Faster, higher, stronger is the Olympic motto, which is very relevant for the IT infrastructure being created today. Each new introduced radio standard more and more increases the amount of transmitted information, reduces network latency, and also introduces many useful innovations that are far from always clear to the end user of the service. Today, as practice shows, the jump in the quality parameters of cellular networks, from the old generation to the new one, can be described as a geometric progression. Accordingly, we have already formed the expectation that each new standard should become many times more functional than the existing one. The expectation is well justified. In our memory, the introduction of 2-3-4G technologies, in fact, were such breakthroughs, but what about 5G?
When meeting various kinds of publications in the media, as well as discussing among friends the victorious reports of mobile operators about the readiness to launch 5G communications, for many of us the imagination automatically draws the most wonderful prospects. Unfortunately, in addition to conquering the shining IT peaks, new wireless standards also have their pitfalls, which we do not always think about. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the emergence of qualitatively new network capabilities may run up against not only the laws of physics, but also the unwillingness of society to pay for the creation of these networks, since it will not see the need for these very new capabilities at this stage. It is these ambiguities of 5G technology that we will continue to talk about.
Exhibitor
For the mass consumer of mobile operator services, the nuances of the technology used are not very important, but four “pillars” are extremely relevant: price, coverage, speed and network latency. It is these parameters that marketers of companies developing and promoting a new standard for cellular communications most often operate with. Accordingly, with these parameters, each new implemented standard gave us something qualitatively new over and over again.
The indescribable advantage of mobility that cell phones gave us in the 90s could only overshadow the ability to use your mobile gadget as a full-fledged Internet modem in 2G networks. Having gained the ability to access e-mail, various information portals, and at the same time not tying yourself to a wired infrastructure, a new goal appeared on the horizon - to overcome the upper speed barrier, as well as radically reduce ping, which is rather sad in 2G networks. The full implementation of the 3G communication standard may not have been as exciting and exciting as it was with 2G, however, it has undoubtedly become a new milestone for all of us. Comparing 3G with its predecessor, it can be noted that the actual speed, both for downloading and uploading, has increased tenfold! In addition to the phenomenal increase in speed, we also received a decrease in the level of network delays to a comfortable 50 ms, which was an order of magnitude better than 2G with its 200+ ms. With the advent of the third generation of cellular communications, mobile Internet has finally become a truly competitive alternative to its wired counterpart.
As for 4G, it surprised even less than its predecessor in its time. Yes, of course, with the advent of the new standard, the Internet has habitually become even more “nimble”, networks have become even more capacious. At the same time, from the point of view of commercial success, 4G turned out to be a very dubious acquisition for telecom operators, especially the poor payback of the service was felt by operators providing it in developing countries. The sky-high speeds of 4G, in theory up to 1 Gb / s, even now cause only a smile for the mass consumer. A much more demanded parameter, for the normal use of the standard, is the presence of a sufficient number of 4G base stations. Over the past 5 years of development, the 4G coverage area in prosperous Germany, France, Britain has covered about 99% of the population, but on a global scale this is more an exception than a rule. If you take even the post-Soviet space, you can see that 4G is still at the stage of investment and implementation. What, against this background, awaits 5G?
Map of 4G network coverage of the largest mobile operators in Germany - Ukraine
frequency range
In fact, the giant leap that took place from 1G networks to 4G was made within the boundaries of a single technological process. Each successive "G" is, not much, a modernized version of its predecessor. This, in general, not surprising understanding leads us to an understanding of the current situation - we have come as close as possible to the boundaries of the technology we use, which underlies modern cellular networks. An increase in the amplitude of the transmitting channel, new methods of signal modulation made it possible for us to increase the amount of transmitted information per unit of time, but in the future a significant increase in network speed will be possible only through a significant increase in the operating frequency, and this is very fraught with consequences.
Estimation of the number of base stations to cover 100% of the territory of Ukraine, depending on their operating frequencies
The fact is that, according to the school course of physics, with an increase in these very frequencies, their attenuation also increases significantly, and in addition, the penetrating power of radiomagnetic waves also decreases. For the service provider, this means only one thing, a radical increase in the number of base stations, and, accordingly, a radical increase in investments in their infrastructure, which in the final case will be entrusted to the consumer. If this model can still be implemented in cities, due to the high population density, then there can be no talk of wide coverage.
An alternative to high frequencies can be the introduction of 5G at low frequencies, up to 1 GHz, this will make it possible to fully cover vast areas, however, in this scenario, the average user will not actually notice changes in the operation of his gadget from his usual 4G. As a result, 5G runs the risk of becoming a headache for marketers, having some groundwork for the distant future, carrying deeper benefits, say, for the LoT world, while the mass user will obviously not overpay for it.
What if?
If at low frequencies 5G is a competitor for 4G, then it is logical to assume that the new standard will be launched at frequencies of 5 GHz and higher. Indeed, according to the new standard, it can be launched at frequencies up to 300 GHz. But here we stumble upon a new obstacle, the use of a millimeter-wave cellular device creates a conflict with a competitor in the face of WiFi technology.
WiFi has long been an enemy for mobile operators. Having occupied the golden mean between the price of a “wired” megabyte and the level of mobility, it has firmly established itself in our homes, offices, transport and even parks. Having similar principles of wireless data transmission to 5G, WiFi technology went its own way of becoming and reliably occupied its unique niche, until very recently.
To be honest, the situation with IT communications has long become quite absurd, and here's the thing. It is not clear who was the first to get into whose garden - Internet providers with their IP telephony to mobile operators, or operators with their 2-3-4-5G began to select Internet traffic from small providers, but now there is a conflict of interest. Mobile operators actually became Internet providers, Internet providers remained Internet providers, but at the same time remained adherents of a slightly different network architecture. In fact, we have witnessed a convergent evolution in IT. If we consider the implemented 5G standard not from the point of view of changing the 4G generation, which it should completely replace over time, as it actually happened with 2-3G before, but call it, say, a WiFi killer? In this case, many inconsistencies and oddities associated with 5G may turn out to be quite understandable and take their place in the logical chain.
Results
The Internet channels through which we can communicate with the whole world are identical for both a large mobile operator and a small home wired Internet provider. Business for both starts at the client-provider level. The way in which we will get into the World Wide Web and there is a multi-billion dollar business brewed on different technologies, equipment, brands. The situation when we use two different approaches to organizing access to the Internet used to make sense, and apparently this will not end tomorrow, but the world is striving for simplification. Refusal to use the services of classical providers will be the result of the creation by corporations of universal ways to access the Internet through universal cellular networks. Universal communication modules, universal gadgets “lightweight” from unclaimed WiFi, Bluetooth, LAN units. Centralized cleansing with the organization of sustainable coverage, elimination (significant reduction) of radio frequency contamination of offices, especially apartment buildings, will definitely benefit the end user. Is it really that bad? Maybe it's really time to make this qualitative leap?
Someone might say that all this is nonsense, saying that WiFi goes its own way of development and has a very convenient set of features that will not let it die just like that. Maybe so, on new laptops and now you can find both Bluetooth and an output for the RJ-45 connector, but less and less. What WiFi did to them, at one point .
With this development of events, there is only one thing left to fear, if WiFi becomes an anachronism and the lot of geeks, will we fall into the furry clutches of several monopoly operators? Are we really going to remember the things forgotten like a bad dream again: per-second billing of IP-telephony, "horse" rates per megabyte, roaming and other delights? All these questions, obviously, of tomorrow, but do not forget that today is yesterday's tomorrow, and you and I are witnesses to it.
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Source: habr.com