5G does not deserve a headline.
This article was first published by dmcityview.com
When cell phone technology first made its public debut in the early 80s the technology was revolutionary. Sure there had been mobile two-way radios, but nothing like the ability to walk down the street with a cordless phone in your hand and make a cross planet call. But as with all technology consumers became jaded; calls sounded like garbage, the service was pricey, then mobile data debuted and our complaining rose to a whole new volume. Such is the nature of human existence, and even though we’re on the verge of a mobile data break through with 5G data connections, it too is destined to let us down.
If you have ever seen a cell phone carrier commercial you know the phrase 4G. Like almost all technological jargon, 4G probably means nothing, but it actually represents years of communications research and development. 4G actually represents the fourth generation of mobile data-optimization. Streaming high definition Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube on your phone is dependent on this technology. Sure you might occasionally run into buffering, but 4G speed is 10 times faster than 3G.
Now here’s the part where you’d expect me to break down all the differences between the generations of cell phone technology, but that is a waste of your brain cells. In all actuality, the history of cellular phone connections is the dividing line before 2G and 3G. 2G cellular users and before lived uncomplicated lives where they could make calls and check text messages, text emails, and pretty much anything text. Then 3G hit and suddenly things got visual. Suddenly people started looking at their phones non-stop, complaining about their signal being horrible, and crashing their cars because they had to check Facebook notifications or play Angry Birds while driving.
So 5G is another 10 fold data speed jump over 4G. What does that mean? Nothing revolutionary… but you will be able to download full length HD films in seconds and virtually perfect fidelity video calls. As cool as that is, the main issue 5G represents is a huge jump in cellular service costs. 5G will be the premium octane mobile data fuel that your carrier will sell you for a stupid up sale cost. This will sucker a great deal of smartphone owners, but if you are truly smart then you should realize 5G is not something to pay a premium for.
Thankfully 5G won’t make its pricey debut until 2020, but as it stands the world is already becoming littered with point premium technology. Oculus Rifts, 4K televisions, and smart watches are all examples of gadgets you don’t need and will absolutely pilfer your checkbook. Remember 3D films? For six years 3D has been sold as the best option and yet audiences have rebuffed it as second rate to classic 2D cinema project. Virtual reality has been waving its arm as the next big thing in experience immersive content since the 90s, and even though Facebook made a billion dollar bet on Oculus Rift, the air has long since drained out of its balloon.
5G fits this picture to a T... however there is one serious exception, home internet connection. While I won’t be pushing my cellular plan to 5G on day one, I will be dumping my Mediacom service on day one. 5G promises baseline speeds comparable to a basic cable connection and as we all know the only thing we complain about more than our cell phone data speeds it's our home internet speed. So as pointless as a 5G smartphone sounds, a 5G smart TV sounds like the cure for all our non-wireless internet woes.
Patrick Boberg is a central Iowa creative media specialist. For more tech insights, follow him on Twitter @PatBoBomb
When cell phone technology first made its public debut in the early 80s the technology was revolutionary. Sure there had been mobile two-way radios, but nothing like the ability to walk down the street with a cordless phone in your hand and make a cross planet call. But as with all technology consumers became jaded; calls sounded like garbage, the service was pricey, then mobile data debuted and our complaining rose to a whole new volume. Such is the nature of human existence, and even though we’re on the verge of a mobile data break through with 5G data connections, it too is destined to let us down.
If you have ever seen a cell phone carrier commercial you know the phrase 4G. Like almost all technological jargon, 4G probably means nothing, but it actually represents years of communications research and development. 4G actually represents the fourth generation of mobile data-optimization. Streaming high definition Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube on your phone is dependent on this technology. Sure you might occasionally run into buffering, but 4G speed is 10 times faster than 3G.
Now here’s the part where you’d expect me to break down all the differences between the generations of cell phone technology, but that is a waste of your brain cells. In all actuality, the history of cellular phone connections is the dividing line before 2G and 3G. 2G cellular users and before lived uncomplicated lives where they could make calls and check text messages, text emails, and pretty much anything text. Then 3G hit and suddenly things got visual. Suddenly people started looking at their phones non-stop, complaining about their signal being horrible, and crashing their cars because they had to check Facebook notifications or play Angry Birds while driving.
So 5G is another 10 fold data speed jump over 4G. What does that mean? Nothing revolutionary… but you will be able to download full length HD films in seconds and virtually perfect fidelity video calls. As cool as that is, the main issue 5G represents is a huge jump in cellular service costs. 5G will be the premium octane mobile data fuel that your carrier will sell you for a stupid up sale cost. This will sucker a great deal of smartphone owners, but if you are truly smart then you should realize 5G is not something to pay a premium for.
Thankfully 5G won’t make its pricey debut until 2020, but as it stands the world is already becoming littered with point premium technology. Oculus Rifts, 4K televisions, and smart watches are all examples of gadgets you don’t need and will absolutely pilfer your checkbook. Remember 3D films? For six years 3D has been sold as the best option and yet audiences have rebuffed it as second rate to classic 2D cinema project. Virtual reality has been waving its arm as the next big thing in experience immersive content since the 90s, and even though Facebook made a billion dollar bet on Oculus Rift, the air has long since drained out of its balloon.
5G fits this picture to a T... however there is one serious exception, home internet connection. While I won’t be pushing my cellular plan to 5G on day one, I will be dumping my Mediacom service on day one. 5G promises baseline speeds comparable to a basic cable connection and as we all know the only thing we complain about more than our cell phone data speeds it's our home internet speed. So as pointless as a 5G smartphone sounds, a 5G smart TV sounds like the cure for all our non-wireless internet woes.
Patrick Boberg is a central Iowa creative media specialist. For more tech insights, follow him on Twitter @PatBoBomb
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