Imagine downloading a movie to your smartphone or tablet in just one second. Now, imagine that your smartphone is connected to your washer machine, dryer, heater, AC and more at home. You can start laundry before you arrive home. You can heat up or cool down your house before you step a single foot inside.
This is the world we imagine when we think about 5G Internet. Will it all become a reality tomorrow? No, but tech experts are hoping to see it in action in about two years. U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel want their countries to take the lead on the new technology. At CeBit 2014 in Hannover, Germany, Cameron announced his ambitious plan to bring Britain into the forefront of technological innovation with 5G Internet.
"This is a world on fast forward. A world of permanent technological revolution. And in this world, countries like the UK and Germany will only succeed if we have a relentless drive for new ideas and innovations. The UK tech scene today is dynamic. Relentlessly ambitious. Leading the way. It is our ambition to make the UK the most digital nation in the G8 and it is my mission to show the world that we're getting there," Cameron said at CeBit.
Three universities in Germany and the United Kingdom will work together to make 5G Internet a reality for everyone. Still, 5G Internet is about two years away and there is much to be done before it gets commercialized. However, once 5G Internet becomes a reality and people from countries all around the world start connecting to 5G networks, things will speed up dramatically. Download speeds, bandwidths and easy connectivity will all be facilitated by 5G Internet.
"With 4G, an 800 megabyte movie takes around 40 seconds to download; with 5G that would be cut to one second," said Cameron at CeBit, in reference to 5G's projected ability to reach speeds of up to 10GBps.
In comparison, 4G Internet is limited to much lower speeds and the network's bandwidth is severely limited, making the Internet of Things an impossibility. Currently, only 2 billion devices are connected on the Internet of Things in the United Kingdom, but in five years, that number will supposedly hit 50 billion. The only way for the Internet of Things to truly take off is with 5G.
At CeBit, Cameron also announced that he will throw £45 million more behind research for the Internet of Things, which will be supported by 5G Internet connections. Devices and appliances that are connected to the Internet, can be remotely controlled by smartphone and tablet users, meaning that people will be able to make sure that they turned to the stove, heat, lights, water and other things off before they left home. In addition to saving people money, it will help decrease our carbon footprint over time.
"I see the Internet of Things as a huge transformative development a way of boosting productivity of keeping us healthier making transport more efficient reducing energy needs, tackling climate change," Cameron said.
"Take British ingenuity in software, services and design add German excellence in engineering and industrial manufacturing and together we can lead in this new revolution," Cameron concluded.
