Canada close to launching its 5G network, Hungary following suit
The upcoming 5G networks are catching headlines around the world, and not just because United States president Donald Trump is continually seeking new ways to try to squeeze Chinese tech giant Huawei – the world’s leading supplier of 5G network equipment.
From the power of 5G to unlock the ‘Internet of Things’ to bringing about improvements in daily quality of life, people are excited to get the next-gen networks in place, running, and connected to the general public. Nations across the continents are announcing that not only do they have 5G infrastructure in place, but their leading telecoms companies are preparing to switch on the networks.
While it will take time for people to move on to the smartphone technology which is capable of harnessing the power of a 5G network, it’s exciting to see that the networks are getting ready to go as soon as possible. Next on the list of nations switching on the 5G future appears to be Canada, with Hungary in hot pursuit.
Canada is preparing the launch of its first 5G network
The Rogers Canada advertisement for their upcoming 5G network, saying that it will revolutionise the way that we live tomorrow.
Canada has been preparing for 5G for nearly two years, but now, in 2020, the North American nation will launch its long-awaited super-fast network. The company spearheading the development, preparation, and eventual rollout of the first 5G network in Canada is Rogers Communications, a Canadian company founded 60 years ago.
On 15 January, Rogers Communications set a new milestone in Canada by officially switching on its new wireless 5G network in Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, and in parts of Toronto.
The next-gen network is up and running but, as it stands, there aren’t any devices authorised to connect to the 5G. Rogers can now begin to work with smartphone development companies to enable them to deliver the technology to the market that gives users the power utilise 5G.
The first smartphone company to break into the new Canadian 5G user base looks set to be Samsung. On 6 March 2020, Rogers will offer plans for customers to buy the Samsung Galaxy S20 5G series which will be given access to the highly anticipated network. While 5G in Canada is currently only switched on in four major cities, Rogers plans to bring 5G to 20 more markets over the course of this year.
5G deployment is underway across the globe
A video by CNBC International explains why countries everywhere want to build 5G infrastructure and roll out the network across their jurisdictions.
While the concept of a 5G network and what it could bring isn’t anything new, it was only in April of last year that the first large-scale 5G network was realised. In South Korea, 5G mobile networks are available nationwide, with the nation launching its network two days earlier than anticipated to ensure that it lands the title of being the first country to have a 5G network.
Powered by providers SK Telecom, LC Uplus, and KT, South Korea beat Japan, China, and the United States to first place in the race for an ultra-fast network.
The tech-savvy nation ensured that Koreans would be stencilled into the history of 5G, with six celebrities – including Olympic gold medalist ice skater Kim Yeon-ah – becoming the world’s first 5G smartphone subscribers.
Other nations like the UK, China, Germany, the United States, and Japan also have 5G networks in place, with Hungary commissioning Huawei to build the country’s 5G network. Hungary took a stand against the US-spun coverage of the Chinese tech giant, with the minister of foreign affairs and trade, Péter Szijjártó, stating that as long as companies comply with Hungarian laws and regulations, the country will not discriminate against a company based on its nationality. As such, Huawei will partner Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone to build 5G networks across Hungary.
From Canada to Hungary, the new and upcoming recipients of 5G networks are beginning to unlock the power and possibilities that can come from such infrastructure.
Of course, at first, the almost science fiction-esque goals built on the ‘Internet of Things’ will be a long way away, but everyday users will quickly find that casual use of the internet becomes much, much better.
One of the most popular uses of the internet right now is streaming entertainment, from the latest shows and movies to online games. The power of 5G will make streaming much faster, more streamlined, and far more reliable. People who use the mobile internet to play any of the many unique online jackpots available, such as Serengeti Kings, Voyage of the Vikings, Greedy Dragon, and Hypernova Megaways, will find that games run smoother and load quicker. The same goes for video content streaming.
Of course, the 5G network may prove to be the base that the Google Stadia game subscription service should have waited for to launch. While its business model completely missed the mark, the main issue that has caused the ‘industry game-changer’ to flop is that current networks aren’t strong enough to handle what Stadia wants to deliver. But the 5G network could suddenly make triple-A video game streaming a viable venture.
How will 5G empower on-the-go internet users?
As described in the Digital Trends video above, 5G could change almost everything with a wireless connection.
Initially, when 5G rolls out across new countries like Canada and Hungary, the primary difference that the general public will notice is its speed and lack of latency. Everything that you currently do on your smartphones will become much quicker and much better. Loading times, wireless network signal drops, and slow download speeds will all become problems of the past for 5G users.
Moving forward, the hope is that the combination of speed and incredibly low latency will allow people to perform tasks in next-to real time.
4G networks are already rather fast, but 5G is on a completely different level.
It’s because of its reliability and speed that people can genuinely look forward to a future where we have self-driving cars on a road network powered by 5G, perhaps eliminating traffic jams and accidents altogether.
As we need to wait for tech development firms to build such technology and find a way to roll it out around the world, for now, 5G will offer users a significantly superior experience when using the internet on the go.