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The Speed and Cost of 5G
5G internet speeds are coming
With internet speeds — more is better. 5G speeds have been found to be significantly faster than 4G. For example, in a comparison of 5G and 4G speeds in the United States, Ookla’s Speedtest Intelligence data showed that 5G networks had median download speeds of around 300 Mbps, while 4G networks had median download speeds of around 50 Mbps. In some cases, the benefit is smaller at just twice the speed of 4G-LTE-A. What about the cost?
As you can see in the image above, 5G requires new hardware. In New York City, the towers stand 32 feet tall, rising up above three story buildings. They’re finished in a futuristic grey. People are asking “What are the grey towers going up in New York City?”
These towers won’t be pretty to look at and they are also going to cost you a fair amount of money. The towers aren’t free. The hardware costs money. The software costs money. The infrastructure investment is huge, measured in the trillions. Your wireless carrier will happily pass these massive bills onto you.
Another problem is longevity. How long will 5G last before it is surpassed by the new new thing…likely named 6G? Back in 2010, a guy named James Barksdale invested close to $300 million to build the straightest fiber optic connection between Chicago and New York. Spread Networks…
