What is 5G?

It’s not even another way to connect our phones. It’s just a new standard for doing the same thing 3G and 4G cell networks did.

However it does do those things with some technical differences. Perhaps the most significant overall difference is the major increase in speed and capacity. It may start to become the main way people get Internet access.

There are various other concerns that have come up too, because that new capacity and the new protocols has some possible security risks (e.g. because malicious uses will have access to more bandwidth than before, which could mean more powerful DDOS attacks than ever before, to mention just one concern). Other concerns are about how the new protocol reaches into new frequency ranges, which may cause new interference issues with other technology (avionics and weather radar are two examples). And of course the ongoing concern that dumping more and more radiation around may be unhealthy. Etc.

Some of the hype and use of terms such as “game-changer” are also part of marketing and money-oriented enthusiasm about once again selling everyone a whole new set of “must have” tech that they already have (but not the latest version, etc).

@Zaku malicious uses will have access to more bandwidth than before, which could mean more powerful DDOS attacks than ever before, to mention just one concern

Off-topic, but this is one reason why the idea of a “smart home” that has everything connected and accessible through one single network (controlled through your phone) has always sounded creepy to me. It only takes a hacker or a technical glitch to effectively take control of the very space of your security. I heard on the news that some countries are thinking of trying it, and seems like they want to implement 5G for that gimmick as well. A lot of people think this sounds like a great idea, but not me.

The main issue with current 5G is that there are two flavors of it – one that uses radio spectrum in high frequencies and one that uses lower frequencies. And guess what – the two are not compatible. Verizon uses one set of frequencies and T-mobile the other.

Horrible planning by the cell carriers.

All of this means that 5G on one phonme may not work on another phone.

MY cell phone does have 5G, but in all honesty it isn’t any better than my older phone.

What I know about 5G is the wave is shorter and you need to be closer to the unit that produces or bounces the signal, so out in very rural areas they might never have 5G. Some people are concerned that being closer to the units are a danger, maybe cancer causing for instance, which you might know there is controversies about whether cell phones might cause cancer.

Then also what people said above about it being faster speeds.

@elbanditoroso I thought there has always been a divide between cell carriers in the US not being able to use each other’s frequencies (is that the right word?) while in most European countries the government regulated it so they all have to be on the same so companies could not create a monopoly where their phone only worked with one cell carrier.

@Mimishu1995 Yes. You are correct. And of course, in addition to “hackers” and “technical glitches” there are “apps” and even “standard features” which also give out information and provide access.

@elbanditoroso Yeah my 5G phone so far seems perhaps about as slow as my 4G phone, but that’s probably because I’m in a 4G cell when I’ve measured it, or the 5G cells I’ve seen have been low-end versions. A phone can only have as fast a connection as what it’s connected to, and the 5G network is still being developed.

@JLeslie “each other’s frequencies” -> “each other’s networks”

5G stands for “5th Generation.”

Found an article with five pros and five cons of 5G. https://www.conosco.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-5g-2021/

Mostly, it seems like big business and government conspiring, or working together, however you want to look at it, as getting us to constantly need to upgrade.