Do you understand the advantages of the 5G era?
How fast is 5G really?
The most intuitive advantage of 5G networks is their astonishing speed. Data shows that 5G is on average 10 times faster than 4G. What does this mean in actual experience? For example, downloading a 10G high-definition video takes about 15 minutes on a 4G network, but in a 5G network environment, it only takes 9 seconds, with a speed increase of up to a hundred times. Even for daily downloading of mobile applications and updating software, 5G can significantly reduce waiting times. Things that used to take a few minutes to complete can now be done in an instant. When watching high-definition movies and live sports events online, 4G networks may occasionally experience lag and buffering, but 5G can easily handle it. The picture is always smooth and clear, truly achieving instant playback, allowing you not to miss any exciting moments.
The transformation brought about by low latency
Another significant advantage of 5G is its ultra-low latency. Compared with 4G, the end-to-end network latency of 5G is significantly reduced, ideally only 1 millisecond, with a typical end-to-end network latency of 5 to 10 milliseconds. The ideal end-to-end network latency of 4G network is around 10 milliseconds, and the typical end-to-end network latency of LTE is as high as 50 to 100 milliseconds. Such low latency allows 5G to shine in multiple fields.
In the field of VR gaming, latency directly determines the player's experience. In the past, when playing VR games on 4G networks, delays could easily lead to unsynchronized graphics and operations, causing players to feel dizzy and disoriented, and greatly reducing immersion. The ultra-low latency of 5G enables VR games to truly achieve real-time interaction, where player actions can be instantly reflected in the screen, making battles more realistic and competitive. It can even incorporate real physical contact and confrontation, providing game developers with greater design space and players with more diverse and authentic online interactive experiences.
For autonomous driving, low latency is crucial for life safety. Under the 4G network, a car traveling at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour needs a maximum distance of at least 1.4 meters from detecting obstacles to braking and stopping. If the network delay leads to delayed instruction transmission, it is likely to cause traffic accidents. The 1 millisecond delay of 5G network can increase the braking safety distance to 14 centimeters, greatly improving driving safety. Moreover, 5G can meet the latency requirements of all levels of autonomous driving, providing a technological prerequisite for the development of intelligent networking.
Remote healthcare is also an important beneficiary area of 5G's low latency characteristics. In remote surgery, every instruction from the doctor needs to be transmitted to the surgical end in real time, and even a slight delay may cause operational deviations and lead to medical accidents. Under the 5G network, doctors can control surgical instruments in real-time and accurately, as if they were in person, providing a solid guarantee for the smooth progress of remote medical surgeries. For example, Fudan University Affiliated Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital uses 5G real-time remote transmission to quickly transmit patient information collected by community doctors to the main diagnosis and treatment information platform. Dizziness specialists use this information for image analysis, diagnosis, timely development of reset plans, and interaction with community doctors to guide the completion of otolith reset, greatly improving treatment efficiency.
In a smart factory, a large amount of real-time data exchange is required between the equipment and the control system. Once an abnormality is detected, the control system must respond immediately. The low latency communication of 5G ensures real-time transmission of these data, ensuring stable and reliable production processes. Like in the Wuhan Midea HVAC Industrial Park, with the help of China Telecom's 5G network, AGV robots can instantly perceive operational behavior, respond sensitively and cooperate, achieve automatic charging, automatic handling and transportation, greatly reducing the incidence of safety accidents caused by manual driving and making the entire production operation more efficient.
Massive IoT connectivity
In the 5G era, the Internet of Things has experienced explosive growth, thanks to the massive connectivity of 5G networks. Compared with 4G, the connectivity capability of 5G has made a qualitative leap. Under the 4G network, a communication community can usually connect up to 1200 users, while the theoretical number of IoT terminals that a single 5G communication node can connect to is as high as millions, which has increased hundreds of times and truly opened the door to the Internet of Things.
The smart home field is the direct beneficiary of massive 5G connectivity. Smart door locks, cameras, air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, and other devices in the home can all be connected to 5G networks and interconnected with each other. Imagine that on your way home from work, you can use your phone to turn on the air conditioning in advance, and as soon as you enter the house, you can enjoy the pleasant temperature; Smart speakers play music according to your preferences, automatically adjust lighting to comfortable brightness, and kitchen appliances prepare dinner according to preset programs. All of this relies on the powerful connectivity of 5G, which connects various home devices into a smart whole, making home life more convenient, comfortable, and technologically advanced.
In terms of intelligent logistics, the massive connectivity advantage of 5G cannot be underestimated. Within the logistics park, thousands of sensors, intelligent forklifts, AGV vehicles, and other logistics equipment operate simultaneously, collecting real-time information on the location of goods, vehicle status, warehouse temperature and humidity, and quickly uploading it to the logistics management system through 5G networks. This enables logistics companies to accurately control the entire process of goods transportation, optimize transportation routes, improve warehouse utilization efficiency, and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement. For example, the "5G Express Distribution Center" jointly built by Cainiao, China Unicom, and YTO Express relies on the massive connectivity characteristics of 5G to greatly improve the efficiency and stability of automatic parcel sorting, allowing express parcels to be delivered to consumers faster.
The construction of smart cities cannot do without the massive connectivity support of 5G. The infrastructure such as streetlights, manhole covers, trash cans, and parking meters in cities have been transformed into intelligent IoT terminals by embedding 5G communication modules. They provide real-time data feedback to assist city managers in achieving intelligent lighting regulation, abnormal warning of manhole covers, automatic garbage collection and dispatch, intelligent parking management, and other functions, making city operations more efficient, green, and intelligent, and creating a better living environment for citizens.
5G positioning is more accurate
In terms of positioning accuracy, 5G has achieved a qualitative leap compared to 4G. The mobile positioning of 4G is usually in the range of hundreds of meters, while satellite dynamic positioning is around ten meters, while the accuracy of 5G can reach 3-10 meters, and even sub meter level positioning can be achieved in some specific scenarios. For example, in urban canyon areas with high-rise buildings, or in complex indoor environments such as large shopping malls and underground parking lots, 5G positioning technology can still accurately determine the location of terminal devices.
The high precision of 5G positioning is due to the advanced technology it adopts. It uses high-frequency or millimeter wave communication, and the high-frequency wave penetration loss characteristics make the signal minimally affected by multipath attenuation interference. Electromagnetic waves propagate almost in a straight line, making it easy to accurately calculate distance. At the same time, millimeter waves in the 5G spectrum have a large bandwidth. The larger the transmission bandwidth, the shorter the signal sampling interval, the higher the original resolution, and the higher the accuracy of measuring the minimum distance. In addition, the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology supported by 5G sets up large-scale multi antenna arrays at base stations, using multiple transmitting and receiving antenna combinations to improve spectral efficiency, increase more signal angle information, significantly improve positioning resolution, and make geographic location discrimination more accurate. Moreover, due to the small coverage area and susceptibility to building obstruction of 5G, operators need to deploy small 5G base stations on a large scale. High density base stations mean there are numerous resource nodes available for reference, which can provide high-density location information and further ensure the accuracy of positioning.
The advantages of 5G positioning are also reflected in its wide range of application scenarios. In emergency rescue scenarios, 5G positioning can play a crucial role. Once disasters such as earthquakes and fires occur, trapped individuals can use 5G enabled devices to send distress signals, and rescue personnel can quickly locate their location with 5G high-precision positioning, accurate to several meters or even sub meters, greatly reducing rescue time and improving the success rate of rescue. For the industrial sector, especially smart factories, 5G high-precision positioning is indispensable. The AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), robots and other equipment in the factory require precise location information to achieve automated production processes. 5G positioning enables them to accurately navigate and collaborate in complex factory environments, controlling positioning accuracy at the centimeter level, avoiding accidents such as collisions, and improving production efficiency and quality. In terms of intelligent warehousing, through 5G positioning, real-time tracking of the location of goods can be achieved, optimizing warehouse storage and cargo handling paths, realizing intelligent warehousing management, and reducing labor and time costs.
Empowering new developments in the industry
5G has three major application scenarios, namely enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive IoT communication (mMTC), and low latency high reliability communication (uRLLC), which enables it to empower various industries widely and deeply, bringing unprecedented changes and development.
In the medical field, the high-speed and low latency characteristics of 5G have brought remote healthcare from a dream to a reality. In the past, patients in remote areas had difficulty accessing high-quality medical resources in big cities, and often had to travel long distances to be referred for difficult illnesses. Nowadays, with the help of 5G networks, remote consultations have become the norm. Experts can view patients' medical records and imaging data in real-time through high-definition videos, communicate face-to-face with local doctors, and provide accurate diagnostic recommendations no matter where they are. Even more shocking is the realization of remote surgery supported by 5G. For example, in some complex heart and orthopedic surgeries, the lead surgeon can control the surgical robot in a remote location, transmit instructions in real-time through 5G networks, and the robotic arm accurately reproduces every movement of the doctor with almost zero latency, greatly expanding the boundaries of medical treatment and allowing patients to enjoy the surgical services of top medical experts locally, safeguarding their lives and health.
In terms of industrial production, 5G has sparked a wave of intelligence. In traditional factories, the layout adjustment of production lines often requires a lot of time and manpower to rewire, and the data transmission between equipment is constrained by cables, resulting in poor flexibility. The arrival of 5G has changed this situation, making wireless connectivity of factory equipment mainstream. Massive sensors and controllers transmit real-time data through 5G networks to achieve precise monitoring of the entire production process. For example, in automobile manufacturing factories, intelligent devices such as robotic arms and AGV cars connected through 5G networks can quickly and flexibly adjust workflows according to production tasks, automatically collaborate to complete complex assembly tasks, and greatly improve production efficiency. At the same time, 5G is deeply integrated with the industrial Internet, realizing remote equipment operation and maintenance. Engineers can use 5G real-time data to diagnose faults and upgrade software for equipment thousands of miles away without physically visiting the site, effectively reducing operation and maintenance costs and ensuring the stable operation of production lines.
The education industry is also greatly benefited by 5G. Online education is no longer limited to simple video course playback, and the interactive teaching mode supported by 5G is flourishing. The high-definition and smooth live classroom allows teachers and students to feel like they are in the same classroom, with real-time interaction and communication. Students' questions can be answered in real time, and the sense of classroom participation is stronger. Virtual laboratories are a major highlight. With the low latency and high bandwidth of 5G, students can remotely control experimental equipment, simulate various complex experimental scenarios, observe experimental phenomena, and acquire practical knowledge. Even schools in remote areas can provide students with rich and high-quality experimental teaching resources, promote educational equity, and drive innovative changes in educational models.
