The rollout of 5G across metropolitan hubs has been a huge success and newer devices equipped with the latest in mobile networking have taken full advantage of the increased speed, bandwidth, and capacity that 5G offer. As with all things tech related, however, progress never stops, and the next step is already being explored as researchers clamber to explore what 6G networking may offer with early hopes to have something pushed out by the end of the 2020s.
(Image Credit: HighSpeedInternet)
For consumers needs, however, is 6G really a necessary bit of tech? Or is it simply the next addition in a never-ending stream of continuous improvement and tech buzzwords that are only really clear to those in the know. We’ll take a look at what changes in networking may bring, and if it’s something we really need.
The past decade has seen a major shift from 3G in the late noughties, the introduction of 4G throughout the teens, and now 5G, with each step required to keep up with the current data consumption from increasing downloads and uploads of videos through the likes of social media, increasing data demands from entertainment like casino games at Cloudbet, added data transfer from widgets and other tools too and much more.
- 4G and the introduction of 5G
Whilst 4G was more than well equipped enough to deal with this demand, bandwidth became the issue with so many users in one given active area, it would lead to a slowdown across the network. This was the major change that the introduction of 5G looked to bring, and whilst speed was another factor, it hasn’t been one that’s been hugely impactful due to hardware being a limitation.
- The emergence of 6G
For consumers, the introduction of 6G likely means a new round of hardware and a new round of 6G equipped devices, shelling out a few thousand dollars for a new 6G equipped device that may not offer all that much difference to what we’re currently using. It may also mean increased data charges from the telecom’s giants, and more specific charges related to 6G networking too.
It’s still unclear what this change may bring, research for 6G is just getting started and the possibilities of what it may deliver are still very much unknown, whilst there will be very exciting changes that comes with the update, there are for many consumers also a large number of changes that simply aren’t required.
Speed is one of the main selling points at the moment, but for the average consumer will be something that will never be explored. 5G has a theoretical max of 20Gbps but modern mobile devices will be able to offer barely a fraction of that currently until tech catches up, so a faster 6G at this point doesn’t really mean much for the day-to-day user.
Security, privacy, and secrecy have also been touted as other key features of what 6G may offer the consumer, what that really means is difficult to tell as they’re not really huge concerns on the 4G or 5G network either, but changes in these areas are always welcomed by many.
There’s still plenty of time to prepare with a half a decade until 6G will even likely be unveiled in its earliest stages, the business applications may be something completely different but for consumers needs, unless there’s a major change in the way we use the internet and consume data over the next decade, 6G for consumers may just be another cost added on to our already expensive devices, which may only find limited use for niche activities for the vast majority of users.
