Just recently, on October 13th, iPhone 12 was released. It featured a new design, including the return of flat edges that was last seen back in the iPhone 5S. The regular iPhone 12 (not the pro model) also received crucial updates regarding its screen, with a new OLED screen that features more accurate colors and a higher resolution compared to the LCD screen in iPhone 11. However, the most prominent feature, which was highlighted throughout the whole announcement video, was 5G connectivity. 5G, in definition, is the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks, succeeding 4G. In Apple’s website, it claims that 5G on iPhone allows you to ‘download movies on the fly, stream higher-quality video, or FaceTime in HD over a mobile network,’ all with less lag. We get that 5G is faster, a lot faster, but what exactly is this technology?

There are three main types of 5G. One is low-band 5G, which, put in simple terms, is the most widespread, yet the slowest form of 5G. It is called low-band because it operates below 1 GHz in the electromagnetic spectrum. Low-band 5G features a download speed of 250Mbps. While it is faster than the 100Mbp/s download speed of 4G, it is not impressive enough for a technology widely claimed to be “groundbreaking.”

Then there is mid-band 5G, which operates between 1~6GHz and can reach download speeds up to 1Gbps. Enthusiasts deem this type of 5G as the sweet spot, featuring a broad geographic reach, but still a fast speed miles ahead of low-band 5G and 4G. This is also the type of 5G network currently provided by major South Korean carriers.

Lastly, there is a high-band 5G or mmWave (millimeter-wave) 5G. This type of 5G takes place very high in the electromagnetic spectrum and features a download speed of whopping 10Gbps. However, unfortunately, it is also the trickiest type of 5G to popularize. Millimetre-wave signals travel fewer distances compared to the other two, are easily interrupted by objects like trees, people, and even rain. To make the technology widespread, huge numbers of small access points need to be implemented, instead of relying on a few large cell towers. As of now, only limited spots in a few certain cities provide mmWave 5G.

Overall, through these immense speeds, 5G will prove crucial in new emerging technology, such as autonomous vehicles and virtual monitoring of production lines. While there is a rocky road ahead of mmWave technology, it won’t take too long for the other forms of 5G to become universalized.

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