4G & 5G

Layson, Mark James B. Research and Discussion

5G vs. 4G: How will the newest network
improve on the last?
By Mark Jansen and Paula Beaton June 4, 2021

The fifth generation of mobile
networking is here and getting more
prominent by the day — despite the
ongoing pandemic and the recent
unsubstantiated rumors about the
dangers of 5G. With the rise in remote
working in 2020 and into 2021, the
rollout of 5G network coverage may
come faster than we’d anticipated as
more activities move online. Already, all
three of the major service providers
have rolled out their nationwide
.
networks and are set to expand and
improve their 5G rollout over the next
few years.
5G could eventually change the way we
use technology. But is it really worth
upgrading to a 5G phone? It’s time to
find out what you need to know about
5G technology and see if it’s really
everything it’s cracked up to be

5G vs. 4G: Speed

We’ve looked at how fast 5G is before, but there isn’t a specific network speed we can
expect. Instead, think of 5G as offering a speed range, and the actual speeds you get
will depend on what wireless network you’re connecting to, how busy it is, what device
you’re using, and a few other factors. This table gives you a rough idea of the maximum
speeds of each generation of cellular network technology and the average speeds in the
real world:

3G
Generation 2G 3G 4G 4G LTE-A 5G
HSPA+
300Mbps-
Max speed 0.3Mbps 7.2Mbps 42Mbps 150Mbps 1-10Gbps
1Gbps
Average 15Mbps- 50Mbps and
0.1Mbps 1.5Mbps 5Mbps 10Mbps
speed 50Mbps up

Perhaps the average speed row above is more important than the max speed column
— considering the fact that the peak speed here is theoretical, and you’ll probably never
really hit those download speeds.

Layson, Mark James B. Research and Discussion

The topic is also complicated by the variety of different technologies that are used in
each generation, geographical differences in coverage, and by the fact that the mobile
technology continues to evolve and improve over time. For example, 4G has improved
significantly over its lifetime with the development of LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and
then LTE-A (Long-Term Evolution Advanced). You can theoretically get up to 1Gbps
with the latest 4G LTE-A developments, which is in the range of what 5G delivers. The
average speeds you get in the real world will inevitably be much lower.

To put that speed into some kind of context, 1Gbps (gigabits per second) is 1,000Mbps
(megabits per second). Confusingly, megabits are different from megabytes — there are
8 megabits (Mb) in a megabyte (MB). So, 1Gbps translates to 125MB per second. An
MP3 file might be 5MB, while a TV episode might be 350MB, and a Blu-ray movie will
be 15GB (15,000MB) or more. If you actually have a 1Gbps connection, you could
potentially download a Full HD Blu-ray quality movie in two minutes.

If you actually have a 1Gbps connection, you could potentially download a Full HD Blu-
ray quality movie in two minutes.

While 4G technology is still improving, what you get is, realistically, somewhere
between 10Mbps and 50Mbps. If we look at Netflix recommendations for streaming
speeds, it recommends 25Mbps for Ultra HD quality. You only need 5Mbps for HD. The
aim with 5G is to hit 50Mbps as an average minimum — however, right now the
minimum is quite a bit lower, and the average sits around 57Mbps, according to
Speedcheck. It’s always nice to have faster speeds, but that’s not really the big
attraction with 5G because 4G speeds are already pretty good. What 4G is not that
great with is latency.

5G vs. 4G: Latency

Latency is the time it takes for data from
your device to be uploaded and reach
its target. It measures the time it takes
for data to go from source to destination
in milliseconds (ms). It’s very important
for applications like gaming, where
response time can have an impact on
the outcome. It could also prove vital for
self-driving cars if data is being
transmitted to the cloud, and quick
decisions can trigger a reaction to brake
or avoid an obstacle in real time.
With existing 4G networks, you’re
looking at an average latency of around
50ms. That could drop to 1ms with 5G
technology. Just to give that some
context, it takes at least 10ms for an
image seen by the human eye to be
processed by the brain. Low latency is
vital for real-time reactions in machines
or cars, and lower latency could also
make cloud gaming possible. Gamers
could play via their phones on remote
hardware, as services like Google’s
Stadia and Blade’s Shadow are
suggesting. A 1ms latency is what you
can aspire to, as it’s possible in near-
perfect scenarios. The average latency
you can expect on 5G will likely be
around 10ms.
Reduced latency could prove to be the
real driver for 5G deployment and
adoption, but there are many challenges
ahead.

Layson, Mark James B. Research and Discussion

5G vs. 4G: Coverage

Verizon 5G node. Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

It has taken years for 4G networks to spread across the world, and there are still plenty
of rural areas relying on 3G networks. Even where there is 4G coverage, the speeds
vary quite widely. We expect the full rollout of 5G networks to take a while; however, all
three major carriers have made some pretty big advancements in 5G coverage over the
past few months. All three of the major carriers now offer “nationwide” networks, based
on the Sub-6 spectrum, and are set to build out those networks with other spectrum and
wide coverage over the next year.

For the uninitiated, 5G is built with a full array of different radio frequencies. Sub-6
refers to frequencies under 6GHz, and these waves can generally travel long distances
but can’t support ultra-high download speeds. On the other end of the 5G spectrum is
mmWave, which offers a huge advantage in terms of download speed but can’t travel
far or penetrate obstacles.

Initially, Verizon employed mmWave for its 5G network, and as such you could only
really connect to Verizon 5G in some areas of some cities. Thankfully, the company
now uses Sub-6 for its nationwide mobile network, which is something T-Mobile did
from the beginning.

Layson, Mark James B. Research and Discussion

Other differences between 5G and 4G

Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

For us to take advantage of 5G connectivity, we don’t just need carriers to put network
equipment in place. We also need to buy a 5G device, like the Motorola Edge Plus
(exclusive to Verizon). If you’ve picked up one of the latest 5G handsets, you may be
able to enjoy 5G speeds, depending on where you live. But if your mobile phone is
older, you’ll need to consider upgrading if you want these faster speeds. The first batch
of 5G smartphones is here, and there are already some great choices available, like the
Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G or the OnePlus 8 Pro. It’s also worth noting that 5G
is likely to be much more demanding in terms of power, and so battery life, which is
already an issue for many, could be about to get worse.

5G doesn’t mean 4G is done

Many of us still rely on 3G when a 4G network isn’t available, and that’s exactly what
will happen with 5G. The idea that 5G is a direct replacement for 4G is erroneous. In
fact, it’s a complementary technology. With the two working in tandem, you should be
able to get good — or at least decent — speeds on your mobile device wherever you
are.

It’s also important to remember that carriers continue to upgrade 4G networks, and that
both download speeds and latency can be improved further. Even though carriers are
spending more time and resources on 5G wireless technology, 4G networks will likely
continue to improve, resulting in faster speed across the board.

Layson, Mark James B. Research and Discussion

Discussion

The launch of Release 15 of 3GPP Standard marks the arrival of the 5 th

Generation of mobile communications. 5G is the new mobile technology that enables
devices to run speeds for up and downlink to souring speeds. This technology makes
Iot concepts to reality with its faster connectivity. It enabled long distance surgery using
a robotic surgeon possible. Its also part of the very popular trend for autonomous cars.
It made home security more secure and learning more convenient.

Its Network Structure is divided into two namely Non-Stand Alone and Stand Alone. The
Non Stand Alone Net Architecture interconnects with the previous network architecture
used for 4G technology. While the second one, the Stand Alone Network Architecture
Operates with its own system built for 5G. 5G is also called NR or New Radio.

While 4G (release 10-14) is also called LTE or Long Term Evolution. It is a

standard broadband communication for mobile devices based on UMTS/HSPA and
GSM/EDGE. It provides a download peak of 300Mb/s faster that previous
technology(3G,2G and 1G). It provided a faster voice call support such as Voice Over
LTE,CSFB,SVLTE and SRVCC. According to the ETSI IPR about 50 companies have
declared essential patents for 4G(As of March 2012).

Layson, Mark James B. Research and Discussion