With 5G on our doorsteps, aspects of technology once deemed ambitiously futuristic could be a reality soon enough. Jessica Arena spoke to Prof. Carl James Debono, Dean of the Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta, about how our networks are evolving. 

5G networks are in their final testing phases and the infrastructure to support them is slowly being introduced. Expected to be much faster and more efficient than 4G, it will allow more devices to be connected and make serious headway into allowing the internet of things to become a tangible reality.

The concept of the internet of things is to have all devices connected to the internet as well as each other. Running the gamut from mobile phones, coffee makers, headphones, lamps to almost anything you can think of, 5G has the potential of integrating smart homes into every aspect of our smart lives.

Prof. Carl James Debono

“The latency, that is the time it takes for data to leave the transmitting device and be received by the intended recipient, is set to decrease. This means that the connection of the mobile device becomes comparable to a cable connection,” Prof. Debono says.

The speed at which 5G operates opens the door not only to faster and more efficient personal technology but gives an opportunity for automation to build devices that can connect and react at real-time speeds.

One industry that could potentially see exponential growth is self-driving cars. While companies such as Tesla and Toyota are testing vehicles with a number of self-driving features on the roads, the higher connectivity sees the possibility of full automation; that is, completely driverless cars, on the table.

“We already have experimentation being held with driverless cars. One of the bottlenecks is the network connections as cars will need to communicate between themselves. 5G can provide this connection,” says Prof. Debono.

It is in the interest of the industry that there is no impact on human health

The proposed network would ambitiously see cars connected not only to a central data centre but also to every other device on the road network, with the potential of eliminating traffic by autonomously diverting to other routes on the spot, and avoiding road accidents between vehicles through a near-perfect response time.

“Mobile telephony has already changed our lives,” Prof. Debono says. “Providing higher speeds and better connectivity can only inspire further innovations that impact peoples’ lives.”

However, one of 5G’s greatest benefits, its speed, could also be causing some of its drawbacks. To operate, 5G uses a range of frequencies that are much higher than the previous generation’s and, as a result, produce shorter waves.

Shorter waves mean the frequency cannot travel as far and therefore provides a much shorter signal distance. While 4G was able to travel up to 10km with barely a nip in quality, 5G maxes out at around 300m. This means that, in order to be functional, more transmitters are required, and likely in clusters every few hundred metres.

“More transmitters are needed at higher frequencies because for the same transmitting power the waves will travel less distance due to the resistance they find in the medium,” Prof. Debono says.

“During bad weather, such as rain, the water droplets will affect the high frequency components and these will lose energy in a shorter distance, however, there are still other components of the spectrum that we are using today, so connection will still be possible.”

This also creates the possibility that the advantages offered by 5G will be limited to urban areas and whether remote areas are serviced by 5G will depend entirely on whether telecommunication companies deem the exercise cost-effective.

Source: IDATE DigiWorld, state of LTE & 5G markets, July 2018

Detractors of 5G have also raised health concerns with the advent of the new technology, particularly how new frequencies may affect the human body.

“5G will have additional spectrum at higher frequencies,” Prof. Debono says.  “The radio spectrum is a highly regulated market and it is assumed that safety concerns are addressed. The transmission power is limited by regulation and this is to protect human health. It is in the interest of the industry that there is no impact on human health.

“To date, there is no reliable study that indicates life is in danger,” he continues.

“This is probably because it is practically impossible to make a study on this as there are many other things that affect human life to be able to attribute something specifically to 5G.”