5G, What are We Talking about Anyway?

My mission is to pass on knowledge, to clarify doubts, to be the friendly shoulder of technology for the sector and for customers.

It is with great admiration that I see a huge confusion about what 5G is, the much talked about and already controversial technological baby. And it is with some indignation that I see the misuse of the acronym 5G by important players in the telecommunications and IT market, who, through ingenious marketing manoeuvres, got the market talking about 5G, but generated confusion between 5G and 5Ghz.

Surely the Café here in the neighbourhoods has had the “ZEdoPASTEL 2.4G” and “ZEdoPASTEL5G”network on its WIFI for over 8 years, what now?

Is it possible that Zé do Pastel pastry shop already has 5G since 2014? After all, in addition to his delicious custard tarts, Zé already had 5G!

And this is where the confusion begins, which I want to clear up!

And without going into technical details, WIFI (Wireless Fidelity) is one thing, and GSM (Global System for Mobile) is another!

When we talk about 5G, we talk about the 5th Generation of GSM, a technology generation, with greater data transmission capacities, that is faster etc, etc, etc. But we are talking about the 5th generation GSM network for mobile devices, the one we are used to having through mobile plans, SIM cards.

When we talk about 5G on WIFI, we talk about 5Ghz, that is, we talk about the transmission frequency which increases speed in WIFI networks but with less coverage than the 2.4Ghz WIFI Network, which had more coverage and less speed. I’ve been asked if the WIFI I’m going to install is 5G, and I reply that it’s 6G or 6Ghz, because the new AX WIFI6 standard also works in the 6Ghz range.

So, and in conclusion… please, the Mobile 5G voice and data network will bring more speed because it is 5th GENERATION. Streaming video in 4K or 8K is possible and has nothing to do with the 5Gb wireless network at Café do Zé, which also transmits such 4K or 8K videos, but it is not the same thing, nor the same technology and none of them replaces the other.

Broadly speaking, 5G will be the technology that will connect our phones, with high-speed voice and data, and the 5Ghz WIFI network, be it AX, AC, N, is the network that will connect us in a hotel to the world without mobile plans, or in our house that will allow us to put the ROBOT to vacuum or close the blinds or to turn lights on and off, is the one that also allows us to go to the internet using NETFLIX, FACEBOOK, YOUTUBE and others.

The two 5G, whether GSM 5G or WIFI 5GHz, are complementary networks, depending on where we are, and depending on what we want to pay or not.

Rui Picão
IT Strategist Designer
ABC Sustainable Luxury Hospitality