The 5G hype cycle promotes the mobile network as the gateway technology enabling next-generation experiences, from immersive virtual reality to life-saving remote surgeries.
Dr. Catherine Rosenberg is one of the world’s leading researchers in 5G and internet technologies and a professor in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. She says that while many of these experiences are still a few years away, the global rollout of 5G networks is starting to change many of the ways we live, work and play.
5G is the 5th generation mobile network designed to augment and eventually replace the 4G network technologies that most of us use today. It was introduced as a new set of standards in 2016, and the first deployment of a 5G network was in 2019. But 5G is more than simply a faster network — it has introduced significant improvements in how data is transmitted while creating room for the data needed for new experiences.
“5G lets you deliver much better capacity, but the problem is that when you deliver that much capacity, it becomes extremely complex to operate,” said Rosenburg. “The quest is to find the sweet spot for operating it efficiently and securely, and that’s what we’re working to help providers manage.”
Go to Waterloo researcher is helping deliver on the promise of 5G to all communities for the full story.