If you think your current 4G speeds are the epitome of fast internet speeds, think again. Companies are now testing the next-generation network internet speeds — using 5G technology. At the Mobile World Congress, Qualcomm’s showing off 5G simulation tests, and if the real world holds up anything close to the company’s simulations, then the future of mobile internet is going to be extremely fast.
Just like any wireless technology, the simulations factor in conditions like geography, different user demands on the network, a wide spectrum of devices with various levels of LTE and 5G connectivity for different speeds in order to accurately give an idea of what to expect when these networks launch. Additionally, the simulations are intended only to show the kind of 5G NR (New Radio) networks that could feasibly exist next year — the non-standalone networks built in tandem with existing 4G LTE technology, not the truly standalone 5G networks that will come later on.
Mind blowing 5G Speeds
The simulation was based on a basic network, based on 100 MHz of 3.5GHz spectrum with an underlying gigabit-LTE network on 5 LTE spectrum bands, but the results are still mind blowing. Browsing jumped from 56 Mbps for the median 4G user to more than 490 Mbps for the median 5G user, with roughly seven times faster response rates for browsing. Download speeds also improved dramatically, with over 90 percent of users seeing at least 100 Mbps download speeds on 5G, versus 8 Mbps on LTE.
In a separate simulation modeled for different city, Browsing speeds went up from 71 Mbps for the median 4G user to 1.4 Gbps for the median 5G user (in mmWave coverage), with response times roughly 23 times faster. Download speeds for 90 percent of users went from at least 10 Mbps to 186 Mbps on 5G, with the median speed clocking in at 442 Mbps. Video quality also improved dramatically in both tests, with median 5G users seeing 8K, 120 FPS, 10-bit color video streaming.
We still have a ways to go before these kinds of speeds become reality. As much effort as Qualcomm has put into its simulations, they’re still only tests. Plus, device manufacturers and cellular companies will need to build devices that can take advantage of the faster speeds, as well as actually build out the infrastructure of the non-standalone 5G and gigabit-LTE networks.
But still — if 5G networks only manage half of the speeds Qualcomm’s simulation is showing, and mobile battery life is improved, we are heading for a great future with fast internet speeds.
