So besides more speed and a
higher data cap, what does all that extra bandwidth mean for
consumers today? Some applications like faster gaming and downloads
immediately come to mind (a two-hour movie can be downloaded
in
3.6 seconds using 5G, compared to six minutes with 4G LTE).
But a better sense of its benefits comes when we consider 5G
internet in the two main consumer arenas: home and mobile
usage.
1. The Modern Home Will Struggle to Function Without 5G
Internet
In 2020, the average American
home consumed
344 gigabytes
of data each month — 38 times more
than they used ten years earlier. At this rate, Americans are
likely to exceed one terabyte of data per month within the next few
years, which is where most internet service providers (ISPs) cap
their data usage. If nothing changes, the result will be costly
data overage fees and throttling that will grind the lives of many
households to a halt.
Streaming services like Netflix
and Hulu are responsible for some of this drastic rise in
consumption, but as entire homes become more digitally integrated,
data usage will only continue to climb. From appliances and lights
to security and smart systems, the modern home relies on data usage
to perform even its most fundamental tasks. Couple that with the
projected rise of remote working and education, and data dependency
will only heighten.
Enter 5G. With a higher
bandwidth and transmission frequency, 5G unclogs digital highways
so that users are free to access the data they need in a world that
struggles to function without it. The reduced latency time will not
just be a comfort for gamers, but will also make remote
videoconferencing possible for those working from home. It will
also enable the real-time interaction students will need to succeed
in a virtual classroom setting. Along with its faster speed, the
greater capacity associated with larger frequency channels will
make big data analysis accessible to users that once required an
enterprise-level connection to interact with cloud-based computing
that they could only get at the office.
In other words, 5G internet
will supply the average household with the connectivity upgrades
they need to make life possible in our digitally immersive
world.
2. 5G Internet Will Make TV Bundles Obsolete
The advent of all those
streaming services has made cable television all but a thing of the
past. Studies show that by 2022, 55% of Americans will have
"
cut the cord" and
removed their cable subscriptions entirely. From pricing to channel
selection to lack of interest in TV, Americans have many reasons
for canceling their cable services, but all of them point to the
reality that ISPs can no longer incentivize their home internet
with a cable add-on — even if they bundle the two for a
discount.
How does that connect to 5G?
The increasingly popular streaming services that have replaced
cable require a high-quality internet signal to facilitate them —
one that puts a strain on lower-tier 4G internet. Add in a gamer or
two in your household and you will find that some legacy
connections already struggle to support the digital demands placed
on them by viewers today — a trend that will only intensify as
applications become more data-intensive.
With 5G internet, families will
easily be able to support all of their favorite streaming services,
making the TV bundle obsolete.
3. Mobile Bundles Will Stay
In an effort to stay afloat,
many companies offering TV bundles give consumers even deeper
discounts if they also sign on to their mobile plans. These
companies are often able to do so by purchasing services from
mobile providers, but since these mobile providers can now offer
wireless internet plans, they themselves are able to offer deeper
discounts to consumers looking to save.
By leading the charge in 5G
network implementation, mobile providers like AT&T or Verizon
can offer the next generation of home internet services to their
mobile customers — accelerating 5G spread in the
process.
4. Getting 5G Internet to Rural Communities Will Take Some
Time
The Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) estimated that roughly
one-fourth of rural
Americans still lack
internet access that meets government minimum speeds of 25 Mbps
download, and 3 Mbps upload. The digital famine experienced in many
rural and impoverished urban communities has left many hoping for a
widespread connectivity solution, but those looking to 5G to meet
that need may have to look elsewhere for now.
The mmWave frequency that
carries 5G internet can only travel short distances (about 250
feet) and is susceptible to interference from obstacles like trees.
Because of that, 5G internet is better suited to developed urban
areas with high population density, so that it can serve the
maximum amount of people at once. Such places are also better
equipped to implement the small-cell technology needed to make 5G
internet work, and can also rely on fiber optic connections to
support the baseload stationary demands of in-home users while 5G
connects customers on the go.
So, while other solutions are
being found to bring high-speed internet into rural communities, 5G
internet may take some time to reach them.
5. Mobile Is How We'll Connect
Our world increasingly revolves
around our phones, and they may soon become our sole means of
linking to the web. The World Advertising Research Center (WARC)
projects that 72.6% of the world will access the internet
exclusively using their
smartphones by 2025. By
contrast, the same report estimated that 69 million users will go
online only via their PCs — 53 times less than their mobile-only
counterparts.
The short-range, high-speed
transmission delivered by 5G makes it the perfect vehicle for
internet users who connect strictly by using their phones —
especially in urban populations. Fiber optic connections will play
a role in long-distance signal transmission, but in congested areas
where mobile-only users are most prominent, 5G will be thoroughly
implemented and ready to meet all users’ digital
needs.
