The fifth dimension
Superfast mobile streaming could be just around the corner, with the advent of 5G. I take a look at the new generation of technologies that have the potential not only to change the way we use our phones but to revolutionise the entire way we work

Words by John Silcox
Photography by William Bunce

THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED HERE IN FOUR RINGS BUSINESS MAGAZINE

So, what exactly is 5G? 

By definition 5G is short for fifth-generation mobile networks (or fifth-generation wireless systems) and, as such, it is the fifth and newest iteration of the global mobile-networking standard. This collection of rules is what makes up a mobile network’s architecture – the exacting and detailed specification regarding the physical layout, cabling and methods used to access and maintain communications that must be followed by all of the companies involved in delivering this system. A blueprint for mobile engineers, if you will.

The fifth generation is heralded as being the means by which the way we communicate with each other using mobile services will be radically transformed. It will impact on our use of smartphones, which will operate on enhanced broadband and at speeds that some say
will be as much as 100 times faster than 4G. In addition, 5G will have a major influence on mission-critical services such as the automotive world, robotics and health, while also enabling the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) – everyday objects that are interconnected and able to send and receive data. In a nutshell, 5G is expected to bring about a truly connected world.

However, before diving into all that, it might be worth establishing a bit of background knowledge. Kevin Flynn is the marketing and communications officer for global telecommunications standardisation organisation 3GPP, which has been responsible for writing the rulebook on mobile network technology for the past couple of decades. He gives us a quick history lesson:

‘The wheels for 5G were set in motion by its ancestor 1G, which was introduced all the way back in the early 1980s. This network was analogue and voice-only, and 1G phones tended to have a pretty poor battery life and sometimes dropped calls completely. In the 1990s, 2G was launched, spurring the general adoption of mobile phones across the world and transforming them from analogue to digital. Call encryption, and basic data services such as SMS, MMS and picture messaging, were introduced. This was followed in 1998 by 3G, which ushered in a new era of video calling and mobile internet. Then, in 2008, came 4G, supporting functions that demand even higher speeds, such as HD mobile TV, gaming services and video conferencing – and that’s where we are today.’ 

The way wireless technology is transmitted relies on a precise spectrum of radio waves. This is the range of frequencies that are used for communication. The TV we watch, the radio we listen to, the GPS that tells us which way to go, the smartphone we use to make calls – they all use invisible airwaves to transmit data. However, they all use different frequencies. If they didn’t, it would cause interference and nothing would work properly. 

Mobile phones work in the same way: no two operators can transmit signals on the same frequencies. Different frequencies and wavelength emissions have different properties, with some carrying data further, and others being better at passing through obstacles like walls. 

And when will it be available to us? 

In early April 2018, Ofcom, the UK’s telecommunications regulator, ran a number of auctions to divide the space allocated to 5G between the different operators. These were snapped up, with Vodafone coming out tops, securing 50MHz of 5G spectrum for mobile-data services in the 3.4GHz band. This auction officially marked the beginning of the 5G era in the UK, after which mobile-phone companies could start testing out the capabilities of their technologies. 

‘Having already completed the UK’s first test of the 3.4GHz radio frequency across our existing live network between Manchester and Newbury, we wasted no time in testing out our new spectrum,’ explains Vodafone UK enterprise director Anne Sheehan. ‘We’re now preparing our network for 5G while continuing to increase the capacity and extend the reach of our existing 4G network.

‘From 2020, we expect to begin deploying 5G services commercially. The emergence of 5G will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary, meaning that standards will exist alongside one another as they develop over time. But this approach will enable new services to be trialled and tested before they’re rolled out, while also helping to establish innovative uses of 5G,’ she adds.

In addition to trying out the new 5G radio frequency, Vodafone also recently partnered with Ericsson to successfully test a prototype device at King’s College London. This was the first UK-based test to show 5G working independently from existing 4G technologies. And, last year, the company tested new 5G systems to help cars communicate with one another.

However, in practice, Vodafone’s 4G networks are already being upgraded with technology that is bringing customers some of the benefits of 5G. The company has deployed a technology known as Active Antennae or Massive MIMO (multiple-input, multiple-output) – a key building block for 5G – across it’s network. This technology uses multiple antennae to send and receive data more efficiently and boost capacity when many people connect to the network at the same time. So, while building a full 5G network will take time and 5G isn’t expected to roll out globally for a couple of years, Vodafone’s network is already being enhanced to keep ahead of demand and bring customers some of the benefits much sooner.

‘Since the beginning of 2014, we’ve invested around £2 billion in our network and services across the country, and we’re investing an additional £2 billion over the next three years,’ explains Sheehan. ‘I’m proud to say our network is performing at its best-ever level. That means hardly any dropped calls, access to high-speed mobile data and an even better success rate when connecting to the number you’re ringing – the first time you try.’ 

Alongside ongoing network improvements, Vodafone is also planning for the UK’s digital future. At the end of last year, it announced a partnership with CityFibre, the UK’s largest alternative provider of fibre infrastructure, to bring gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband to around one million UK homes and businesses. That means, on a network capable of transmitting a speed of one gigabit (1000 megabits) per second, you could download a 25-gigabyte Blu-ray movie in eight minutes, rather than 2.8 hours, or a five-gigabyte virtual-reality video game in 1.7 minutes instead of 34. And that’s just for starters.

What are the impacts on business? 

Like generations before it, 5G promises even faster speeds but, perhaps most importantly, it will reduce latency. This is the delay before a transfer of data begins following an instruction. Most commonly, we experience it when we encounter a buffering bar on a video or a spinning wheel when we’re waiting for a page to load. Latency reduction is crucial for gaming and virtual- and augmented-reality applications, and critical for remote robotic surgery and self-driving cars, all of which require an instantaneous response. Less latency will also increase bandwidth, which, in turn, will allow the connectivity of myriad devices and emerging technologies all at once, even where demand is high.

This is great news for smartphone users seeking to download movies or play games faster, but the real benefits will shine through in brand-new business and IoT applications. The aforementioned remote surgery, performed in real time by robotic arms, as well as automated factories, augmented-reality car windscreens that alert drivers to potential hazards, and even entire ‘smart cities’ – these could all become commonplace thanks to the power of 5G. 

And what will it mean for the future? 

As a premium car manufacturer, Audi is focused on integrating its vehicles with the Internet of Things and taking mobility to the next level with artificial intelligence (AI). By the beginning of the next decade, using 5G technologies, it envisages cars on our roads that drive themselves. Autonomous driving will be a total game-changer, but AI and ultra-connectivity is crucial for its breakthrough. The combination of these new technologies marks a historic step in the relationship between man and machine. 

Imagining a 5G future is enticing. Picture a world where paramedics are in constant conference via video link with the emergency room to which their patient is headed. Imagine a person suffering from chronic pain who can benefit from a guided-meditation session on a calming tropical beach without leaving their living room. These scenarios may currently seem far-fetched, but 5G has the potential to realise them.

According to Professor Mischa Dohler of King’s College London, it’s something consumers and businesses should both be very excited about. ‘5G has the power to create jobs, kick-start the economy and revolutionise industries, including healthcare, education and the arts,’ he says. ‘Its advent will not only bring faster speeds, but also enhance the whole experience of virtual reality, delivering real-time haptic feedback – that is, the power of touch – across the mobile internet.’

5G’s capabilities have the potential to transform the way transportation, finance, gaming and the arts are run. Unprecedented speeds and fewer delays using ultra-low-latency technology will leave no sector unchanged. Even nightclubs will undergo radical innovation, with DJs and patrons located in different time zones and venues being able to participate in a single real-time party. 

‘With 5G, new concepts such as synchronised reality or the Internet of Skills will completely disrupt these industries,’ explains Dohler. ‘5G is only a small piece in a much larger technology movement.’

With its wide range of possible applications, the new technology promises to deliver substantial benefits to consumers too. Forbes Magazine reports that analysts predict 5G will add $500 billion to the US’s GDP and create three million new jobs into the bargain. Moreover, a recent study by the American Consumer Institute estimated that the deployment of 5G networks in the US would generate $1.2 trillion in additional consumer benefits. The evidence points to it having a similarly incremental impact in the UK.

A decade ago, the US expanded its 4G networks faster and further than any other country, allowing its economy to reap significant economic benefits, including a $100 billion GDP boost and an 84 per cent surge in wireless-related jobs. Today, the US wireless industry supports more than 4.7 million jobs and adds $475 billion to the nation’s economy a year. By contrast, Europe’s inability to adopt 3G technology fast enough led to hundreds of thousands of fewer jobs and damage to its telecoms sector that is still being felt to this day. 

For a long time, 5G has seemed like nothing more than smoke and mirrors. But now it’s here, it’s vitally important that business leaders on this side of the Atlantic learn from the mistakes of our past and embrace its multiple benefits sooner rather than later.