What is 5G and how will it change our lives

5G is on everyone's lips. This new mobile technology will increase connection speed, minimize latency (the response time of the web) and exponentially multiply the number of connected devices. In other words: we will be connected to everything, all day, and in the shortest possible time. But is dangerous?

Total connectivity

5G will improve connectivity and considerably reduce latency time. Thanks to the advent of the 'internet of things', part of the urban furniture of large cities will be permanently connected to each other.

As with many other technological improvements, 5G technology is here, and it will do it to stay, beyond the technology wars between China and the United States. The implementation of the fifth generation mobile network will change the way we communicate , multiply the capacity of the information highways and allow everyday objects, from the fridge to cars, to be able to connect (with us and with each other) in real time. Its deployment represents a real technological revolution that will allow, for example, to carry out remote-assisted surgical interventions, such as the one recently carried out in Barcelona, deploy new fleets of autonomous vehicles and coordinate agricultural work through sensors installed at different points in a field.

But what exactly is 5G?

The name of 5G refers to the fifth generation of mobile networks that we know . Gone was the old 1G network, that of those first mobile phones that only allowed talking. 2G technology introduced SMS, and little by little our 'smartphone' became an increasingly comprehensive communication tool. First, the Internet connection (3G) was incorporated and then broadband (4G) arrived, which brought with it the reproduction of videos in real time (streaming) or augmented reality, something to which we are already very accustomed, but which a few years ago they were completely unviable.

How 5G will change the world

The most significant advance will come from the hand of speed. 5G technology will allow browsing up to 10 GBps (gigabytes per second), 10 times faster than the main fiber optic offerings on the market. At that rate, you can, for example, download a complete movie in a matter of seconds.

In addition, latency (the response time of the network) will also experience a significant advance. According to the operators, this could be reduced to 5 milliseconds, an almost imperceptible period for humans, which will allow us to connect practically in real time. This data is especially important, for example, to minimize the response time of an autonomous vehicle in order to improve the safety of both the occupants and any pedestrian around it.

Thanks to this new technology, we can, for example, exponentially increase the number of connected devices. Vehicles, industrial robots, urban furniture (speed bumps, road, bus stops) or any electronic device that we have at home (from the alarm to the washing machine, the refrigerator or the robot vacuum cleaner) will be able to connect and share information in real time.

Is 5G dangerous?

The WHO classified wireless technology as carcinogenic level 2B , very generic cataloging that, according to the health organization itself, refers to compounds "possibly carcinogenic to humans, that is, when a causal association is considered credible," but chance, bias, or confounding cannot be ruled out with reasonable confidence, "a category that includes substances that are regarded as mildly harmful, such as coffee.

Disadvantages of the 5G

Other disadvantages of the 5G technology include a lack of cell towers and fiber optics. This means that the connectivity in the network will be limited to the cell towers. Also, the fibers optics are very fragile and if they get damaged, it will be impossible for the users to access the internet. In addition, there are no clear plans to increase the number of cell towers after the rollout of the new technology.