4G and 5G coexistence
The move from 4G to 5G is different from past network upgrades. 5G isn't replacing 4G, like how 4G overtook 3G. Instead, 5G is building on 4G LTE, using updated radios and software. Right now, if you have an early 5G phone phone and upload videos to Google Photos, you're actually using a 4G LTE connection for that uplink.
"This is the first time so many aspects of [the old and new network] are shared," said Gordon Mansfield, AT&T vice president for converged access and device technology. "Some things we'll do for 5G are inherently backward compatible and will lift the capabilities of 4G."
By 2025, 15% of mobile connections in the world will be on 5G, according to a 2019 report by GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the mobile operator group that hosts Mobile World Congress. But LTE usage will be about 59% by the same year, up from 43% in 2018. (In North America, the split will be more even, with about 47% of 2025's connections on 5G and 44% on 4G). Even if 5G becomes an even bigger part of the market by 2025 than estimated today, "it will complement rather than replace LTE," GSMA said in a separate report from last year.
"For operators in many parts of the world, LTE is and will be the foundation for the next 10 years at least," the GSMA report said. "LTE speeds are improving, which makes 5G less compelling without new services such as AR/VR."
The first 5G connections still need 4G
Right now, 5G networks in the US are something called "non standalone." They need 4G as the anchor to make that initial handshake between a phone and network before passing the device along to a 5G connection. Using non standalone technology allows carriers to roll out 5G more quickly than if they had to completely overhaul their entire networks with new hardware.
"With non standalone mode, [carriers] retain the same 4G core network and simply add 5G radios," said Durga Malladi, Qualcomm's head of 5G.
The next flavor of 5G network, called "standalone," lets a phone go straight to 5G, but it could take several years to roll out in the US and globally. At least through the end of next year, all devices on AT&T's network will use non-standalone technology, Mansfield said. It's not until late 2021 or early 2022 that standalone networks will really roll out, he said.
Most of the 5G networks in the US today also rely on 4G for uploads and use only 5G connections for downloads. That made it less complex for carriers to develop their networks. While you can download a video in record time, uploading one will take as long as it did before -- at least for now. Verizon deployed 5G for uploads in Providence, Rhode Island earlier this month, but other areas and carriers will have to wait until later this year or next year.
4G will remain great (for some)
Even when 5G is widespread, phones and networks in the US will need to access older wireless technologies. Parts of the US, particularly some rural areas, may not have 5G for years, and there are some devices, like smart locks and other smart home products, that may use 4G for a decade or longer.
Until they do get an upgrade, 4G is more than enough for Internet of Things devices. Right now, most smart home devices don't even use 4G but instead opt for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections. Those products typically don't use a lot of data, so a super fast network isn't critical. Smart home products also require long battery life, and 5G's power consumption may not be low enough for battery-powered IoT devices. At the same time, 5G chips are pricey, so something like a $10 smart light bulb may need cheaper connectivity components.
"4G is great for [all of] that," said Peter Linder, 5G evangelist at cellular network gear provider Ericsson.
5G also will take some time to make its way into lower-end smartphones, particularly those for prepaid service plans. Those devices are likely to stick to 4G for the next few years, AT&T's Mansfield said, and customers who buy prepaid phones tend to hold onto them longer.
"Those devices will drive the bulk of traffic on LTE at the latter part of the decade," he said.
4G and 5G networks can share spectrum
All wireless signals travel over invisible airwaves via radio frequency called spectrum. The amount of spectrum is limited, and two carriers can't use the same spectrum at the same time. 2G, 3G and 4G connections can't share the same spectrum, either. They each need their own dedicated lanes to deliver service.
Something called spectrum refarming lets carriers shift older spectrum to new wireless networks, like moving from 3G to 4G. That's essential to free up spectrum for new uses, like all of those apps we download on our 4G devices. In the past, carriers had to wait until essentially all users of an older network had left a particular spectrum band before it could be changed to the newer technology. It was either 3G or 4G -- not both.
"The problem with refarming was it could take 10 years," said Dean Brenner, Qualcomm senior vice president for spectrum strategy and tech policy.
https://www.cnet.com/news/no-5g-isnt-going-to-make-your-4g-lte-phone-obsolete/
The move from 4G to 5G is different from past network upgrades. 5G isn't replacing 4G, like how 4G overtook 3G. Instead, 5G is building on 4G LTE, using updated radios and software. Right now, if you have an early 5G phone phone and upload videos to Google Photos, you're actually using a 4G LTE connection for that uplink.
"This is the first time so many aspects of [the old and new network] are shared," said Gordon Mansfield, AT&T vice president for converged access and device technology. "Some things we'll do for 5G are inherently backward compatible and will lift the capabilities of 4G."
By 2025, 15% of mobile connections in the world will be on 5G, according to a 2019 report by GSMA Intelligence, the research arm of the mobile operator group that hosts Mobile World Congress. But LTE usage will be about 59% by the same year, up from 43% in 2018. (In North America, the split will be more even, with about 47% of 2025's connections on 5G and 44% on 4G). Even if 5G becomes an even bigger part of the market by 2025 than estimated today, "it will complement rather than replace LTE," GSMA said in a separate report from last year.
"For operators in many parts of the world, LTE is and will be the foundation for the next 10 years at least," the GSMA report said. "LTE speeds are improving, which makes 5G less compelling without new services such as AR/VR."
The first 5G connections still need 4G
Right now, 5G networks in the US are something called "non standalone." They need 4G as the anchor to make that initial handshake between a phone and network before passing the device along to a 5G connection. Using non standalone technology allows carriers to roll out 5G more quickly than if they had to completely overhaul their entire networks with new hardware.
"With non standalone mode, [carriers] retain the same 4G core network and simply add 5G radios," said Durga Malladi, Qualcomm's head of 5G.
The next flavor of 5G network, called "standalone," lets a phone go straight to 5G, but it could take several years to roll out in the US and globally. At least through the end of next year, all devices on AT&T's network will use non-standalone technology, Mansfield said. It's not until late 2021 or early 2022 that standalone networks will really roll out, he said.
Most of the 5G networks in the US today also rely on 4G for uploads and use only 5G connections for downloads. That made it less complex for carriers to develop their networks. While you can download a video in record time, uploading one will take as long as it did before -- at least for now. Verizon deployed 5G for uploads in Providence, Rhode Island earlier this month, but other areas and carriers will have to wait until later this year or next year.
4G will remain great (for some)
Even when 5G is widespread, phones and networks in the US will need to access older wireless technologies. Parts of the US, particularly some rural areas, may not have 5G for years, and there are some devices, like smart locks and other smart home products, that may use 4G for a decade or longer.
Until they do get an upgrade, 4G is more than enough for Internet of Things devices. Right now, most smart home devices don't even use 4G but instead opt for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections. Those products typically don't use a lot of data, so a super fast network isn't critical. Smart home products also require long battery life, and 5G's power consumption may not be low enough for battery-powered IoT devices. At the same time, 5G chips are pricey, so something like a $10 smart light bulb may need cheaper connectivity components.
"4G is great for [all of] that," said Peter Linder, 5G evangelist at cellular network gear provider Ericsson.
5G also will take some time to make its way into lower-end smartphones, particularly those for prepaid service plans. Those devices are likely to stick to 4G for the next few years, AT&T's Mansfield said, and customers who buy prepaid phones tend to hold onto them longer.
"Those devices will drive the bulk of traffic on LTE at the latter part of the decade," he said.
4G and 5G networks can share spectrum
All wireless signals travel over invisible airwaves via radio frequency called spectrum. The amount of spectrum is limited, and two carriers can't use the same spectrum at the same time. 2G, 3G and 4G connections can't share the same spectrum, either. They each need their own dedicated lanes to deliver service.
Something called spectrum refarming lets carriers shift older spectrum to new wireless networks, like moving from 3G to 4G. That's essential to free up spectrum for new uses, like all of those apps we download on our 4G devices. In the past, carriers had to wait until essentially all users of an older network had left a particular spectrum band before it could be changed to the newer technology. It was either 3G or 4G -- not both.
"The problem with refarming was it could take 10 years," said Dean Brenner, Qualcomm senior vice president for spectrum strategy and tech policy.
https://www.cnet.com/news/no-5g-isnt-going-to-make-your-4g-lte-phone-obsolete/
