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Carrier, Integrator Flexibility Key in Shift to 5G
December 19, 2017
All the hype around cellular service of late seems to center on the elusive 5G network. For more than two years now, we’ve heard that it’s coming. And it is — sort of.As Wired pointed out in an article earlier this year, there is a lot more to 5G than simply shuttling gigabytes to cell phones more quickly. The 5G revolution will serve as an information conduit to connect far-reaching techs, including self-driving cars, virtual-reality gear, drones, and home devices like Alexa.So, while cellular carriers and solutions integrators are preparing for the transition, in reality 5G won’t likely be ready for prime time for another two to three years. Although its official debut is still a ways off, networks have been laying the groundwork for 5G for some time now in order to meet the requirements that will allow them to deliver the high speeds, low latency and high capacity that 5G promises.Integrators liken the complete rollout timeline to that of 4G, which in hindsight took about seven years. The timeline for 5G will be comparable. It’s important to understand, too, that the proliferation of 5G doesn’t mean the other networks — including 4G, LTE, or even 3G — will disappear.Just like televisions offer various types of video resolution from 720P and 1080P, and now 4K, cellular networks will also offer options including 3G, 4G LTE and 5G. While the performance of each and the user experience may differ, they’ll all continue to exist simultaneously.