5G Auction: What’s New Technology and How It Changes Your Life

The auction of 5G, the new generation of mobile internet, was held by the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) on Thursday (4) and moved at least R$ 7 billion. The event continues this Friday (5).

The forecast is that the technology will start arriving in Brazil in 2022, first in large cities and then in other municipalities in the country.

Immediately, users will benefit from a higher connection speed, both for downloading and for sending files via mobile phone, as well as a faster response time and greater stability.

But the deployment of 5G requires large investments and operators already foresee challenges —according to Anatel, for all cities in Brazil with more than 30,000 inhabitants, the deadline for the adoption of the technology is July 2029.

As for the 26 capitals and the Federal District, 5G is expected to be in operation in July 2022, but that does not mean that the technology will be available everywhere.

Check out some questions and answers about 5G below, which promises to revolutionize how we consume data on our mobile devices.

What is 5G?

It’s the next generation of mobile internet connection that offers much faster download and upload speeds.

Through greater use of the radio spectrum, the technology allows many more devices to access the mobile internet at the same time.

What will this allow us to do?

“Whatever we do now with our smartphones, we’ll be able to do it faster and better,” says Ian Fogg of OpenSignal, a mobile data analytics company.

“Think smart glasses with augmented reality, mobile virtual reality, far superior video, the internet of things that make cities smarter.”

“But what’s really exciting is all the new services we can’t predict.”

Imagine swarms of drones cooperating to perform search and rescue missions, fire assessments and traffic monitoring, all communicating wirelessly with each other and with ground bases on 5G networks.

Likewise, many think that 5G will be crucial for autonomous vehicles to communicate with each other and read maps and live traffic data.

Video game users should notice less delay — or “latency”, a term used by experts — when pressing a button and seeing the effect on the screen.

Mobile videos should be almost instantaneous and flawless. Video calls should become clearer and less intermittent. Health devices can monitor your health in real time, alerting doctors as soon as any emergency arises.

How does it work?

5G is a new radio technology, but like the rest of the world, speeds won’t be much higher at first because 5G will likely be used by network operators initially as a way to increase the capacity of 4G core networks to ensure more consistent service to customers.

The speed obtained will depend on the spectrum band in which your operator operates the 5G technology and how much it has invested in new antennas and transmitters.

Therefore, we may see a greater number of smaller antennas closer to the ground, transmitting so-called “millimeter waves” between a much larger number of transmitters and receivers. This will allow for greater usage density.

But this technology is expensive and companies may face challenges in deploying many new antennas.

So how fast could it be?

Currently, the average 4G speed in Brazil among the four largest operators is 17.1 Mbps (megabits per second), according to a report by consultancy OpenSignal in May this year.

Chipmaker Qualcomm reckons the 5G could achieve browsing and download speeds about 10 to 20 times faster in real-world conditions (as opposed to controlled testing).

But, in some cases, this difference can be up to 100 times greater compared to 4G.

This fee will depend on the region, the service provider and the time the user accesses the network.

But, in practical terms, 5G technology would allow you to download a high definition movie in about a minute.

Why do we need 5G?

The world is going mobile and we are consuming more data each year, especially with the increasing popularity of streaming video and music. Existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to service failures, especially when many people in the same area are trying to access mobile services online at the same time.

5G is much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, from cell phones to equipment sensors, video cameras and smart street lights.

Will I need a new phone?

Yes. You will need a cell phone compatible with the new technology. Currently, this is only possible on more expensive devices.

But, over time, it is expected that all models will incorporate compatibility, as happened with the 4G, used commercially in Brazil for the first time at the end of 2012.

Will it work in rural areas?

Lack of signal and low data speed in rural areas is a common complaint not only in Brazil, but in many countries.

5G will not necessarily solve this problem, as it will operate in high frequency bands — at least initially — that have a lot of capacity but cover shorter distances. 5G will primarily be an urban service for densely populated areas.

Lower frequency bands (typically 600-800Mhz) are better over longer distances, so network operators will focus on improving their 4G LTE coverage in parallel with their 5G deployment.

But the commercial reality means that for some people in very remote areas, connectivity will still be patchy