1/11 Mountjoy St Woollongabba QLD 4102
24/7 Brisbane Electricians
As our appetite for technology soars, we need better data speeds. Thankfully, the arrival of mmWave 5G to Australian shores is set to supercharge the internet.
The first commercial cellular network, the 1G generation, was launched in Japan by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) all the way back in 1979, initially in the metropolitan area of Tokyo. Within five years, the NTT network had been expanded to cover the whole population of Japan and became the first nationwide 1G network.
Fast forward forty years, and the world’s fifth cellular network is in the process of being rolled out on a global scale: 5G. Up to 100 times faster than its predecessor 4G, 5G is creating never-seen-before opportunities for people and businesses alike. With faster connectivity speeds, ultra-low latency and greater bandwidth, this new technology is transforming the lives of individuals and industries and dramatically enhancing day-to-day experiences.
However, a wide range of technology has gone into bringing 5G to life, and one of the key contributors is mmWave. In fact, mmWave and its lightning speed capabilities saw national telecommunications giant, Telstra, break one of its own internet speed records as recently as February 2022 – but what does mmWave 5G mean for the rest of us?
In order to understand how mmWave works, it’s important to have a firm grasp on the function of its predecessor, 5G. Like previous generations, 5G is not a single or standalone product. Instead, it is an industry standard against which telecommunications companies – otherwise known as carriers – roll out 5G technology with equipment that uses radio waves.
5G networks have higher bandwidths, and are in turn considered to be more reliable than other mobile networks. 5G will use large scale MIMO – or multiple input, multiple output – antennas, which have extremely large elements or connections in order to send and receive more data simultaneously. What this means is that 5G can be used for a new range of applications that need a lot of data, such as remote health services.
However, it’s worth noting that those radio waves used by 5G still have their limitations, which is where mmWave 5G technology comes in. Those waves are usually measured by a term called network bandwidth, which grades the maximum capacity of a wired or wireless communications link to transmit data over a network connection in a given amount of time.
If you think of a network like a pipe, you can only force so much down that pipe before things become congested. Industry giants are always looking to create newer, wider pipes so more data can be carried across our network for more people at once.
mmWave 5G is the fastest form of 5G, operating on incredibly high frequencies such as 26GHz – making it the biggest and best data pipe available anywhere in the world. It can already reach speeds over 4Gbps, and there’s potential for it to deliver speeds over 20Gbps providing that it’s supported by the right types of infrastructure.
mmWave 5G also promises the lowest latency of any 5G connection type. In simple terms, latency is perhaps best described as the time it takes information to get from your phone to the wider internet and back again. The typical latency for a normal 5G connection is around 20 milliseconds, whereas this could get as low as 1 millisecond with mmWave 5G.
Although mmWave 5G has already been rolled out by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone, only the most recently released devices have the technology to use it. While you’ll be able to get lightning fast speeds and lower latency on mmWave 5G, the high frequencies mean it has a shorter range than regular 5G and an even harder time penetrating buildings.
Given the infancy of 5G, there’s no need to rush out just yet and sign up for mmWave. However, if your home or workplace cabling and fibre optics are looking a little lacklustre or not performing how you would like them to, now is the time to have a chat to a local electrician that specialises in data and communications – but where do you find one?
Here at Shield Electrical, we are a Brisbane based electrical contracting company, and pride ourselves on being shockingly good at watt we do. For us, friendly and reliable customer service isn’t just a nice add on – it’s how we do business. Don’t take our word for it though, just ask our clients.
Established in 2015, Shield Electrical is lighting the way when it comes to providing electrical work with world class customer service. With our headquarters based in the central suburban pocket of Coorparoo, our team of qualified industry professionals are readily available to deliver quality workmanship, fast quotes, and affordable pricing.
Whether you’re on the hunt for an electrician for domestic services, residential, commercial and industrial construction, security systems or even just further energy saving tips, get in touch with us at Shield today to source practical solutions that don’t break the bank.
