British mobile network operator, EE has just announced that it will be delivering 5G wifi to this year’s Glastonbury music festival. But why? And what does this mean for the future of event organisation? We explain all here.
What is 5G?
5G is a shorthand for ‘5th generation’, which relates to the generation of wifi that we currently are able to use. With each new generation, the speed of our network access increases significantly, and 5G wifi promises to achieve download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second. To put that into perspective, 4G wifi (our current generation) can only achieve speeds of around 0.02 gigabits per second, on average.
The perks of 5G for users
With increased speeds, users of 5G wifi will be able to access the internet in almost real-time. Streaming will be seamless, messaging platforms will be instant, and general internet surfing will have practically 0 lag. In short, the gap between virtual communications and psychical communications would be drawn ever closer. There are also clear advantages here for the gaming community; lag-less gameplay, clearer communication and, therefore, a better, more enjoyable experience.
Where will 5G be available?
EE plans to have six 5G hotspots at first, with ten more being introduced over the course of 2019. These first six cities include London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester. It is unsure as to when exactly these networks will be unleashed, but EE has hinted at some time in June. To complement this, a few companies have a range of 5G-compatible mobile devices that are to be released sometime this year.
Oh yeah, did we mention that current mobile devices aren’t compatible with 5G?
Is 5G technology accessible?
Unfortunately, perhaps not. A quick look at the new models of 5G devices may leave you a bit stunned at the price tags. The Samsung Galaxy S10 5G has an RRP of £930, the LG V50 ThinQ will be around £800, and the Huawei Mate X comes in at a whopping £2,000! So, it begs the question… why go to all the effort of rolling out 5G wifi so soon?
Clearly, there is a pressure to deliver increasingly greater experiences to customers, and peoples’ expectations for faster, more reliable wifi don’t seem to be letting up. The technological sector, in particular, is put under a lot of pressure to produce new and useful advancements. And with EE promoting this brand new technology at such a prominent music festival, it may influence consumer demands just a little too soon for some companies – and even some consumers – to keep up with.
So, what do you think? Is 5G a welcome addition to modern life? We’d love to hear your thoughts.
