5G is a wireless communications technology that is a big step up in connectivity from 4G. It can use any band of spectrum but thrives in the extremely high frequency (EHF) range of 30 to 300 GHz making it very efficient for carrying much more data, compared with today’s mobile phones that are in much lower bands.

But these signals can only travel short distances. The wavelengths in this band range from 1 mm to 10 mm which can’t reach very far and are easily degraded. In comparison, very low frequency 30 hertz signals can travel more than 10,000 km and can better penetrate solid objects like walls and buildings.

Also, 5G requires a much denser network with many more nodes which is partly how the capacity increases, which means either more towers or more cells in more places. Because it requires density, 5G mainly is feasible for more populated areas where many antennas can be placed close together. As the next generation in wireless technology, 5G promises to boost data speeds by up to 100 times, making them competitive with the fastest wired broadband networks.

So, telecom companies will have to invest billions to make 5G a reality — not only to buy more spectrum, but also to build out the infrastructure and while as yet it’s uncertain how much revenue 5G will bring, it could form the basis for innovations to supercharge the internet of things such as smart connected vehicles and mobile broadband applications – among others that are yet to be developed.

5G will be a massive factor in the future of augmented reality (AR), with a big impact on tourism, mapping, medicine, education, business and gaming and entertainment.

But, a totally streamlined and integrated 5G future still is a while away. A lot of things need to develop, evolve and be implemented first. The promise of 5G being so fast are partly because the standards for 5G were set for extremely wide blocks of spectrum. But you can’t get the extremely wide blocks of spectrum anywhere except at incredibly high frequencies which comes with technical problems of its own.

However, enthusiasm for 5G is high. The prospect of 5G as a lower priced and better viable alternative to the current wired broadband service currently provided is exciting. It just remains to be seen how it lives up to the hype.