Those who used a phone with a 5G antenna in Brasília did not even realize that, on the morning of this Wednesday (6), they were already accessing the new technology, which promises speed up to ten times faster than that of 4G.
However, it is still not clear to the consumer if, when downloading a video or playing games over the internet, he is, in fact, connecting to the standalone network, the so-called pure 5G, which allows for a response time of less than a millisecond between a page of the internet accessed and its display.
The federal capital is the first to receive fifth-generation telephony, which will be spread throughout the country’s other capitals by the end of September.
At 5:26 am, Claro was the first operator to connect its exclusive 5G network in the federal capital. Companies had been offering speeds similar to 5G, but through the 4G network.
From now on, they are required to provide the service on a separate network. This network, however, can contain both standalone and non-standalone technology, from 5G considered “impure”.
The operator’s antennas, however, are only spread across Plano Piloto and Lago Sul, prime areas of the federal capital.
TIM connected a hundred antennas — much more than required by Anatel (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações), but they were only enough to guarantee connection to half of the capital’s population.
According to the company, the main areas of the federal capital were covered: North and South wings, North and South lakes, Águas Claras, Ceilândia, Cruzeiro, Gama, Guará, Northwest, Recanto das Emas, Samambaia, Santa Maria, Industry Sector and Supply, Taguatinga and Vicente Pires.
In two months, TIM will install 64 more antennas, expanding this coverage to 65% of the population.
At Asa Norte, the connection guaranteed significantly higher speeds – ten times greater than those of 4G technology. In the south, the situation was similar.
Videos downloaded instantly, especially on the Netflix app, which previously took about eight seconds to start showing.
However, this speed fluctuated greatly depending on the area of the city. On a journey between the Southwest and Asa Norte, for example, the 5G connection practically disappeared, giving way to 4G or, eventually, 4.5G.
In Taguatinga, an important commercial center on the outskirts of Plano Piloto, in the heart of Brasília, the 5G signal did not work in the city’s main mall, in the epicenter of the region. The signal remained unstable, despite operators having installed antennas in the area.
The doctor Ana Cláudia Ribeiro, for example, was unable to use the service in her office, which is located at Shopping Alameda.
“I bought this device [iPhone] thinking it would work, but I see the technology started with problems,” he said.
According to Anatel, operators have different strategies in the implementation of their network. TIM installed 164 antennas; Claro, 82; and Vivo, 78. With 324 antennas, together, they started to cover 80% of the city of Brasília. The concentration of antennas, according to the agency, is higher in Plano Piloto and in the lake region (south and north).
According to the operators, customers who already have devices with 5G reception at the 3.5 GHz (gigahertz) frequency — considered compatible — start using the new service automatically, without the need to subscribe to a new plan or data package.
To get an idea, at Claro, 70% of customers already use compatible devices. At Vivo, there are 2.5 million customers.
TIM was the only operator to make clear the differentiation that occurs behind the networks of telecommunication companies.
In its offer, the operator establishes a period of up to three months for its customers to choose to migrate to pure 5G.
Whoever makes the change will use the service for one year without paying for it. After this period, you will have to pay another R$ 20 monthly in the amount you were already paying for the plan.
Those who do not make this migration will be browsing the 5G NSA network (not standalone). This network is the same, but it does not deliver the latency of pure 5G (time between accessing a website and its response on the mobile screen).
That is: this network only simulates the speed experience of 5G.
Vivo and Claro decided not to overcharge their customers in 5G technology. However, they do not make it clear which of the networks the client will be connected to. The two operators were already maintaining 5G service provided by the 4G network.
The 3.5 GHz frequency band, which was previously in use by radios, was released by Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) for the use of pure 5G. Frequencies are avenues in the air through which teles carry their signals. Outside of them, interference occurs.
HOW TO USE 5G?
To use pure 5G, it is necessary to have a device compatible with the connection, be a customer of an operator that offers the service and be in the coverage area.
The connection started to work in Brasília this Wednesday (6). Belo Horizonte and Porto Alegre are advanced in the process of technical suitability and should be the next capitals to launch the service.
MY PHONE ALREADY SHOWED THE 5G ICON. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
The 5G available before this Wednesday (6) in some capitals is called 5G DSS (Dynamic Spectrum Sharing) or NSA (non-standalone). The connection is considered “impure” because it operates in the same frequency band as 4G (2.3 GHz), which limits its performance.
The “pure” version, or standalone, has a band dedicated only to it, at 3.5 GHz. In a test carried out by Sheetimpure 5G failed to outperform 4G.
WHAT IS AND WHAT CAN 5G DO?
5G is the next generation of mobile internet connection, used in cell phones and other wireless devices. The technology offers higher speeds for downloading and sending files and lower latency for transmitting data in real time.
For the average consumer, 4G already serves entertainment, work and education activities well. But 5G is associated with increased productivity in industry, agribusiness, healthcare and other sectors. Therefore, the promised higher speeds and minimal latency are to be expected.
The speed of pure 5G reaches, on average, 1Gbps (Gigabit per second), which is ten times higher than the average of 4G. For example, to download a 5GB file (a high definition movie) on pure 5G, you would have to wait 42 seconds. And this connection can reach up to 20 Gbps.
The arrival of 5G should also move the job market in Brazil by generating jobs and demanding new professional skills. The technology and telecommunications sectors will be the most affected.
By 2027, the year in which technology should become dominant, according to Ericsson’s projections, there will be 4.4 billion 5G users worldwide. By the end of this year, it should reach 1 billion.
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