 54 Movies 70 Mobile gaming do that 4G can’t Get used to a world of Console-grade graphics on portrait-first video the go thanks to 5G? 22 Why 5G is about more than just speed It’s a digital revolution, not just a speed-boost 26 How 5G will change your life It’s not just about faster phones. 5G will help upgrade society as a whole 34 Things 5G will do you didn’t expect From better music to a ‘tactile’ internet, here are some ways 5G will surprise you 38 How will 5G affect security? The volume of data will increase in the era of 5G – but so will its value to unscrupulous individuals “The unprecedented speed upgrade of 5G could change the way we think about all of our tech” 6

116 5G phones tested! 76 Sports Better for fans, better for broadcasters Buyer’s guide 80 Education 90 AT&T 110 O2 Faster, smarter and more All the info you need on the Despite launching later with interactive – a new AT&T rollout of 5G and 5G+ a smaller slice of the 5G generation of learning in the US spectrum, the network is rapidly gaining ground 84 The workplace 94 T-Mobile How the next generation of Thanks to the Sprint merger, 112 Three wireless technology T-Mobile is growing fast After something of a delay, will empower workers on Three’s UK 5G phone the frontline 98 T-Mobile: Sprint Merger network is now live What exactly did T-Mobile add to its 5G network when 114 Vodafone it merged with Sprint? With unlimited tariffs and roaming on 5G, the 102 Verizon network is looking to The Verizon 5G network is topple some of its rivals offering improved coverage in several larger cities 116 The best 5G phones The best 5G phones deliver 106 EE much faster downloads, The network has brought lower latency and a lot more 5G to the most UK towns 7

Introducing 5G Everything you need to know 8

Everything you need to know Introducing 5G All images © Getty Images unless otherwise stated 5G Everything you need to know It’s fast. Really fast. But speedier mobile downloads are only part of why 5G will change everything As you might have guessed from the name, 5G – the fifth generation of mobile technology – is the successor to 4G. On paper, 5G is faster than any currently available Wi-Fi tech, even maxed out Wi-Fi 6, and faster even than any home broadband available anywhere outside South Korea. 4G LTE, the standard we’ve relied on until now, is around 100 times slower than 5G when considering theoretical lab maximums. That’s huge, but it’s also not entirely realistic; in real-world applications, 5G introduces something more like a 50 times increase in speed, though the majority of connections top out a little slower than that. The raw numbers, even if they’re not wholly likely to be what reach a phone from the mast, are still impressive, and it’s important to see them in context. They’re easily enough to pull in entertainment content; the BBC requires 2.75Mbps to stream high-definition content from iPlayer, while Netflix asks for around 25Mbps for streaming its Ultra HD video. Even if new colour technology, frame rates or the move to 8K bumps those requirements up still further, there’s cavernous headroom in the top-end 1,000Mbps bandwidth of the 5G spec to cope with it. Even if environmental conditions mean you only get 200Mbps or 300Mbps, that’s still comparable to the best home broadband connections available today. 9

Introducing 5G Everything you need to know Above: Current 4G LTE has a latency of BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS 30-60ms while 5G could reduce this to as little as 3ms 5G reaches those speeds in a few ways. First, it uses multiple antennas, allowing it to take advantage of Massive MIMO, which is similar to the tech used in modern Wi-Fi routers. Put simply, MIMO involves opening up multiple data streams from and to your device simultaneously, for a theoretically faster and more consistent connection. 5G uses frequencies in a similar range to 4G bands, and most 5G modems will also include backwards compatibility and fallback should a true 5G signal not be available. But that’s not all: 5G also takes advantage of a new region of the radio spectrum. The 5G New Radio spec (AKA 5G NR, more on that later) is able to utilise so-called millimetre waves in the EHF band, running at somewhere between 30 and 300GHz. The shorter wavelength (emitting pulses between 10mm and 1mm apart, hence the name) means these frequencies are capable of huge amounts of bandwidth. Consider, if you will, the quality of AM radio, which has a long wavelength, with the much shorter-waved FM – the difference in signal quality and consistency is stark, because FM’s higher frequency helps it put far more data into the same time window. 10

Everything you need to know Introducing 5G How does 5G compare to 4G? Median browsing speed 4G 71Mbps 5G 1,400Mbps Median latency Data capacity isn’t the only advantage. Improved latency – 4G 115ms jumping from an average of between 30-60ms on 4G LTE to as little as 3ms – means 5G data can get from one place to another 5G 4.9ms much faster. 5G radios, in theory, can also be made much smaller, Download Speed (Top 90%) something which is true at both ends of the communication equation; devices will be able to shave off space (particularly if 4G 10Mbps they’re able to drop Wi-Fi modules) and individual 5G transmitters 5G 186Mbps can be much less intrusive than current masts. Naturally, this also leads to better power efficiency, giving smart devices the battery Source: Qualcomm network simulation life they so sorely need. Again, much of this is theoretical, as we’re still in the very early days of 5G. The continued rollout is likely to focus, as it has so far, on delivering faster wireless broadband, before moving on to add additional infrastructure to improve latency and support massive numbers of smart devices. The service you get today will obviously not be the same service you’ll get as the network matures – both in terms of additional masts and service upgrades, and the flip side of the coin: when the network is supporting an expanded number of 5G devices, it’s likely to slow down somewhat. NEXT-GENERATION HARDWARE But still, let’s look at the long term: the unprecedented speed upgrade of 5G could change the way we think about all of our tech, and bring some massive consequences for the development of basically everything in the future. The same generation that once 11

Introducing 5G Everything you need to know © Getty images “We’ll be able to send messages between devices, over the air, literally faster than your eye can see” spent five minutes loading a few kilobytes of take that transport to the air, backing an intricately unreliable computer software from cassette tapes piloted array of delivery drones programmed could soon able to download an entire 4K movie to keep to the correct airspace and not clonk to our phones in seconds. We’ll be able to send into each other. A Blade-Runner-style flying car messages between devices, over the air, literally future perhaps isn’t on the cards yet – 5G can’t do faster than your eye can see. anything about gravity, sadly – but it’s not hard to see the impact it’ll have. It could be the enabler for tomorrow’s transport network, made up of entirely 5G’s high capacity will also take the notoriously autonomous and seamlessly interconnected cars bandwidth-heavy tech of VR to the next level. Not and trucks. Sharing sensor and mechanical status only could it do away with the wired tether that data between them, and talking constantly to one makes most PC-led VR experiences awkward and another at super high speed, future cars will be restrictive, it could also push the powerful PCs effectively accident-proof, and they’ll balance their themselves into obsolescence, moving all that routing to avoid traffic for a more efficient ride – effort into the cloud. You won’t even need to be something 4G doesn’t have the muscle to keep at home to strap on a headset, provided you’re up with efficiently. 5G’s huge capacity could also in 5G range – and those autonomous vehicles 12

Everything you need to know Introducing 5G 5G can support many more devices simultaneously compared to 4G will know where you are should you wander Kit will be able to stay constantly connected. into the street while in another world. The low Smart devices won’t need to rely on Wi-Fi, and latency of 5G also means VR should react to your the smart home will move outwards – indeed, movements more precisely than ever before, constant low-power networking could mean eliminating the potential for sea sickness caused tomorrow’s smart devices do more than we can by today’s microscopic delay. even imagine today. 5G’s immense bandwidth could make a THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN huge difference when it comes to crowding. If you’ve ever been to a concert or sports game We’ve barely scraped the surface as to the sort of – or even visited a busy town centre – you’ll technology 5G could one day power, and there know the pain of having a supposedly full 4G are some who theorise that 5G could lead to signal yet absolutely atrocious (and possibly major change: the demise of local storage, the non-existent) data rates. Your local 4G tower, and death of home broadband, even the end of the the frequencies it uses, can only throw out so smart phone as we know it. There’s a lot of sci-fi much data at one time. If everyone wants a slice brainstorming out there, mainly because a 5G of the pie, it needs to cut it infinitesimally thin; future, one with unprecedented connectivity and 5G masts, when all is said and done, will be far network speed, is so exciting to imagine. more numerous, and able to support many more simultaneous devices, although speeds will be That’s the good news. The bad news is that limited by whatever connects those masts to the even though there’s a lot of potential, 5G is main internet. still fluid. The first and most crucial factor of a successful 5G rollout is consensus; while, happily, 13

Introducing 5G Everything you need to know To get the most from 5G users need a clear path between them and the mast it looks like the 5G NR standard has been pretty received outside of around 250m. Put walls or much universally adopted worldwide, not every other obstacles in the way, and that distance is company adhered to it at the start. US network reduced even further. Taking advantage of the Verizon, for example, initially implemented fastest 5G transmissions requires close proximity its own unrelated 5G formula, though it has to a mast – so our mobile infrastructure, and even stated that it’ll change in the future as long as the theory around it, is going to need a major 5G NR meets its expectations. There are also overhaul to make 5G the norm. different interpretations of that 5G NR standard to deal with; many countries’ spectrum licensing We’ll also need a jump forward in device regulations do not allow for all possible bands support. Backwards compatibility with 4G of the standard to be used, and networks networks won’t be an issue since the older are generally assigned only a portion of that system won’t be going anywhere for the available bandwidth. foreseeable future, but at the time of press we’re still waiting for a number of companies to get 5G also has a host of other external factors fully on board with 5G. That said, networks have to deal with. While it’s able to throw around a committed to and pushed for a rapid rollout, massive amount of data very quickly, 5G is far and even collaborated with each other to get more prone to atmospheric interference than the job done in the case of O2 and Vodafone. slower-speed wireless tech – if you’ve ever Device manufacturers are equally excited to compared 2.4GHz Wi-Fi to 5GHz and noticed the get on board – with a global standard now latter struggling with reach, it’s a similar situation. seemingly ratified, and masts popping up all 5G’s radio waves can, at the most, propagate over, expect 5G support in phones and even around a kilometre in clear line of sight and with home routers to become the norm. And let’s not no obstructions, and generally aren’t effectively forget consumers. We all want to get our hands 14

Everything you need to know Introducing 5G 5G fakery © Shutterstock When is 5G not 5G? When it’s 4G wearing a fake moustache “The 5G rollout may focus on delivering and glasses. Connect an iPhone faster wireless broadband first” running iOS 12.2 or later to American network AT&T, and on 5G devices. This means it’s a perfect storm of demand and, you’ll see a logo for what it calls hopefully, supply. 5G E. That’s very exciting, but 5G E absolutely isn’t 5G. In fact, YEARS OF HOPE it’s a slightly boosted form of 4G LTE with an average data rate of 5G absolutely means a bright future for technology, and it’s around 40Mbps, slapped with tantalisingly close. By the end of 2019, the UK’s networks had a confusing and, some might already installed limited 5G in some of the country’s busiest urban say, highly shady label. This is a areas, and 2020 has seen a big expansion. But the rollout will not controversial practice, and hasn’t be as fast as, say, 4G, which itself was frustratingly slow to grow gone down well with other – 5G’s comparatively short range means it requires many more networks (“AT&T is blatantly transmitters, making widespread installation a difficult task made misleading consumers,” says rival even harder by certain controversial Chinese telecommunications Sprint) but we suppose it’s up to companies. It could be years until 5G reaches your street. Rural areas AT&T what it decides to do with will almost certainly have to wait even longer once the main 5G its branding. rollout is complete, but for those forced to rely on satellite internet because traditional broadband is too expensive to install, 5G (when There’s more to the not-quite- and if it reaches them) may be a truly life-changing tech. 5G equation than just a label, though. Even a year on we’re We’re also not positive on what the price will be when 5G in the early stages of its rollout, becomes the norm. If 5G continues with its current capped data which means that some networks plans, its utility may be limited not by its speed but by its cost – so have only partially launched 5G your home broadband is safe for now. But that’s an ‘if’ – given the coverage. That doesn’t simply potential capacity of 5G, unmetered connections like the 50 Euro mean limited range, either: some per month plan from Finnish network Elisa may be a solid possibility. networks are in what’s called the non-standalone phase, which means they have only implemented certain aspects of 5G, with the rest being made up for by 4G tech. Uploads, in particular, remain handled by 4G on a large number of networks worldwide. It’s not likely to be forever, particularly when 5G for home broadband becomes a regular technology, but if you’re getting slow uploads, that’s likely the reason – and given that a couple of key players providing technology for the 5G backbone have been blackballed in many places, it could be a while yet. 15

Introducing 5G How does 5G improve on 4G? Above: With 5G it is possible to transfer far How does 5G more data than 4G in the same time frame improve on 4G? Right: Huawei caused a real stir in 2019 when Here are 10 things 5G can do that 4G can’t it announced the world’s first 5G 8K TV Above: Console-quality games could be From the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G to the OnePlus 9 Pro and streamed to mobile devices with little lag beyond, there are now plenty of great 5G phones on the market. Alongside them, the 5G networks have continued to expand – although coverage is far from ubiquitous yet. If you live somewhere where 5G is available, it could be worth signing up, as it’s much faster than 4G, offering lower latency and lots of other benefits besides speedy connections. It’s the next generation of mobile technology, set to leave 4G in its dust, thanks to faster downloads, smoother streaming and more. But it doesn’t just have speed on its side; it will also open up whole new use cases that just weren’t possible or practical on 4G. Some of the best uses for 5G may not even have been thought up yet, but for ten exciting ones that we already know about, read on. 16

How does 5G improve on 4G? Introducing 5G 01. Console-quality online gaming 02. 8K video streaming with no lag Streaming 4K video isn’t something many people Online gaming over a mobile network isn’t always do over 4G. With 5G, however, it should be ideal – not just because of speed, but also latency. possible to take a giant leap forward and stream Latency is the time it takes for the network to video in 8K quality without buffering. respond to a request, and that should be a lot quicker with 5G. Because data can be transferred faster with 5G, it’s possible to transfer more in the same amount This means that when you input a command in of time, meaning that you can stream in far higher a game it will happen instantly, so you won’t miss qualities with no noticeable difference in how fast out on crucial kills or be stuck watching helplessly and smoothly the footage is delivered. as your character runs off the edge of a platform because of lag. We don’t have devices that can take advantage of this just yet, but we expect they’ll be on the way Online games themselves could become more soon now the tech is there for it. detailed and closer to console quality, since higher network speeds will better handle multiple players in these worlds. There will also be the potential for the games themselves to be streamed, leveraging the power of 5G to handle the heavy lifting in the cloud and allowing for higher end games than your phone might otherwise be capable of – along the lines of what Google Stadia can do. © Huawei 17

Introducing 5G How does 5G improve on 4G? 03. Huge downloads 04. VR game streaming in a flash Speaking of streaming games, the sky really is the limit once you As well as streaming in move processing to the cloud, which 5G will help to enable. higher resolutions, you’ll be We won’t just be looking at console-quality games, but potentially able to download content also richly detailed VR games, way beyond what current phone- far faster over 5G, which based headsets and maybe even the likes of PlayStation VR are will make downloading capable of, all played on a phone or even just a headset with no real 8K movies more viable. computing capabilities built in. Technically, you could download them over a 4G or even 3G connection, but it would be extremely slow. Plus, the extra speed of 5G will help make any large downloads more viable, which could also mean bigger games and apps, with better graphics and more features. So you might want to make sure you have a phone with plenty of storage going forward. 05. Live-streaming events in VR Getting closer to live sporting events and concerts through VR isn’t a totally new concept, but it’s still very rare and usually requires a speedy home internet connection to achieve. However, with 5G you should be able to strap on a mobile VR headset and get front row seats wherever you are. Live-streaming events in VR over 5G has the potential to bring events to life in a whole new way, and makes the idea of splashing out on tickets to be there in person seem far less appealing. 18

How does 5G improve on 4G? Introducing 5G 06. More live-streaming of events in © Vodafone general 07. Holographic calls It's not just about mobile phones; 5G could also lead to far more live events being broadcast You can already make video calls, but how about on TV. With current technology, companies are holographic calls? It’s something Vodafone has limited by lower speeds out in the field or massive already successfully carried out over 5G. equipment, such as broadcast trucks. While there are more technologies involved With 5G, the speed and portability of than just 5G itself, it means that one day you could equipment can both be massively increased, virtually be in the same room as the person you’re meaning it will be viable and affordable to talking to, making the world feel ever smaller and broadcast more niche events. Suddenly, you hopefully bringing people ever closer together, too. might be able to watch every football match rather than just the bigger games, while broadcasting live concerts could become the standard, rather than a rarity. Red Bee Media, a broadcasting services company, has argued that this ability to broadcast more live events will help traditional broadcasters compete with on-demand services like Netflix. In other words, there might be life in linear TV yet. 19

Introducing 5G How does 5G improve on 4G? 08. Smarter homes © Shutterstock and cities 09. Enhanced augmented reality © Shutterstock One thing the speed and bandwidth of 5G could really Augmented reality is a technology we’ve seen a lot of over the last help with is the Internet few years, but it’s still in the very early stages. 5G could change that. of Things (IoT). Although With the high speeds and low latency offered, it will be able to we’re already seeing the augment reality in far greater ways than is possible on 4G. In the beginnings of this, with future you might even see completely personalised billboards everything from smart projected through your car’s windscreen or your smart glasses. thermostats to smart lights Speaking of cars, 5G could potentially enable features like navigation appearing in people’s instructions overlaid on the road when viewed through a smart homes, 5G should provide windscreen. Those are just two examples, but AR clearly offers a lot the capacity needed more than just Pokémon Go. to make nearly every connected home smart. 10. Mainstream autonomous vehicles And it won’t just be 5G could be the key to making self-driving cars commonplace. For homes. We should start them to work most effectively they need to be able to rapidly send seeing truly smart towns and and receive data to and from other cars, smart roads and more, cities powered by 5G. This which requires a speedy network, low latency, lots of bandwidth would mean cities with the and high reliability. 5G promises all of that. ability to monitor pollution, traffic, pedestrian flow, As Ordnance Survey explained to the BBC: \"When you switch energy use and more, all in a light on, it turns on immediately. That's what you need with real-time. autonomous cars – if something happens, the car needs to stop immediately. That's why [...] 5G signals are required.\" This in turn could cut resource use and costs, for example by allowing street lights to automatically dim when there’s no one around – leading to leaner, greener urban areas. If you think the world is connected now, you ain’t seen nothing yet. 20

How does 5G improve on 4G? Introducing 5G 21

Introducing 5G Why 5G is about more than just speed © Deutsche Telekom Why 5G is about more than just speed It’s a digital revolution, not just a speed-boost 5G is here, but if you think it’s all about ultra-quick a new, real-time economy based on an industrial- downloads and web pages that are faster to load, scale IoT. you’re only half-right. New 5G cells will be able to transfer not just more data, more quickly, but None of these things will happen overnight. they’ll also communicate instantly. 5G will take years and years to significantly spread beyond 5G hotspots in urban areas. 5G won’t be A real-time internet is coming, which means egalitarian either; select urbanites (and businesses) a real-time cloud, and the creation of a new class will have it first, while everyone else will only of electronics that can exchange information fast experience it occasionally. It will be years until we enough to make near-instant decisions. all use it regularly. Cue driverless cars, drones, trains and much However, we do know that 5G, when it finally more besides. A tactile internet where touch reaches mainstream adoption, is going to be becomes as important as what you see or hear. about significantly more than just having 1Gbps A new era of electronics where wearables, smart speed connections on our smartphones. Here fabrics, and connected-everything is possible. are five things about 5G that are more important The Internet of Things (IoT) in full bloom, but also than the speed. 22

Why 5G is about more than just speed Introducing 5G 01. More capacity 02. Better quality voice calls 5G is just as much about capacity, as it is about speed. An important part of the 5G spec is what’s known as mMTC WhatsApp is convenient, and it’s free, but there’s (massive Machine Type Communications). The result of this kind of another reason that more communication is something incredible: up to a million connected and more of us are using devices per square kilometre. the messaging app to make voice calls. Why does that matter? Take a sports stadium. Put yourself in a crowd of 50,000 and, right now, you cannot get a phone signal. Voice calls made over Want to find out other scores at half-time? Or send a text during a WhatsApp – and any voice- match? Forget it. over-internet-protocol (VoIP) service like Skype or Zoom However, with 5G, not only will anyone at a major event be able – are much, much clearer to get online, livestream video, and make calls, but a lot more tech than on the phone network. will be enabled in the stadium itself. High-definition voice wasn’t a priority for the designers Why bother with those big screens, and even scoreboards, at of 3G and 4G networks, but either end of the stadium when the organisers could just make it with 5G, you can expect all available for anyone in the stadium to stream on their phone or voice calls and video calls to tablet? It’s even possible that spectators could don a camera and contain speech that’s clearer, livestream what they can see, in HD, to anyone at home… perhaps sharper and altogether much even in 360 degrees to anyone with a VR headset. more realistic. Away from stadiums, 5G could be beneficial in busy places It’s about time. And it’s where live updates are be useful, such as in airports and train set to go further than simply stations – bringing us better connectivity on the move. HD with so-called Voice over 5G (Vo5G), which looks “A real-time internet is coming, which set to be an integral part of means a real-time cloud” other 5G services, such as video calling, telepresence, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). © EE © WhatsApp 23

Introducing 5G Why 5G is about more than just speed Connectivity could lead to fewer incidents on the road as well as better fuel economy © Bosch 03. Platooning Platooning will basically mean the vehicle at the front of the group will dictate the speed. A key part of the 5G specification is URLLC (Ultra- Although it could affect all driving, for now the Reliable and Low Latency Communications), tech is mostly being talked-up for trucks and which allows for reliable, instant communications haulage, not only to make goods transport more between the network and devices. efficient, but also to reduce carbon emissions. This is what makes the era of driverless cars “Platooning has the potential to improve a very real possibility, by allowing vehicles to traffic flows on highways and to decrease the communicate their exact speed and position with environmental impact of transport,” says Gunnar each other in real-time. Tornmalm, head of predevelopment, systems development at Scania, who adds that drag Known as Cellular-V2X (C-V2X), it could accounts for 25% of a truck’s fuel consumption. eventually lead to something called platooning, which will get traffic moving faster. Groups of “However, the technology will only reach vehicles in a connected platoon will be able to markets broadly if vehicles from more than one drive with a one-second gap between each brand can find each other,” he adds. A format war vehicle, automatically matching each other’s is never far away, is it? speed and braking. The reaction time for braking could be reduced to zero. 24

Why 5G is about more than just speed Introducing 5G © Ericsson 05. Mobile broadcasting 04. Human health You can already broadcast VR 360-degree video on Facebook, but the quality is pretty poor. It’s the The proximity of the timing of 5G’s rollout to same story for breaking news footage, which is that of the global pandemic, coupled with presently done in low resolution. previous fears about microwave radiation and electromagnetic fields in phones, has led 5G to News-gathering, live sports, and events need become something of a pariah for some. There to catch up to the 4K era, then go way beyond to are those that claim that 5G is damaging to health 8K, AR and VR. Could 5G transform broadcasting? or, preposterously, responsible for the pandemic itself. These are the kinds of people that usually AT&T and LiveU have just begun working to carry placards and refuse to wear a mask in public. bring 5G to LiveU’s HEVC (High Efficiency Video You know the type. Coding) portable broadcast units. They’re going to test the real-world impact and performance There is certainly research to be done on the enhancements 5G technology can have on live long-term effects of 5G’s frequencies and likely a lot broadcast video production using LiveU HEVC of ‘not in my back yard’ nonsense to go through, portable broadcast units. given that masts will need to be installed on a much more local level to ensure strong coverage. This is about broadcasters taking advantage But you can rest assured that there are no proven of 5G’s higher speeds and lower latency in the health risks associated with 5G, just as there were field. “We see 5G as a critical advancement none with 4G or 3G before it. Even 5G’s fastest for the broadcast industry disrupting the way frequencies fall into the bracket of non-ionising breaking news, live sports, and other live events radiation, and land on the complete opposite side are produced,” says Avi Cohen, chief operations of the electromagnetic spectrum to harmful things officer and co-founder of LiveU. like X-rays. So don’t heed the hysteria. “We anticipate the technology will bring more capabilities to our customers such as multiple channels of audio, multi-camera productions from a single portable transmission solution, 4K streaming, and high-quality video return.” © Live U 25

© Getty How 5G will change your life It's not just about faster phones. 5G will help upgrade society as a whole Clearly, 5G will have bigger ramifications on your to have a much bigger impact on society as life than putting a faster phone in your pocket a whole. For example, it will replace home (though we are excited for that). Rather than just broadband and bridge the gap between rural being about streaming 8K videos and gaming on areas and cities; give kids in schools more the go, it in fact has the potential to absolutely learning tools; improve health care outcomes; transform your life, revolutionising the way we make streets safer with self-driving cars; and receive and use information. bring augmented reality from a Google-Glass- like spectacle into the mainstream. While it’s easy to focus on the personal benefits 5G will bring each of us, it also stands Here’s how. 26

How 5G will change your life Introducing 5G © Verizon 5G IN YOUR HOME: CABLE BROADBAND KILLER? 5G providers: A number of internet providers already have 5G networks up 5G isn’t just going to make your phone faster. Theoretically, your and running home internet will also be faster if you opt for 5G fixed wireless over broadband. Instead of paying a cable company to wire your place and hook you up to the internet, you can install an antenna that beams 5G into your home from a cell tower. For rural areas in which laying cable is super-expensive, grabbing a 5G signal from an existing tower would be much cheaper. “We used to talk about fibre to the home and running cable in the neighbourhoods. People were excited about that, and you had to check your ZIP code to see if it was available in your area,” says Steve Koenig, vice president of research for the Consumer Technology Association. “5G won’t eliminate that, because there will sometimes need to be a physical connection, but for consumers, your home broadband service could be 5G. 5G can penetrate better than 4G because it penetrates across three bands: low, mid and high.” Carriers like Verizon and AT&T are already getting into the 5G fixed wireless business, and though it’s the early days still, increased competition for cable providers could mean lower home internet bills for consumers, who still don’t have many options when it comes to broadband. 27

Introducing 5G How 5G will change your life “Why watch it on YouTube? Why not just put on your AR glasses and say: ‘Alexa, show me instructions please.’” 28

How 5G will change your life Introducing 5G “Why watch it on YouTube? Why not just devices that we will still need to wear to overlay put on your AR glasses and say, ‘Alexa, show me information on top of our vision a whole lot instructions please,” says Peter Linder, head of 5G lighter and thinner. To get an idea of what that marketing at Ericsson may look like, picture something like the defunct Google Glass, but considerably more attractive. Linder goes on to explain that fixed wireless could improve internet access for people outside “5G connectivity may not just be on your metropolitan areas, where fixed broadband phone, it could be across a range of consumer connections aren’t great and mobile connectivity devices: wearables, like AR glasses, could have isn’t much better. their own 5G connection,” explains Koenig. “If we’re trying to make the city smart, we Currently, augmented-reality glasses require have to make sure the countryside is clever,” a connection to a computer – either over a Linder says. “Otherwise the gap between rural Wi-Fi connection or physically tethered to a and metropolitan opportunities is going to get wall-mounted or a wearable computer attached even bigger.” to, for instance, a belt. Headsets with fully integrated computers, like Microsoft’s HoloLens 5G ON YOUR BODY: AUGMENTED- 2, are massive. 5G AR glasses would eliminate REALITY GLASSES GET REAL connectivity issues and would be comfortable enough to wear for lengthy periods of time. That Many experts also predict that 5G will usher would unlock a whole new way of interacting in the era of augmented reality. While people with the world. have been hyping AR for years, 5G will make the Augmented reality places computer-generated images into the real-time environment 29

Introducing 5G How 5G will change your life “I grew up reading manuals, and my daughter © Getty Images laughs about that: ‘Why don’t you just watch it on YouTube?’” says Ericsson’s Linder. “I think her There’s a presentation about China: a PowerPoint. kids will laugh: ‘Why did you watch it on YouTube? It’s a good environment. But there’s another Why not just put on your AR glasses and say, child in the class. [The teacher says]: ‘Put on that ‘Alexa, show me instructions please.’ headset and we’ll drop you into a 360-degree video so you can be [in China] without being “[In] the 4G era the input to the device is more there.’ [The kid says:] ‘I’m flying over the Great Wall! or less centred around always tapping on glass That is unbelievable!’ The second child had an – the output to you is coming out of the glass experience. A whole chunk of his brain lit up. That window. 5G is breaking out of that as the only immersive environment is between three and way of doing things.” eight times more effective.” 5G IN THE CLASSROOM: FLYING OVER THE GREAT WALL The faster speeds and lower latency that 5G will deliver will make AR and virtual reality transformative for kids in classrooms. Toby Redshaw, senior vice president of 5G innovation at Verizon, offers a scenario in which 5G could make education more accessible: “You have a child that sits in a class for four hours. © Shutterstock 30

How 5G will change your life Introducing 5G © Verizon “For students who need with augmented reality could also make it easier more than a lecture or a for doctors to learn and perfect procedures. textbook to fully understand concepts, 5G could unlock a In May 2019, medical startup Medivis whole new way to learn” received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration for an augmented-reality platform Verizon put out a call for innovative called Surgical AR that will guide surgeons applications for 5G in middle-school classrooms through procedures via a holographic overlay for its 5G EdTech Challenge. Earlier this year, the on the patient. Earlier that year at CES, Medivis carrier’s foundation awarded $1m to 10 groups CEO Christopher Morley said that 5G will reduce that created ways to make 5G useful in the latency so much that surgeons will be able to classroom. Some of the winning ideas included a use AR to perform surgeries in real time. Morley virtual-reality experience of space, a mixed-reality expects 5G and AR will reduce the possibility of game to help students with autism work on social error and improve post-surgical outcomes. skills, and an app that brings physics to life. But 5G could take surgeons out of the For students who need more than a lecture or operating theatre entirely. The Consumer a textbook to fully understand concepts, 5G could Technology Association’s Koenig says 5G could unlock a whole new way to learn. allow doctors to perform operations remotely using 5G-connected robots. 5G IN THE HOSPITAL: HOLOGRAPHIC SURGERIES AND BEYOND Outside of surgical suites, 5G could improve health care outcomes across the board. Columbia Just as 5G could make it easier for kids to University is using Verizon’s 5G network to test experience subjects that most of us have only remote rehabilitation for stroke patients using read about in books, next-gen speeds combined virtual-reality headsets. Therapists remotely guide patients, who are wearing VR headsets, through exercises to improve their motor skills, which is critical for those who can’t travel to facilities for in-patient rehab. The program is also useful for therapists, because it analyses everyone 31

Introducing 5G How 5G will change your life The speed of 5G can reduce © Verizon latency when using programs such as Surgical AR who follows the program and determines if the “Connecting cars, giving them the ability to exercises actually work. connect to the internet, streaming movies to passengers – but also advanced safety [features], “How often does this great therapist show up giving the cars ability to communicate with in rural Arkansas, or east Los Angeles? Probably other cars, passengers [and] infrastructure. never,” Verizon’s Redshaw says. “In the 5G world, Those are the marquee [use cases for 5G],” what do I need for this person to show up? I need explains Danny Tseng, technical marketing them to have a connection and this $200 set of manager at Qualcomm. goggles. Economically that’s a great thing for that industry and, for patients, it’s fantastic to blast Above the fleets of self-driving vehicles that through socioeconomic barriers.” Tseng, Koenig and others imagine will take over the roads in the near future, autonomous drones 5G IN SELF-DRIVING CARS: SAFER will be delivering packages and embarking (AND MORE FUN) RIDES on rescue missions with the help of 5G. The time it takes for a drone to receive instructions Self-driving cars are already being tested on the and deliver footage to the ground will be roads, but experts predict that 5G will make them near instantaneous over 5G, which will make safer and alleviate concerns that most of us have its missions much safer and more accurate – about letting a computer drive for us. It’s also one whether they are for Amazon deliveries or search- of the most exciting use cases for 5G – and there’s and-rescue operations. a lot at stake. 32

How 5G will change your life Introducing 5G “5G could take surgeons out of the operating theatre entirely, allowing doctors to perform operations remotely using 5G-connected robots” OK, COOL – BUT WHEN IS THIS 5G NIRVANA 5G networks: The switch to 5G will be HAPPENING? instantaneous rather than a gradual change The transformative potential of 5G can sometimes feel overblown. After all, many people still can’t even access a 5G network yet, and we have been talking about it for years. But you can expect that to change very soon. “You’re not going to see this incremental thing,” says Verizon’s Redshaw. “It’ll be: ‘‘Wow, now I’m surrounded by 5G.’ You’ll start to see the differences between non-5G spaces and 5G spaces by the end of next year. Marry sizzle to economic benefit and you’ll see this take off tremendously.” But what exactly will happen when 5G is everywhere? We obviously have some ideas, but there are also life-changing applications that no one has thought of. “5G is going to be a catalyst of incredible innovation, much like we saw with 4G mobile broadband,” says Koenig. “Some of which haven’t been imagined yet.” 33

Introducing 5G Things 5G will do you didn’t expect Things 5G will do you didn’t expect From better music to a ‘tactile’ internet, here are some ways 5G will surprise you Download a 4K movie in three seconds! That’s However, this is just the eMBB (enhanced the headline feature of 5G according to the lazy Mobile Broadband) feature of 5G, which is only a mainstream media, which is probably why the small part of the story. public aren’t yet as excited about 5G as they should be. To understand 5G, you need to know that 5G networks will be able to support up to a million So 5G isn’t about downloading movies devices per square kilometre thanks to massive quickly? No, though the focus on 5G’s incredible Machine Type Communications (mMTC) and that speeds is no surprise. After all, 5G networks will they’ll also have Ultra-Reliable and Low Latency bring speeds of about 1Gbps. Communications (URLLC). Compare that to the 4G LTE networks we have Jargon? Yes, but by being super-fast, super- in the UK right now that offer speeds of about dense and enabling latency-free communication, 20Mbps; 5G will be 100 times faster, and in the 5G will bring changes to the tech world we can long-term it’s expected to jump even further up only imagine. Luckily, we can imagine quite a lot to 20Gbps. already… besides, who still downloads movies? 34

Things 5G will do you didn’t expect Introducing 5G 01. An internet of (many) things 02. The ‘tactile internet’ A core 5G feature is mMTC, and that’s about 5G’s URLLC feature is all about low latency. density. It’s great news for sports fans. Never again Latency is the time it takes for a communication will you sit in a packed stadium and be unable to to start, stop and then start again, which you can use your phone. experience every time you try to load a webpage. That’s because 5G networks can support up On a 4G network it takes at least 40 to a million devices per square kilometre – but milliseconds, but 5G could reduce that to just face-timing at the football is only one tiny aspect a single millisecond. Think about it; 5G could of what 5G will enable. change everything we do online on our smartphones by making it near instantaneous. With that kind of support, the number of connected devices will explode. That Fitbit on Cue the ‘tactile internet’. Defined as instant, your wrist? Why bother when you could have interactive communications, the tactile internet sensors all over your body – perhaps in clothes – could enable a revolution in industry, with robots that communicate with each other, and with the able to receive instructions in real-time, essentially cloud via the 5G network, in real-time? allowing them to collaborate on complex tasks. Everything you own could be connected In healthcare, surgeons could be able to see to the network, such as your backpack, the body scans and brain scans in real time, examine belongings inside, headsets, headphones, bikes, a patient remotely using a telepresence unit, and car…and family members. This could extend to perhaps even remotely operate on patients using industry as well, with companies’ assets, farm a surgical robot controlled across the internet. equipment, robots, and even tanks. “Instead of needing local Another dimension of low latency is the real- processing power, devices time cloud. Instead of needing local processing like phones, wearables and power, devices like phones, wearables and laptops laptops will link to the cloud” will link to the cloud for everything – files, data and artificial intelligence – perhaps only storing the absolute essential data on devices. That means smaller and essentially ‘dumb’ devices that are conduits to the cloud. 35

Introducing 5G Things 5G will do you didn’t expect 03. Smart buildings 04. Connected hotels It’s not just inside the home where 5G will enable 5G means faster speeds, lower latency, more more devices to get online – it’s out in the wider bandwidth and more reliability, and that’s going to world too. The extra capacity and bandwidth be very useful indeed for hotels. While many hotels of 5G technology means that buildings and are already packed with gadgetry and wireless street furniture can be fully connected and connections that cover Wi-Fi and 4G, the arrival communicating with other infrastructure, of 5G should take the technology to another level opening up a wealth of new possibilities for – and we’ve already seen some venues start to autonomous systems that can operate with experiment with what 5G can offer. minimal help from a human being. In short, this means more connectivity and Imagine lighting, heating and security all convenience, and we’re not just talking about managed automatically across an office block, being able to connect to the web when you’re with sensors reporting back on current conditions relaxing (or trying to get some work done) in your and a central computer making decisions about hotel room. Applications of 5G for consumers in how devices should be managed: in all kinds the home will also apply to travellers in a hotel: of different areas, the workplaces of the future think 5G virtual reality rowing machines in the gym, should become more energy efficient and safer as 5G cloud gaming and computing services you can a result of the spread of 5G. More 5G-connected connect to in a second, and high-resolution video sensors could tell you how busy the canteen or streaming to a big screen in every room (with car park is without you having to move from your rooms constantly monitored for air quality and desk (very useful if you have to go up or down temperature as well of course). several flights of stairs to get there). The rollout of 5G should also lead to more Look for 5G-enabled sensors to be embedded automation in the hospitality industry and a greater in outdoor street furniture too, everything from use of robotics in hotels – when you check in or speed bumps that communicate with self-driving visit the restaurant, you might be greeted by a cars, to air quality monitors that can tell city robot or a electronic display more often than an planners about pollution levels in real time. We may actual person, or maybe you’ll get shown around even see smart traffic lights that adjust themselves the premises by a 5G-connected droid that never based on the flow of traffic around a city. gets tired of giving guests essential information. 36

Things 5G will do you didn’t expect Introducing 5G “’Although a lot of the 5G talk is around video-based entertainment, a lot could change in the music world” 05. Hi-res audio everywhere The massively increased bandwidth coming with 5G will likely popularise and Although a lot of the 5G talk is around video- normalise high-quality audio, which for now is based entertainment, a lot could change a relatively small niche among audiophiles. in the music world. After all, why persist with compressed MP3 and iTunes AAC files It’s growing though, with Tidal, Deezer when hi-res uncompressed 24-bit/192kHz and Qobuz already offering hi-res music, audio as FLAC, WAV and MQA music files are while Amazon is reportedly about to launch just as easy to stream over a 5G network? a hi-res audio streaming service. There’s also Spotify Hi-Fi that offers listeners lossless CD Hi-res audio (HRA) is lossless audio codec quality. Let’s just hope 5G phones come with capable of reproducing the full range of sound unlimited data plans… from recordings that have been mastered from better-than-CD quality music sources. 37

Introducing 5G How will 5G affect security? 38

How will 5G affect security? Introducing 5G How will 5G affect security? The volume of data will increase in the era of 5G – but so will its value to unscrupulous individuals It’s easy to overhype 5G, but it’s not an exaggeration to suggest the arrival of the next generation network represents the most significant development in the history of mobile communications. The transitions from 2G to 3G, and 3G to 4G, both delivered significant performance enhancements and new capabilities that have allowed mobile technology to become an integral part of everyday life. 39

Introducing 5G How will 5G affect security? More devices at home mean will mean that security is more important than ever © Getty Images 5G is no exception, offering greater speeds and For example, eHealth applications will collect capacity that will allow for a faster and more reliable extremely personal data about our bodies and connection. Mobile operators are rebuilding their wellbeing, connected car services will monitor networks so the time it takes for data to be sent our movements and smart city applications will across them is significantly reduced. collect information about how we live our lives. Not only this but 5G is the first generation “5G networks will of mobile network to be designed for machine- encourage us to capture to-machine (M2M) communication, enabling a and share more and more whole range of new use cases that promise to of our personal data” change how we live, work and play. The possibilities are seemingly endless – but could this new era of ubiquitous connectivity introduce new security risks? THE CHALLENGE TO PRIVACY This data collection will be accelerated by the sheer number of connected objects. It is The biggest security challenge that 5G networks thought that in the 5G future, the smartphone pose is to our privacy. 5G networks will enable new will become a super-connected hub for other kinds of applications and will allow us to connect personal devices like smartwatches. more devices to the network (and to each other), encouraging us to capture and share more and Meanwhile, as the first generation of more of our personal data. Some of which may mobile connectivity to be designed for M2M never have been captured digitally in the past. communication, your 5G-enabled devices will 40

How will 5G affect security? Introducing 5G ‘talk’ to countless sensors that comprise the connected world. All of this is an opportunity to harvest more of our data. THE THREATS OF 5G Meanwhile, the increased number of connected devices means more targets and There’s no doubt that in the vast majority of cases, launchpads for attacks. If just one of your devices this data will be used ethically and will be useful isn’t configured correctly, then it might be to the user. However, the increased volume and possible for cybercriminals to steal data or launch variety of information makes it more valuable to a more widespread attack using a botnet. attackers who have nefarious intentions. BUILT-IN SECURITY The scope for blackmail, identity theft, and even personal safety would be potentially The threat to privacy is one of several reasons limitless. For example, what if an attacker why the debate about 5G security has become was able to access to a 5G-enabled camera or connected car application? Some are also concerned that because 5G needs more network sites to compensate for reduced range, that the location data held by operators would be more accurate, potentially giving hackers your exact address. 41

Introducing 5G How will 5G affect security? © iStock “It’s important to recognise that there’s no reason for 5G networks to be any less secure to use than 4G” so prominent in the media. As more sensitive 5G networks comprise three main elements. data is transmitted across the network and more The radio network transmits data from your mission-critical applications become reliant phone to the mast, the transport network sends on 5G, the risk of an attack, service outage, or this from the mast to the core network, and the state-sponsored surveillance operation becomes core network processes the data and sends it increasingly unpalatable. back again. The core is the most sensitive part of the network as it handles all the main customer Infrastructure left insecure – either by data and information. accident or design – is simply too great a risk to contemplate. The good news is that mobile Operators will use a mixture of suppliers in each operators are ensuring that security is built into part of the network and, just for added piece of the fabric of their 5G networks. mind, Huawei kit has now been banned from the UK and will be removed entirely by 2027. But this 5G is a more secure standard than 4G, while should be of little concern because, as one major more stringent testing requirements and security operator said, hacking a phone mast is so pointless obligations at a national and international level you might as well hack a phone. should minimise the risk of vulnerabilities in telecoms equipment. WHAT CAN YOU DO? Despite recent debates about the security It’s important to recognise that there’s no reason of Huawei kit in the UK, there’s no evidence for 5G networks to be any less secure to use than to suggest that any major vendor is a risk, and 4G. A mobile network can never be 100% fail-safe, operators are likely to build their networks in but it’s significantly safer to use than public Wi-Fi, a way that minimises the risk of an outage or for example. anyone accessing your data. 42

How will 5G affect security? Introducing 5G 5G enables ‘network slicing’, which allows should be the bare minimum. You should only operators to effectively ring-fence part of the grant permissions to applications you trust, use network for a dedicated user or application, encrypted applications where possible, and be guaranteeing speed and capacity, and stopping wary of granting access to health or location data anyone else from accessing that bandwidth. It’s if there isn’t a clear need for it. also worth bearing in mind that all data sent over 5G is encrypted. If you’re not convinced, then bear in mind future 5G devices will offer increasingly advanced Meanwhile, mobile operators are working to security options and it appears as though there ensure their services are as secure as possible at is some demand. It may sound like science an infrastructure level. It’s not surprising, given fiction, but according to Ericsson, 29% of people a report from Ericsson found that four out of ten questioned would like DNA authentication to be a people consider the security and trustworthiness biometric security option. of a network to be important considerations when picking a provider. It’s unlikely that the debate about best practices and protection will go away any time soon, such is What 5G does change significantly is the the growing importance of mobile connectivity to applications and devices that we will use. This our everyday life. But at least it means the mobile means the precautions you take to secure your industry is committed to finding answers. device are even more important. And if you’re bored of it already, you’ll be Basic measures such as using a PIN code or delighted to know that work on 6G, the successor biometric security to access your smartphone to 5G, has already started. 43

How 5G will transform Intro How 5G will transform... Given 5G’s lightning fast speeds and almost imperceptible latencies, it stands to revolutionise almost all areas of society As we’ve already established, 5G is an Whether you’re itching to get behind the absolutely game-changing technology. And wheel of a self-driving car, lose yourself in very little of that is because it will allow us to virtual worlds, embed your clothing chock- stream 4K movies on the go. Well, alright, that’s full of sensors or just still get reliable signal in pretty great too. But the really exciting thing a packed football stadium, 5G is coming to about the new standard is how it stands to make those dreams a reality. revolutionise the way we do so many different things in ways we’re scarcely able to predict. 44

Intro How 5G will transform 45

How 5G will transform Wearables Wearables Smartwatches and fitness trackers could be even more useful with 5G Faster, better, and the future of mobile spectacularly speedy (providing you live in an area internet, 5G is certainly the connection you want that supports 5G). on your smartphone. It means faster speeds for when you want to download something in a What does that mean for your smartwatch or hurry, as well as being able to stream video more fitness wearable though? It’s not as though you’ll efficiently while sitting on the train during your find yourself often downloading hefty files to your daily commute. watch or fitness tracker, after all. So will 5G really make a significant difference to smartwatch users? With speeds potentially being 100 times faster than standard 4G, the new norm is going to be With a growing trend for wearables to be self-sufficient rather than relying on smartphone 46

Wearables How 5G will transform connectivity, there’s huge potential for growth here, but not necessarily in the same way that you’ll see with your smartphone. The importance of 5G to wearables is a little more complicated than simply being faster. What we do know so far is that the way we use our beloved wearables could be set to change rapidly over the coming years. SPEED ISN’T EVERYTHING speed, high-bandwidth mode for streaming and downloading, and a low-power, long-life So we all know that the best thing about 5G is its mode for an increased battery life and improved huge speed advantage over 4G, but there’s more reliability. While few smartphone users will be to it than that. 5G is smarter. It offers lower latency interested in the latter, a long and reliable battery so its response times are speedier. life lends itself perfectly to smartwatches and wearable devices. For a phone, that might mean a faster- loading webpage due to a lower ping, but for a Through 5G, it’s possible to have thousands of smartwatch that means exchanging data faster wearables connected within a small geographical – so, for instance, you won’t have to wait for map area without disruption. Something that will be updates or your step counter to sync up. In theory, immediately appealing to those who live in busy it’ll all just work automatically rather than leaving cities that can have congested airwaves. you to stand around waiting for your data to sync. THE CLOUD JUST GOT BIGGER “Wearables could also look smaller, sleeker and With the rise of 5G, no devices may need more fashionable” substantial physical storage to be built into them any longer. With faster connections, lower 5G can also handle more users simultaneously latency and near instantaneous transmissions, than 4G because it can co-exist alongside other users could simply store all their apps and wireless signals without any risk of interference, as it operates on three different spectrum bands. For a smartphone, that means it can operate at a high enough speed to stream the latest Netflix hit uninterrupted – but the next-gen mobile network will also improve our wearables as well. Theories suggest that 5G devices could have two different modes available to them – a high- 47

How 5G will transform Wearables files on the cloud rather than requiring their able to measure body temperature or other vital smartphone or wearable device to include signs. For the avid runner, this could mean no physical storage. longer needing a heart monitor strap as well as a smartwatch, for example. That has a few benefits tied into it. By turning your smartwatch or fitness wearable into a The idea of wearables that can work as your gateway for your data, it means that they can also own personal trainer or doctor is far more likely become smaller. with 5G too, especially if it frees up storage space and makes the reams of data they would need Instead of having chunky devices that contain capture more accurate. lots of physical storage, manufacturers could focus on providing more advanced sensors and SMARTER USE OF better batteries. Wearables could also simply SMALLER TECHNOLOGY look smaller, sleeker and more fashionable – something that’s particularly relevant in the case More space for a better battery, in conjunction of ring- or necklace-based trackers. with 5G’s more efficient use of power, could also go some way to reducing the smartwatch’s Most wearables are able to track how biggest obstacle up until this point – its limited far you’ve run, your current heart rate, and battery life. your location, but all of these features can be somewhat inaccurate at times. Smaller wearables in the future may also lead to a growth in smart clothing. Smart With more nano sensors built into them, we clothing already exists, but it’s limited in could benefit from sleek-looking wearables that scope and popularity currently. 5G and the are also highly accurate, right down to being Battery life has always been a sore spot for wearables but 5G could change that 48

Wearables How 5G will transform “5G has the potential to massively change how we utilise wearable technology” implementation of wearable antennas within important if manufacturers want wearables to the material of clothing could be exactly what’s continue to be popular. needed to boost the popularity of smart clothing. It might sound like science fiction right now but Right now, smartphones are seen as an a recent paper has suggested that 5G antennas essential part of daily life, but wearables and could be manufactured from conductive threads smartwatches are usually just a welcome ‘bonus’ and adhesives. to those that can afford them. 5G has the potential to change all that. So what’s next for wearables and 5G? Smartwatches and fitness trackers have come a If 5G technology is able to reduce the size of long way in a short space of time. It wasn’t that wearables while enhancing the battery life, that long ago that smartwatches relied on users to also could be exactly what’s needed to convince the have their smartphone with them at all times. general public that smart technology deserves a place on their fingers, wrists, or neck. Now, you can easily spend the day with just your smartwatch on your wrist and you won’t Therefore, 5G has the potential to massively miss out on key features like making contactless change how we utilise wearable technology – payments or tracking your exercise. That’s simply put, it’ll be fascinating to see what the first few 5G wearables offer. 49

© Shutterstock Smart homes 5G will make your home smarter, faster, and better Much has been said about 5G being the future for rampant while we wait for more 5G to reach more mobile technology. After all, it’s the natural next towns and cities. step after 4G and promises to be substantially faster than anything we’ve seen before. The smart home is an environment a growing number of us live in – a household that, We’re not just talking about incremental besides possessing laptops and smartphones, speed boosts either, given that 5G will be, on also contains IoT (Internet of Things) gadgets, paper, 100 times faster than standard 4G. So from smart speakers like the Amazon Echo to far, that seems to be the case, but how will it smart light bulbs and smart locks, right down to help the average user? all-in-one gadgets like the Google Home Hub. Particularly in the case of the smart home, 5G Connected devices are a great way of technology has the potential to revolutionise. That streamlining how you do things around the is, if you buy into the hype and speculation that’s home, but they are limited too, thanks to speed 50