A new force on the horizon: the future of video will be 5G.

A new force on the horizon: the future of video will be 5G.
Major telecom carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile agree that 5G will change everything. they consider the arrival of the fifth technological generation as the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution. According to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, 5G will serve as a replacement for fixed broadband in three to five years. This is ideal for remote areas or any location that does not have a cable or fiber. Jeff Binder, executive vice president of home and entertainment at T-Mobile US Inc., said the rise of 5G technology would be a game changer for the mobile and digital video markets.

How 5G is different from 4G

Currently, we mainly use 4G technology, or 4th generation, for cellular Internet. Here are some elements that differentiate 5G from 4G:

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5G trials

In anticipation of the arrival of 5G in the commercial market, several telecom operators have collaborated with providers on various 5G trials in the United States. These tests allow operators to test 5G technology and see how it works. For example, AT&T currently offers 5G mobile technology to select customers in 19 cities. Residential, small business and enterprise customers were able to benefit from fast broadband services over a 5G fixed wireless network while streaming premium television services. Other 5G trials have shown download and download speeds of about 1 Gbps when streaming video, downloading, and conferencing. By 2020, AT&T is expected to have nationwide 5G reach. Telecommunications giant Verizon Wireless offers 5G broadband internet called 5G Home in certain geographic areas. Customers can expect unlimited data and speeds from 300 Mbps to 1 Gbps, depending on their location. Starting in May, Sprint will provide 5G mobile service to various cities, primarily at airports and/or sports venues. To prepare for its 5 2019G rollout, which is expected to reach 1,4 million people, Sprint has deployed an LTE Advanced network in 300 cities, offering gigabit speeds for compatible devices.

Video will dominate 5G traffic

5G should upset many industries. With the use of 5G technology, companies will no longer have to invest in high-bandwidth communication lines and equipment, allowing them to access their market. Objective with greater reliability and quality than ever. Media and entertainment companies are undeniably part of the potential benefits. According to the 5G report on the entertainment economy, 5G will generate €1.2 trillion in new revenue in the multimedia entertainment industry by 2028, while an industry report will continue to grow. Intel and Ovum predict that user demand for video should increase dramatically. The average monthly traffic per 5G subscriber will increase from 11.7GB in 2019 to 84.4GB in 2028. Eventually, video will account for 90% of all 5G traffic. One of the reasons for this incredible growth is that 5G should solve one of the biggest frustrations of video storage on mobile devices. It takes 1 millisecond or less to respond to data requests, or as AT&T Director of Business Marketing Mo Katibeh puts it, "as fast as your brain deals with reality." Mobile customers will also enjoy Ultra HD (UHD) video on any platform, wherever they are. For 5G, the target download rate is 20 Gbps, and the download rate is 10 Gbps. This will allow for a closer to fiber experience. There will be faster UHD downloads, live sharing, and better streaming. Furthermore, 5G should enable a truly immersive VR experience due to its extremely low latency (less than 5 milliseconds). 5G will allow viewers to stream more lifelike and realistic VR content by avoiding nausea, which users tend to experience at 20+ millisecond latency. Furthermore, 5G can offer a new sensory dimension to visual experiences. By linking haptics to 5G, users can experience new sensations such as heat and pressure. This offers a new immersive experience for video games, music concerts, and even virtual reality movies. AR, VR and cloud (broadband and low latency) gaming is expected to grow by up to 2400% in the next 10 years, allowing content producers to reach a new channel.

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Are you ready for the 5G era?

The 5G era is fast approaching and offers incredible new opportunities for video content creators, broadcasters and consumers alike. It won't be here tomorrow (2022 is the first forecast for consumer market deployment) and, as with any emerging technology, significant adjustments will be needed in the infrastructure, hardware, and software sectors. But there is no longer a version of the future where we can ignore this new disruptor. The technology is moving from hype to actual testing and deployment, which means media and entertainment companies need to prepare their offerings and business models to facilitate and monetize these new features. Max Kalmykov Vice President of Media and Entertainment at DataArt