We all remember the arrival of 4G in France in 2012, which revolutionized the way we browse the internet and consume content. But today, with 5G increasingly present in our lives, we can really ask ourselves the following question: what really differentiates these two technologies? We often hear that 5G is faster, more powerful, more "everything"... But beyond the marketing promises, what makes 5G truly unique compared to 4G?
Let's tell you right away that 5G brings much more than speed, and in this article, we'll show you why it's redefining our daily habits.
5G network architecture provides better coverage for more devices
To understand how 5G networks surpass 4G networks, there are a few technical aspects to address. But rest assured, we'll keep it simple. Let's start with the bandwidth.
Bandwidth is the ability of a network to transmit data. The higher the bandwidth, the more devices the network can handle simultaneously. When one device uses a lot of data, it affects other connected devices, slowing down the entire network.
Today, more and more devices are connecting to the same network in our modern homes: computers, phones, smart TVs, lights, and even some household appliances (long live theiOT). Result? The network is shared by many devices. 4G networks, unfortunately, do not have the same capacity as 5G networks to handle so many connections. This is because, unlike 4G, 5G is designed to transmit information on multiple bands, each with its own advantages.
These bands are called low band, mid band and high band. High frequencies, or mmWave (millimeter wave in English), can transmit a lot of data even in dense areas, allowing more devices to be connected without affecting upload and download speeds. However, high frequencies are blocked by physical obstacles such as walls. To overcome this problem, 5G also uses mid-range frequencies, which are slightly slower but pass through obstacles better. Finally, low frequencies allow 5G to cover very long distances.
By combining these three bands, each with its strengths, 5G offers a better coverage, for more devices and in more situations than 4G. It is able to provide effective coverage in densely populated urban areas, while also reaching more remote rural areas. The result is more robust and reliable coverage in almost all situations.
5G is faster and has lower latency
Besides bandwidth, there are two other important aspects to mention: the speed and the latency. Bandwidth is the theoretical maximum speed at which the network can download data, but speed is how fast it actually is. Think of it like a car speedometer: the theoretical maximum speed would be the bandwidth, but the speed you actually achieve on the road is the network speed.
Latency, on the other hand, is the time it takes for the network to upload and download data. The good news is that 5G offers better performance in all these areas compared to 4G, which is a real plus for the online experience. For example, 4G LTE speeds top out at around 100 Mbps. 5G, on the other hand, can potentially be ten times faster, although several factors influence this speed.
It means that All your activities on a 5G network are faster than on a 4G network: watching a movie in streaming, loading a web page, downloading a video game… Everything becomes smoother and faster. Even if 5G does not always reach its maximum speed, it remains significantly superior in terms of speed and latency compared to 4G.
5G is more energy efficient than 4G
This may come as a surprise, but if you care about your environmental impact, 5G is also more environmentally friendly. While we as consumers don’t really choose the networks we use, the transition to 5G does improve overall energy efficiency.
With the energy it takes to download three hundred movies on a 4G network, a 5G network can download five thousand. In other words, 5G is twelve times more energy efficient. While this may not seem so impressive on an individual scale, on a larger scale this increased efficiency could have a significant impact in the future.
Think about all the things people already do on social media: streaming movies and songs, playing video games, spending minutes on the internet sending and downloading data... Hundreds of millions of people are using social media all the time, which consumes a huge amount of energy.
Even if this effect is not visible on a daily basis, the energy difference between 5G and 4G is a real plus for the environment.
5G vs 4G: 5G opens up possibilities that 4G couldn’t support
For the average consumer, the main appeal of 5G is its speed and consistency. But its impact could become even more evident in the years to come. The advanced capabilities of 5G networks could even open the door to fascinating applications.
For example, in the future, our homes and cities could become even more connected. Instead of individual smart devices, 5G could make possible fully connected homes, much like those seen in science fiction movies. In fact, some cities are already using 5G to manage traffic monitoring systems, air and water quality control, and other urban management functions.
One day, in the not-too-distant future, we might live in a world that’s even more interconnected than 4G ever allowed. For now, the main advantage of 5G is that your phone can simply do everything faster than it could on a 4G network.
So, even if the 5G is technically complex, what you need to remember is that it is much more efficient than 4G in terms of speed, reliability and capabilities. It undeniably represents the future of communication networks.
not convinced at all!