All the cellphone companies are talking about how they have the best 4G network.  So what is next?  5G has been talked about for years but was too far into the future. The Federal Communications Commission, led by Chairman Tom Wheeler is circulating a proposal to make 5G a reality.  It involves higher frequency bandwidths. These high-frequency radio waves are able to deliver faster data speeds than the frequencies used for 4G. If approved the U.S. will be the first country to open higher frequencies for 5G.  Both AT&T and Verizon have said that they will begin testing 5G in 2017.

So when will 5G be available? Probably not for several years.  To construct national and potentially international networks takes years.  Higher frequency means faster speeds but also means decreased distance.  Furthermore, cellular carriers will also need to adapt their technologies and likely require overlapping networks.  Probably we also need to look at safety issues.

 

From the article in Digital Trends.  So just how fast will 5G be over 4G? According to the FCC, 5G frequencies could offer data speeds of up to a whopping gigabit per second, a speed that could boost the Internet of Things and create a more connected world. Wheeler expects the research into 5G spectrums to be finished by July 14, 2016 .Of course, 5G has some serious limitations that carriers will need to circumvent — for example, the higher frequencies mean that the radio waves can’t travel as far, or as well through walls. Still, that just means that companies like Verizon will need to implement different technologies in order to get 5G to customers.It’s likely to be a few years before we have 5G on our phones, but at least development of the new standard is underway. Gigabit-per-second YouTube videos, here we come

Source: The FCC Wants To Start Making 5G Possible This Week | Digital Trends