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5G In Wireless Connectivity The Main Focus At MWC 2018

Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018 is underway in Barcelona, with major announcements emerging from the likes of Samsung, Huawei, and more: 5G is the latest generation in wireless connectivity.

Throughout the MWC’s short span thus far, there have been numerous announcements and claims made about 5G. Samsung unveiled “the world’s first 5G FAW [fixed wireless access] commercial solutions” for smart homes, cities, and transportation.

Rajeev Suri, Nokia’s CEO, announced partnerships with carriers like Vodafone to deploy 5G in certain regions.

Intel previewed 5G commercial deployments for the 2020 Olympic Games.

Ericsson pointed to potential new 5G-powered revenue streams.

And to cap it off, GSMA — the organization behind MWC — noted in its annual Mobile Economy Report that by 2025, 5G networks will account for 14% of global connections (for context, 4G accounted for 23% in 2017).

So what, in the name of all things mobile, is all the 5G fuss about? And why should it matter to us?

What Is 5G?

5G is the soon-to-be latest generation of wireless technology. The “G” stands for generation, in that this is the fifth generation of this type of connectivity. The goal of 5G is to support the rising number of mobile internet users, by providing better speed, handling more data, greater responsiveness, and connectivity to smart devices.

It simply stands for fifth generation and refers to the next and newest mobile wireless standard based on the IEEE 802.11ac standard of broadband technology.

According to the Next Generation Mobile Network’s 5G white paper, 5G connections must be based on ‘user experience, system performance, enhanced services, business models and management & operations’.

And according to the Groupe Speciale Mobile Association (GSMA) to qualify for a 5G a connection should meet most of these eight criteria:

One to 10Gbps connections to end points in the field
One millisecond end-to-end round trip delay
1000x bandwidth per unit area
10 to 100x number of connected devices
(Perception of) 99.999 percent availability
(Perception of) 100 percent coverage
90 percent reduction in network energy usage
Up to ten-year battery life for low power, machine-type devices

Previous generations like 3G were a breakthrough in communications. 3G receives a signal from the nearest phone tower and is used for phone calls, messaging and data.

4G works the same as 3G but with a faster internet connection and a lower latency (the time between cause and effect).

How 5G Will Affect SEO

As with most evolving technologies, one major reason for progressive generations of wireless connectivity is to meet growing demand and users.

According to Pew Research Center, more than one of every 10 U.S. adults use the internet via mobile only — that is, they own a smartphone, but don’t have or use a home high-speed internet connection.

That growing demand is two-fold. First, there are more users for networks and providers to support, since more data is being exchanged, downloaded, and consumed. Then, there’s the competitive aspect: As more users turn to mobile, it’s an opportunity for brands to say, “But wait — here’s what else you can do, right from your palm.”

That’s how we’ve evolved into multiple generations of connectivity. People don’t just demand mobile online access anymore. They don’t just want to check their email. They want to be able to do those things, browse, use apps, message their friends, watch a movie, make dinner reservations, and more. And, they want to be able to do those things quickly.

At the foundation of all of those mobile capabilities is the ability to seek and discover information or content. That means it also changes the way that we search for it.

 

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