Will 5G make home broadband redundant?
Discussion
The launch of 5G largely passed me by a few weeks ago, but I was just reading about the technical specs regarding speed and didn't realise how big a jump from 4G this all is. In terms of bandwidth there's talk of tens of Gbps rather than Mbps, so it got me thinking how this will impact home broadband connections as we know it?
With FTTP "only" offering about 300Mbps currently, 5G could - in theory at least - leapfrog that completely and make even the fastest fixed line domestic connections pointless. Now I realise this is entirely dependent on the rollout and I guess it's probably a decade away before there's significant coverage, but I wonder if 5G will truly mean the end of slow broadband and people will switch to the mobile networks for their home internet connection too? Or will the service providers just package everything up with data caps and make it too expensive?
Just wondered if anyone is working in this area and has some insight?
With FTTP "only" offering about 300Mbps currently, 5G could - in theory at least - leapfrog that completely and make even the fastest fixed line domestic connections pointless. Now I realise this is entirely dependent on the rollout and I guess it's probably a decade away before there's significant coverage, but I wonder if 5G will truly mean the end of slow broadband and people will switch to the mobile networks for their home internet connection too? Or will the service providers just package everything up with data caps and make it too expensive?
Just wondered if anyone is working in this area and has some insight?
I don't work in that area however currently there are many issues with wireless connections.
4G is a good example, location determines signal quality and weather can also affect signal quality. Finally latency is often a problem with wireless connections.
If 5G could some of these issues, I'm sure it will be a great success if the pricing/packaging is affordable for the average user.
Personally, I would currently preference a wired connection unless something drastically changes.
4G is a good example, location determines signal quality and weather can also affect signal quality. Finally latency is often a problem with wireless connections.
If 5G could some of these issues, I'm sure it will be a great success if the pricing/packaging is affordable for the average user.
Personally, I would currently preference a wired connection unless something drastically changes.
5G sounds promising but history has shown us that as bandwith increases so do the service requirements of the people/apps/companies using it.
No doubt a viable & potentially cheaper solution for those in the countryside where it's not worthwhile for businesses to start laying miles of expensive fibre optic for a few homes benefit.
No doubt a viable & potentially cheaper solution for those in the countryside where it's not worthwhile for businesses to start laying miles of expensive fibre optic for a few homes benefit.
5G has great speed but short range so the roll out in any great numbers will take years. In cities they are talking about mesh networks using lampposts (good idea, they have power and are quite regularly spaced) but if you are in the city you can probably get good broadband at home.
In the countryside it will take a long time to get any penetration of 5G, which is why I'm amused by all the scare mongering about 5G being bad for you and used by the government to track you.
Having said all of that, I live in the middle of no-where and for some reason Openreach decided to put FTTP a few months ago. Awesome for me (I get 330/50) but I can't imagine economical for them so perhaps they will speed up the roll out of 5G as well.
In the countryside it will take a long time to get any penetration of 5G, which is why I'm amused by all the scare mongering about 5G being bad for you and used by the government to track you.
Having said all of that, I live in the middle of no-where and for some reason Openreach decided to put FTTP a few months ago. Awesome for me (I get 330/50) but I can't imagine economical for them so perhaps they will speed up the roll out of 5G as well.
SV_WDC said:
5G sounds promising but history has shown us that as bandwith increases so do the service requirements of the people/apps/companies using it.
No doubt a viable & potentially cheaper solution for those in the countryside where it's not worthwhile for businesses to start laying miles of expensive fibre optic for a few homes benefit.
Ironically, it's likely to turn up first in places with fast broadband.No doubt a viable & potentially cheaper solution for those in the countryside where it's not worthwhile for businesses to start laying miles of expensive fibre optic for a few homes benefit.
Scobblelotcher said:
I don't work in that area however currently there are many issues with wireless connections.
4G is a good example, location determines signal quality and weather can also affect signal quality. Finally latency is often a problem with wireless connections.
If 5G could some of these issues, I'm sure it will be a great success if the pricing/packaging is affordable for the average user.
Personally, I would currently preference a wired connection unless something drastically changes.
Yes I was thinking much the same and assumed 5G was just an incremental upgrade from 4G, however when I read of ping times of 1ms (yes 1!) and Gbps bandwidth then this could actually be a game-changer, well in theory at least!4G is a good example, location determines signal quality and weather can also affect signal quality. Finally latency is often a problem with wireless connections.
If 5G could some of these issues, I'm sure it will be a great success if the pricing/packaging is affordable for the average user.
Personally, I would currently preference a wired connection unless something drastically changes.
I can see a giant Tesco from my house (other side of a river) so we’re not even in the middle of nowhere but struggle to get a solid 3G signal, our broadband is a manageable 5mb/s but according to BT there’s no plans to improve anything in the near future, I can’t see 5g being any part of my life unless I move.
I made a statement on a thread a couple of years ago that 'wired' broadband would be mostly obsolete within 10 years. I was chastised by some. I stick by my statement.
A lot of consumer internet usage is already by mobile data, I have nieces and nephews who only ever use mobile data, they don't even bother to connect to WiFi, they only use their mobiles, never use a PC.
A lot of consumer internet usage is already by mobile data, I have nieces and nephews who only ever use mobile data, they don't even bother to connect to WiFi, they only use their mobiles, never use a PC.
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