How Fast Is 6G Vs 5G?

5G is being worked on at a reasonably rapid pace. It’s time for LTE to be pushed to the wayside, as we make room for new and improved technologies that will support faster download and upload speeds, as well as more people. 5G is expected to roll out nationwide on many carriers, at least by the end of 2020, though it may take much longer to build out 5G infrastructure fully.

And even though we’ve barely reached a point where 5G is accessible to everyone, 6G is yet another new wireless technology that people are already talking about. And naturally, there are tons of questions being asked, like how fast is 6G vs. 5G? Follow along below, and we’ll give you the scoop!

What will the speed of 6G be?

Deutsche Telekom did a test-run of a 5G network at the IFA 2019 conference this year. In that performance test, we saw the results of three gigabits per second, which is insanely fast. We should see improvements to 5G over time, which should see improvements all the way up to 10GB per second, which is a massive increase.

While those are some great speeds, speed isn’t the only improvement 5G brings to the table. 5G should not only have much wider availability, but it should also come with lower latency, too. LTE networks see an average latency of 50 milliseconds, but 5G is set to improve that. In lab tests, researches have been able to achieve results of 1 millisecond, though reality might be more than that.

With a latency like that, 5G can communicate with other devices extremely quickly — which is super important when it comes to smart home devices.

In comparison, initial research shows 6G speeds as reaching as high as one terabyte per second. This is only a theoretical speed since research is still in its very early stages. There’s a lot more material research and infrastructure research that needs to happen yet. Most of what we know about 6G is academic speculation, with most small tests happening outside of the US.

For right now, we’re stuck with 5G. 4G is still estimated to see its full potential by 2025, and carriers and network providers are still very cautiously rolling out 5G networks.

FAQs

There are a couple of burning questions surrounding 6G that we’re answering below, to bring you up to speed on what we’re looking at with the new wireless tech.

What will the speed of 6G be?

As we mentioned, current academic speculation is that 6G will reach speeds of one terabyte or higher. We should see better improvements to latency and ping as well, alongside improvements to the problems that 5G doesn’t fix.

What is 6G?

6G is what we’re calling advanced data networks after 5G. Right now, it’s primarily a theoretical concept, and something talked heavily about within academic — that said, small tests are happening, but usually in laboratory environments, and mostly in international countries.

Is 6G Coming?

We’re not sure yet if it’ll be called 6G, but whatever is coming after 5G is definitely on the way. Again, it’s a theoretical concept for the time being, and it’s still years out, but yes, 6G will eventually be a data network available for consumption. It’s supposed to operate on terahertz wireless frequency.

Is Any Country Using 6G?

Right now, there are no countries that are using 6G. Many countries are researching 6G, 7G, and even 8G technology, but most countries don’t even have full 5G networks available yet.

Is 5G a health risk?

One of the big worries about upcoming 5G networks is how much more of a health risk it will be over 4G LTE. The big concern is that many claims that the new network type generates radiofrequency radiation that can lead to cancer or produce other health concerns, such as causing oxidative damage, disrupt cell metabolism, and so on.

Some are even citing what many would consider being expert publications, such as the World Health Organization. Studies have not made a claim either way, but right now, it is the argument on whether or not radiofrequency radiation is ionizing or non-ionizing. If it is determined to be ionizing, yes, it’s hazardous, but if studies say it is non-ionizing, we could be in the clear.

Verdict

As you can see, a lot is going on with 6G technology, and while some countries are working on it heavier than 5G, the new wireless technology is still extremely far out. We’re not expecting to see a soft launch of 6G technology at least until 2030. There are many barriers to get through as far as infrastructure goes, and 5G isn’t even out yet.

Either way, we’re excited to see what the future of technology holds. Are you?