In the last few years, 5G has been rolling out to more smartphones across various brands and price points, making it more accessible. If you head to the Vodacom website now, you can find devices equipped with 5G from Vivo, Samsung, Apple, Oppo and Huawei, including routers from Nokia and Huawei.
At the same time, Vodacom has been actively rolling out more 5G towers around South Africa, in case you’re wondering about those new towers in your neighbourhood.
Now that 5G is becoming mainstream, should you switch? Here are some of its benefits.
What is 5G?
Simply put, it is the fifth generation of wireless technology used by cellular data networks like Vodacom. It is engineered to offer increased speeds and responsiveness. Achieving high speeds is also dependent on proximity to the tower, spectrum being used, and the number of users around you who are also using 5G.
It’s faster
The most important thing to know about 5G is that it is ten times faster than what you experience on 4G. 5G lets you stream and download your favourite music or movies on the go without having to wait.
On the technical front, based on spectrum, you will get average speeds of 150-200Mbps, and peak speeds of 1Gbps (4G works on average at 23-35Mbps). Theoretically, with 5G you can download an HD movie in three seconds when compared to more than 15 minutes on 4G.
More capacity
Remember back in the day when we attended concerts at Soccer City but couldn’t upload photos and videos to social media because the stadium was packed due to congestion? 5G has the capability to deliver up to 1 000 times more capacity, no matter how many people are trying to access the network. If you’re going to watch a match or attend a concert, you will be able to easily upload content in a packed arena. This also includes a bunch of IoT connected devices in your smart home easily being able to upload and download content as needed without affecting your usage across family members and their personal devices, home offices and online schooling.
Low latency
Latency is the time it takes for you to get signal from the source and back, and 5G reduces this to a whopping five milliseconds. A low latency means data can be transferred in near real-time. You will experience an almost lag-free experience in the online world, which is something streamers and gamers will get to experience first-hand.
A future with 5G
Apart from having a seamless streaming experience, 5G is set to unlock new capabilities and industries. These include self-driving cars; cloud gaming; augmented- and virtual-reality for educational and recreational uses; the ability to control crops in a farming environment remotely; drone deliveries in rural areas; and a doctor being able to remotely control a robot to perform a surgery from across the world.
The possibilities are endless. Buying a 5G-enabled smartphone is just the beginning.
If this has piqued your interest, be sure to read more about how 5G improves your tech experience and empowers you to connect so much better with others. You can also check if there is 5G coverage in your area here.
