Next-gen internet may allow you to use your phone no matter how big the crowd is.
Big events with thousands of people in attendance put a huge stress on mobile networks, meaning you’re often unable to message your friends to meet up, upload videos to social media, or livestream your favorite band playing their final encore.
That’s largely due to the concentration of people using spectrum in one location over a standard 4G (or perhaps even 2G or 3G) signal, which means the connectivity can crash out and become unusable for the majority of a crowd.
But with 5G just around the corner – it’s set to launch in the US and UK in the coming months – we may see a solution to the problem soon, with the next-gen mobile network offering faster speeds as well as further spectrum, allowing more people to be online at the same time.
Could 5G be the final piece of the puzzle to ensure you’re always connected even in a crowd of thousands? A lot of the big driving forces behind 5G believe so, but most of the focus has so far been on alternative (and headline-grabbing) uses of 5G, like virtual reality and super smart IoT (Internet of Things) devices.
Research commissioned by software specialists Amdocs suggests that most people will first experience 5G connectivity at a major sporting event. That makes sense considering Vodafone plans to cover 19 cities by the end of 2019 with its 5G signal, while EE is limited to 16, so most of us won’t be able to get 5G in their hometown right away.
The Amdocs report also found that 63% of network operators plan to offer augmented reality or virtual reality experiences at sporting events using 5G tech – that doesn’t exactly solve the problem of crowded mobile networks that limit your social media use.
Gary Miles, Chief Marketing Officer at Amdocs said: “Operators have identified these events as the springboard for rollout of a whole range of new interactive and immersive services. This will give consumers their first real taste of what 5G can deliver and allow operators to showcase the capabilities of their next-generation networks.»
“Expect to see the first of these new services and applications rolled out in conjunction with the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and soccer tournaments in Europe, among other big events in the sports calendar.
