12 September 2019
From 1G to 5G: The Evolution
While there are concerns about how it will be implemented nationally and what the effect of increased radiation may be on our health, 5G is on its way to becoming a reality. We’ll be able to download a movie in 30 seconds with 5G versus 30 minutes with 4G, and our world will be (for better or worse) more interconnected than ever. Yet, for many of us, it wasn’t too long ago when being able to make a long-distance call from anywhere at any time was nearly miraculous. If you’re curious about how we got here, check out the progression from 1G to 5G below.
There's a lot of speculation about what a post-5G world will look like, with predictions ranging from it being all we'll ever need (with incremental updates to maximize speed and efficiency) to a 6G network and beyond that includes automomous networks powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and wearable implants to connect human beings directly to the network. No matter what direction the future takes, wireless engineers will be able to find a way to take us to the next step and beyond.
Interested in working in wireless communication? Electrial engineers and product managers can explore and prepare for the latest wireless technologies in our Wireless Engineering program.