What is it? 5G is the next evolution - fifth generation - in mobile networks, it will be much faster than previous ‘G’s, and half the hassle of NBN.
5G is the next evolution – fifth generation – in mobile networks, it will be much faster than previous ‘G’s, and half the hassle of NBN.
It will be very fast. Telstra’s recent Gold Coast 5G trial brought in results of 3000 Mbps – that’s 300 times faster than the best available NBN today. So if you’re suffering from slow or unreliable internet speeds, you’re the perfect candidate for 5G.
We expect take up of 5G data amongst SMBs to increase considerably – imagine relegating NBN to backup status? Some techies are already calling 5G “Fibre to the phone” because of the anticipated speeds. Just think of the simplicity of unboxing a SIM card and modem compared to the upheaval of an NBN installation and wiring at your premises.
When can I use 5G?
The rollout is currently underway for most of the country, however some urban areas can already 5G on compatible smartphones. But do take note that 5G networks require a different spectrum than 4G and different wavelengths, which means that 5G signals typically travel much less distance than their 4G counterparts. That means carriers either need more towers or need to get very strategic about where they roll out 5G over time.
How much will it cost?
Telstra is treating 5G as a compliment to the NBN and in the first instance will make it freely available to upper tier 4G customers (5G enabled smartphones will soon be upon us) whereas Optus is planning to market 5G as an unlimited home service with speeds of around 100Mbps for $79 which is less than the equivalent NBN service – and without all the associated trauma of NBNCo visiting your premises to wire up an new endpoint. Believe it or not, the arrival of 5G will also put downward pressure on 4G pricing as the infrastructure, once installed, will reduce the costs of data traffic.
Will these leave my 4G devices redundant?
No, 4G will continue quite happily alongside 5G, unless you are in the video streaming or self-driving car business you’ll be fine with 4G. But we’ve learned the hard way through Cloud computing and ADSL that year on year, we need faster speeds as business applications suck up more and more upload.
“5G is currently a ‘watch this space’ offering for a lot of Australian businesses, but as it rolls out over the rest of this year, we expect to see it increase in popularity. As experts in business phone and internet services, if you want advice or more information, our chatty team can give you all the info you need – now or whenever you’re ready to improve your internet capabilities.”
