Benefits of 5G for mobile phones

[ice595]

This post is ABSOLUTELY NOT about the recent news regarding 5G.

I've been hearings a lot about 5G and how it is going to be a game changer.
And yes I know, the applications for 5G isn't just mobile phones alone, but I really want to know how phones are going to benefit from 5G. (other than speed)

From what I know so far, 5G will be faster, lower latency and work well in connection dense areas, but is that all?
Maybe its just me, but I am pretty satisfied with 4G LTE speeds. (here in Toronto, I can easily get over 100Mbps on my phone while my home broadband is only a quarter of that)
So unless 5G data plans are going to be cheaper, I really don't see myself upgrading to 5G any time soon.
What do you guys think?

[Bassman59]

This post is ABSOLUTELY NOT about the recent news regarding 5G.

I've been hearings a lot about 5G and how it is going to be a game changer.
And yes I know, the applications for 5G isn't just mobile phones alone, but I really want to know how phones are going to benefit from 5G. (other than speed)

From what I know so far, 5G will be faster, lower latency and work well in connection dense areas, but is that all?
Maybe its just me, but I am pretty satisfied with 4G LTE speeds. (here in Toronto, I can easily get over 100Mbps on my phone while my home broadband is only a quarter of that)
So unless 5G data plans are going to be cheaper, I really don't see myself upgrading to 5G any time soon.
What do you guys think?

I don't see the point of 5G to the handset. Existing data rates easily support video, and that's probably the most data-intensive thing one might do on a phone. Streaming audio barely makes a dent. Even something like downloading a large map for a navigation app isn't limited by the pipe. I don't do any real-time 3D gaming or VR on the phone, but maybe that's a possible application -- but still my guess is that the existing data rates suffice.

Maybe if you're using the phone as a hotspot (tethering) and you're downloading large files to your computer, it could be useful. Of course, that would chew up your data allotment quickly.

[greenpossum]

As usual the early adopters will pay a premium, but when the technology gets cheap enough that there's no difference in price, what's not to like? At that point the providers will want you to upgrade so that they can recover spectrum. That's how it's always been, the technology will enable services that are not available now. You may not care about your movie streaming where latency is not noticeable, but it's not inconceivable that at some point people will be running VR or multi-player games over their phones.

That said, I won't be one of the early adopters. I'm not one of those wanting the features. 4G will be around for many years, longer than my current phone's life expectancy.

[OwO]

5G is a meme. Prepare for worse reception outside of urban centers once GSM/CDMA networks are shut down. I have to disable voice over LTE or else I get shit call quality and dropped calls at home. I often even set my phone to GSM only or else I can't even receive calls.

[I wanted a rude username]

For carriers, there are both tremendous benefits and risks.

Once they adopt 5G, they'll be able to sell orders of magnitude more data. Remember, 5G doesn't just have higher bandwidth, it also requires massively higher spatial density. The carriers  want to eat home DSL/cable/fibre's lunch, and with fewer people using desktops/laptops every year, 5G will let them do it in many cases.

The risks are in not rolling out 5G, because then competitors will do so and steal their business.

[ice595]

lets travel back in time 10 years ago when we all still used 3G, mobile video streaming was already available, but it was too slow and expensive.
We have 4G now and it solved problems with speed but mobile data is still very costly.
Since 5G will have much broader spectrum, it should mitigate network congestion and bring costs down right?

[greenpossum]

We have 4G now and it solved problems with speed but mobile data is still very costly.

Depends on what you mean by costly. You realise of course your country has so high mobile data charges that visitors are advised to buy a dual US/Can SIM if wanting mobile Internet.

Used to be in the days of 2G we'd typically pay 20 or 30 dollars per month for data charged by the MB and calls were charged by the minute with calls to mobiles more expensive than calls to landlines. Nowadays with 4G for 10 dollars you get all local calls and text free, and at least 1GB of data if not more. Which is very comfortable if you all you do is check your messages, surf a few web pages, and use a bit of maps. Of course now if's far easier to blow your data allowance on content. Just watch a couple of Youtube videos and there goes 100MB. It'lll be the same with 5G. You'll get more for your money but at the same time it'll be easier to spend your allowance.

[dropkick]

For the carriers it's not about speed, it's about capacity.  Back when 4G was first lit up our local 3G towers were all completely saturated, particularly at 5pm rush hour.  They were so bad it was unusable, even our carrier at the time admitted it.  I worked at a municipality with lots of 3G mobile computers and they suffered for months until 4G was lit up. Is 4G nearing that point? I dunno but possibly.

5G is seen by the system operators as a relief for bandwidth and capacity.  Keep the traffic in the neighborhoods, not all hitting the dozen or so high level sites in town.  That being said the 4G towers aren't going anywhere soon.  Both are needed now and in the future.  A lot of the 5G frequencies just don't have the range or penetration.

Only the TV marketing types and home gamer users who think their "wifi router" with 16 antennas, gigabits, and 4 bands of gigahertz, and double quadruple MIMO+ will want/believe the raw speed is going to make a difference.

There should also be a market for home internet delivered on "5G" as an alternative to fiber/cable and of course the video streaming is going to eat into available bandwidth.  Just don't expect it to work during a power outage. I don't see any backup or infrastructure equipment on the poles they've been putting in around here. Just the radios, antennas, and fiber crammed into a skinny tube.

[Lord of nothing]

Well there is not "that" 5G Network. There are many Freq in use around the World.
1) a Former 2G, 3G, 4G Freq
2) somewhere in the 3Ghz Band
3) 60Ghz

So what kind of Freq are you talking about?
Here in my Country there are 2 big Groups:
- Mobile like watch TV, Cam,...
- Home use as fix Internet

Both can eford from the more Freqs and Bandwidth. Well I see the 60Ghz very problematic and maybe dangerous.

[Monkeh]

Well there is not "that" 5G Network. There are many Freq in use around the World.
1) a Former 2G, 3G, 4G Freq
2) somewhere in the 3Ghz Band
3) 60Ghz

So what kind of Freq are you talking about?
Here in my Country there are 2 big Groups:
- Mobile like watch TV, Cam,...
- Home use as fix Internet

Both can eford from the more Freqs and Bandwidth. Well I see the 60Ghz very problematic and maybe dangerous.

Your ignorance is flying a balloon again. No 60GHz, for a start, and it's not dangerous.

[Lord of nothing]

Again...

Well there is not "that" 5G Network. There are many Freq in use around the World.
1) a Former 2G, 3G, 4G Freq
2) somewhere in the 3Ghz Band
3) 60Ghz

When I google what Freq UK use i found:
https://www.4g.co.uk/4g-frequencies-uk-need-know/

The use "only" the 3Ghz Band! I talk about the 60Ghz Stuff! At lest 95% of the Youtuber talk ONLY about the 3Ghz Stuff! I would say that is not more dangerous than Wifi or other Stuff.

[wraper]

Both can eford from the more Freqs and Bandwidth. Well I see the 60Ghz very problematic and maybe dangerous.

60 GHz cannot even penetrate you at all. At worst your skin surface will become warm if you are irradiated with a huge power. And AFAIK 5G does not go above 39 GHz to begin with.

[Lord of nothing]

In the UK the Test, use  the 60Ghz Band:
https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/190006/60ghz-report.pdf

[Monkeh]

My ignorance is showing - I was honestly unaware 60GHz was being used. Anyone know of anything in the wild capable of using it?

It's still not dangerous.

Edit: Reading more clearly: That's not 5G. That's a fixed wireless link supporting 5G equipment. Fixed 60GHz links, as well as fixed links at a huge range of frequencies you've never even considered and at significant power levels, aren't that uncommon. And they're not dangerous.

[dropkick]

60Ghz is nothing new.  It's been used for short distance links for years, from outdoor radios to wireless display devices at home.  60Ghz is significantly attenuated by O2 in the air (also heavy rain storms).  Same with 24Ghz.  This is why in the US, there are chunks of both as unlicensed bands; it just don't go that far.  If you stand in front of it, the only thing it kills is the data link!

[ConKbot]

Carrier capacity is the main benefit. They are going to sell the phones at a premium for being new and fancy, rake in the cash, and the only benefit for the end users is that in extremely dense areas it can be handled better.  Not from a city, so no idea how functional 4G is in crowded areas on a day to day basis. Only place I can say Ive ever had problems with density of people causing 4G to be oversaturated was a music festival, so that should be alleviated, for the folks who have to post their videos and pictures of the event so social media in real time. I expect it will be like 4G where at first its blazing fast to wow people, and after it gets more widely adopted it will be throttled back to lower numbers.

IMO, nothing to be too excited about unless you're in a dense city center and have garbage service despite good signal.  (Not sure how EU cities are, given their generally higher population density vs the US)