How 5G makes our everyday lives easier

Fast charging times, smart home solutions and autonomous driving: The new mobile communications standard will make life easier for consumers. Nine advantages at a glance.

1. Less waiting 

Upping the tempo: the new mobile telecommunications standard allows for speeds of up to ten gigabits per second. This will, for example, make it possible to download films in under four seconds. As a point of comparison: using a current DSL line with 50 megabits per second, consumers need over ten minutes. In future, we’ll all be spending less and less time staring at that loading bar. 

2. Surfing in the crowd 

Many consumers know how it feels when you’re at a concert or in a stadium and the mobile Internet connection fails. In many locations, such situations will soon be a thing of the past. A 5G mast can supply up to a million devices over a square kilometre with fast Internet. Also, what’s the difference between 3G, 4G and 5G? See this article for a description. 

3. 5G networks are less prone to disruption 

Updates, maintenance ... there are plenty of reasons why mobile networks are sometimes subject to disruption. The new 5G network is substantially less susceptible. In fact, the people involved are now able to rule out disruptions and outages almost entirely. Domestic users will not be the only ones happy to hear this: companies and their employees, who work with networked machines, will also be pleased. 

4. Augmented reality is getting more and more real 

Augmented reality (AR) is opening up new opportunities. This application allows users to see with more than just the naked eye. For example, it is possible to superimpose the distance between the ball and the goal on to football coverage. AR offers like this are increasingly gaining a foothold. Virtual reality glasses and other such hardware are also becoming more popular. 5G is making AR significantly more attractive for private users because a fast Internet connection is essential for functional and smooth-running augmented reality applications. 

5. Autonomous vehicles depend on 5G 

A long-standing dream is soon to become reality on German roads: autonomous vehicles. A fast and stable connection is the basis for making data for cars, lorries, etc. downloadable so as to enable cars to drive without drivers. This traffic builds upon two levels of communication: car-to-car (C2C) and car-to-infrastructure (C2I). On both levels, data has to be exchanged in real time. Because, particularly in dangerous situations – emergency braking, for example – it is essential for vehicles to be able to react quickly. Latency times are considerably lower with 5G, making such real-time applications possible. 

6. A home that thinks for itself 

In the smart home sector, 5G will play an increasingly important role over the coming years. With 4G, latency remains high – so smart home devices such as voice-controlled window roller blinds take a little time to react to commands. This might not really create problems with most applications, but with safety-related technology, at the very least, a fast connection is important. Thanks to 5G, notifications – of a break-in, for example – are provided in real time. 

7. 5G connects ambulances and hospitals 

Even today, patients can complete many medical appointments from home using LTE mobile communications. But 5G is unlocking still more potential in the healthcare field. Medical professionals will be able to work more precisely and, through being informed in advance and in real time of the state of the patient’s health – via a fitness watch, for example – stop health complications arising. In the future, thanks to 5G, hospitals will be connected to ambulances in real time and will therefore be better prepared for emergencies. Staff in accident and emergency will receive specific information such as ultrasound images direct from the rescue vehicle. Please see this article for a description of 5G applications for the field of medicine. 

8. Drive a train from the comfort of your armchair 

More and more people are working flexibly – either from home or elsewhere. But even more is possible. Germany has already had its first successful trials of train driving via remote control. This makes it conceivable that in the future, train drivers will no longer need to sit in the driver’s cabin but may instead drive the train from somewhere else. To learn more, please read this article on mobility with 5G. 

9. Keeping your fast connection even when you’re moving fast 

Mobile Internet is no longer just something you find in the marketplace round the corner. Plenty of people surf the net even while they’re travelling at high speed, whether in a car or on a train. Previous generations had connection issues at high speeds. Applications would frequently lose their connection to the Internet. 5G allows people to surf without interruptions, even at high speeds – all the way up to 500 km/h.

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