4G VS 5G VS Wi-Fi 6: When should you use them?

The adoption of 5G has increased tremendously. In South Korea, for example, the number of 5G subscribers had grown to 13 million by January 2021, almost two years after the network's launch there¹.

Many other countries all over the world, including Singapore, Hong Kong, and the US, have also begun entering the world of 5G. Despite the clamour for the tech, many companies are still uncertain on how to integrate it into their businesses. As stated in a survey by Accenture², “72% believe they need help to imagine the future possibilities for connected solutions with 5G.”

Where does it fit into your trajectory as a company? Will it dictate your products and services, or will it aid them from the backend, improving operations and other departments? Are we going to suddenly shift completely from 4G to 5G or should they work together? And what is the role of Wi-Fi 6 in all this?

South Korea continues to lead the way in testing out use cases, where plans have evolved from no-lag live streaming to self-driving to even autonomous ship navigation³. With all this, what does this tell us about the world’s future with 4G, 5G and Wi-Fi 6?

The mobile network has gone through several changes. 4G is short for fourth generation and is currently used in more than 80 nations⁴ all over the globe. 4G speeds can go up to 500mbps with 4G+. Until 5G, it was the fastest available mobile network.

4G’s downside is it has slower speeds. With data use getting heavier and more users going online via mobile every year, it has reached its maximum capacity in some countries⁵.

Its speed is enough to keep a person online so they can receive notifications, emails, and messages in real-time. It also gives them access to light content, which they can do in their downtime, such as waiting for the bus. Businesses can rest easy knowing direct electronic communications will become timely in the future, and some content can still be accessed.

Just before the installment of any 5G in 2020, Singapore ranked third in Asia-Pacific⁷ (APAC) for “mobile network experience” while Seoul and Tokyo tied for first place. Even with the rollout of 5G, the cost it involves and the advantages of 4G indicate that the fourth generation LTE is not going anywhere any time soon.

The speed of 5G sounds like a concept from dreams and sci-fi movies because it’s 10 times faster than 4G and can handle up to 1 million devices⁷ per square kilometre in the future. Yet it’s now a much closer reality that some areas are already beginning to live with some 5G capabilities.

5G maximum download speeds currently range from 1 to 4Gbps, and will go up to 10Gbps or more as the technology evolves. This, coupled with stability, makes for seamless and consistent virtual interactions between devices, and consumption of content.

A unique feature, and another great advantage behind the stability of 5G, is network slicing. It’s creating multiple networks on one shared infrastructure, each with its own specifications. Every network will be designed for specific uses, resulting in smoother and faster transmission, further minimising latency.

However, as fantastic as 5G is, it is still far from being the main mobile network globally. Even countries like the UK have only less than 40% of businesses investing in the technology—it could possibly be even as low as 15%⁹, according to one study.

And many of those companies are still learning about the new technology with no clear plan about how to integrate it into either their processes or portfolio.

Wi-Fi 6 is a faster Internet connection for indoor use that offers similar speeds to 5G and is a great alternative to the new mobile network. Establishing a mobile network is very expensive, and while 5G does away with towers, the new infrastructure still requires a hefty investment.

Wi-Fi 6 is cheaper overall from the initial costs to maintenance to expansion. It’s ideal for small areas where there’s a high concentration of users and devices, like homes, offices, and cafes.

Many are quick to jump on the idea that when new technology is released, the old becomes obsolete. This isn’t necessarily the case for 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi 6. Each has its own advantages and can even be used together as a system of innovation that supports a technologically advanced society.

4G

It would function well as a backup for 5G, or as the primary mobile network for when high speed Internet isn’t required, like in areas where there are low concentrations of people. Examples include bus stops in remote locations, and along routes that have light traffic during most days.

5G

The stability and the speed of 5G allow for many possible uses. Among these are:

● Navigating both public and private transportations safely and on time, including the traffic lights.
● Allowing flexible work locations through fast and stable Internet speeds
● News in real time, and more live streaming with zero delay.
● Instant notifications, which can be used by the public sector for emergencies, and by private companies for time-sensitive events such as flash sales.
● The use of robots as active parts in societies and modern living, like in telehealth services.
● Increased use of 3D printing services
● Efficient communications and better equipment performance tracking for facilities management¹⁰
● More cost-efficient manufacturing, increased time-savings, better flexibility, and more contextual information, such as the use of augmented reality in troubleshooting¹¹
● Unmanned pop-up stores

There are so many more possibilities waiting to be discovered. It only takes a push of the imagination.

For longer-range uses, businesses should invest in 5G. These would most likely be malls, convention centres, and other establishments covering large areas, often with huge numbers of people. You’d benefit the most from that 300m range.

Wi-Fi 6

It's the optimum solution for indoor use. Wi-Fi 6 provides the same 5G speeds at a much cheaper cost for businesses, homes, and other places where users are highly concentrated within a small area.

Creating a unified web of appliances and electronics in tech-powered homes and offices, the domain of Wi-Fi 6 will primarily be indoor spaces. It allows for seamless automation of processes. With AI, such as Siri or Alexa, it even allows for instant response to voice commands.

Program your power, lights, heating and cooling, and even your coffee machine to switch on and off on an automated schedule or via voice prompts and sensors. Bring the same level of automation and ease of use to bigger scale operation processes, like in factories and big plants.

These ideas barely scratch the surface of the future. Business can prepare and strategise as early as now by providing 5G education to employees, especially tech teams; investing in research and big data; and anticipating the level of automation that’s bound to happen.

The road to innovation is always uncertain and pivoting to a mindset that sees a unified vision as an organisation or a society is always a struggle, even for businesses. It’s important for companies to ensure they’re always making steps towards embracing new technology in order to remain valuable to customers.

The best way is to always have access to ready and trustworthy sources that can help organisations steer through this new path. Partner with a provider that understands the complexity of the undertaking while keeping an eye on the same goals.

Contact us today to learn how 4G, 5G and WiFi 6 can help your business.
 

¹ RCR Wireless News, South Korea reaches almost 13 million 5G subscribers in January, March 2021.

² Accenture: Into the new, Accelerating the 5G future of business, 2020.

³ Mobile World Live, Intelligence brief: How is 5G faring in South Korea?, December 2020.

⁴ Open Signal Reports, The state of LTE (February 2018), February 2018.

⁵ Lifewire, How Are 4G and 5G Different?, July 2021.

⁶ Telecoms, 4G is over-congested and 5G is the solution, February 2019.

7 The Straits Times, Singapore third in Asia-Pacific for mobile network experience ahead of 5G rollout: Study, July 2020.

8 Ericsson, 5G VS 4G: What is the difference?

9 ZDNet. 5G projects are still slow to take off. Technology isn't the only problem, February 2020.

10 Cloudapper. The impact of 5G in asset and facility management, March 2021.

¹¹ Ericsson: Reports and papers, 5G for manufacturing.