There’s little doubt that 5G internet speeds have been hyped a lot recently. The U.S. is just beginning to see this new type of network, which provides speeds 4 to 10 times that of 4G. Klint Finley, writing for WIRED, says current home broadband speeds will feel like the dial-up of the 1990s, when 5G becomes the norm.
But faster speeds are not the only thing at stake. Global competition in technology makes the race to 5G a critical one. And home consumers are dubious about whether 5G is worth all the hype…or if they’ll even ever get it.
- Consumers want to cut through the hype about 5G [PC Review] ”
The majority of respondents, 71 percent, think that right now, 5G is just hype. Thanks to stunts like the fake 5G indicators showing up on smartphones, 30 percent of the consumers we surveyed said they also distrust carriers in providing accurate information. “ - Minneapolis has the start of a cutting-edge 5G wireless network [Seattle Times] “Hardly anyone in the basketball throngs knew it or used it, though. As with any big advance in communications networks, this one requires people to have new phones, few of which are available. But for months, wireless providers have scrambled to appear to be leaders in 5G, sometimes with sped-up offerings that technically were still 4G.”
- Trump vows speedy path to 5G, but offers few new ideas [Wired] “The fear shared by politicians across the political spectrum is that if the US falls behind China in 5G, Chinese companies will overtake US leadership in the global technology industry. Europe fell behind the US in deployment of 3G and 4G networks, which may have helped US companies like Apple and Google become the dominant players in the mobile revolution, ahead of European companies like Nokia, once the biggest handset maker in the world.”
- These British cows got access to 5G before most people [Engadget] “In southwest England, 50 dairy cattle are now wearing high-speed smart collars that control robotic milking systems. It’s both a way to test 5G’s potential in agriculture and to publicize one of Cisco Systems Inc.’s rural network trials.”
From the Ohio Web Library:
- Verizon and AT&T Jumped the Gun on 5G ( Segan, S. (2019). Verizon and AT&T Jumped the Gun on 5G. PC Magazine, 19–21. )
- 5G Is Just around the Corner ( Pogue, D. (2018). 5G Is Just around the Corner. Scientific American, 319(4), 25. )
- Could 5G Be the Missing Puzzle Piece for Self-Driving Cars? ( GONZALEZ, C. M. (2019). Could 5G Be the Missing Puzzle Piece for Self-Driving Cars? Machine Design, 91(2), 26–34. )
