Competition is fierce on the 5G global stage. International 5G activity is growing at a fever pitch, as vendors and service providers in technology-focused countries work on early 5G network trials and test 5G with friendly users.
The following are the four countries most likely to have the earliest and biggest 5G debuts. Although 2019 to 2020 is a likely timeframe for the first commercial 5G network, some countries are looking to jump off the starting block early as early as 2018.
5G is the next generation of mobile connectivity. Though it won’t replace 4G in its entirety, it works fast, and many industries will benefit from the new network, including self-driving cars, drones and the internet of things. Samsung, the most popular maker of 5G phones, currently has four under its belt: the Galaxy S10 5G, the Note 10 Plus 5G, the 5G variant of the Galaxy Fold and the Galaxy A90 5G. It’s upcoming family of flagship phones, expected to be called the Galaxy S20, will launch next week at Samsung Unpacked and the company is anticipated to add even more 5G devices.
LAS VEGAS — Like many consumers, Kathryn Schipper, an attorney in Seattle, doesn’t have a landline. She relies on her smartphone for calls and videoconferencing, but reception is spotty.
So she is excited about the arrival of 5G, the fifth-generation wireless network that has been the subject of breathless speculation over the last few years. The new cellular standard, carriers have said, will reduce network congestion and pump out data so fast that smartphone users could download all the “Avengers” movies in a few minutes. It might even eventually help cars drive themselves.
“5G seems like orders-of-magnitude improvement,” Ms. Schipper said. “I’ve also heard it’s much more reliable, so that matters to me.”
Yet the shift to 5G feels like a tech revolution happening in slow motion. In 2019, AT&T and Verizon, the two largest American carriers, lit up their 5G networks in a small number of cities. Handset makers released only a handful of phones compatible with the new standard. The overwhelming majority of us saw no meaningful improvement to our cellular networks.
5G networks are the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices than ever before.
Combining cutting-edge network technology and the latest high-specced devices, 5G should offer connections that are multitudes faster than current hookups, with average download speeds of around 1GBps expected to soon be the norm.
The networks are expected to supercharge Internet of Things technology, providing the infrastructure needed to carry huge amounts of data that allows for a smarter and more connected world.
5G networks have launched around the world with providers offering the connectivity tech across the US, UK and Australia as well as a variety of other countries around the world.