By Jennifer Thayer
Guest Contributor
Being in the realm of communications, you’ve likely heard some buzz around 5G technology lately. It’s not officially on the market yet for everyday consumers, but it’s about to drop—and 5G implementation can and will be a game changer in visual communications.
What is 5G Technology?
5G technology refers to the fifth generation of telecommunications technology. Once it hits the market, it will be the fastest wireless connection ever available to consumers, in which they can access on their smart devices. Currently, the LTE network, a variety of 4G connectivity, offers the fastest available connection speeds. To put the 5G upgrade in perspective, 4G LTE technology allows transfers speeds that cap at about one gigabit per second, which means it takes about an hour to download a short HD movie. But 5G will boost this speed to up to 10 gigabits per second, which means that same movie can be downloaded in just seconds. Although it’s not projected to hit the consumer market until 2019, 5G technology is well on its way to fruition.
5G Technology and Visual Communications
With the rise of the Internet of Things and connected devices, the boundaries of visual communications have expanded into uncharted territories. Our visual cues not only come in traditional forms, like street signs and billboards, but more and more from our mobile devices. Facetiming or Skyping itself is a visual form of communications that continues to advance. Sending visual communications over a 5G connection will mean no more lag-time on these applications. Real-time communications will finally meet the expectations of instantaneous action-reaction responses. With 5G technology, seamless connection will put in place uninterrupted communications to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Computer-generated graphics in movies and games will appear more real than ever and the audience experience will hit a new level of immersive capability. What you see will be hard to distinguish as fiction or reality—think, virtual reality and its boundless potential once 5G technology is in place.
5G technology will also give internet service providers an alternative way to deliver internet—and that’s wirelessly. Instead of sending signals through wires, a router that is installed inside your home can send signals to an antenna that is set up outside the house, which will then transmit 5G millimeter waves to 5G cell towers. This means, home internet connection will be faster, which will significantly improve the visual communications coming from entertainment and communication devices within your home.
Going back to where the root of many visual communications start, graphic design and the systems used to create them will experience a major boost. Downloading and uploading images to edit, manipulate and create masterpieces will become easier than ever with 5G. For any graphic designers, artists and visual communicators, this ultra-fast wireless connection will loosen a lot of the bottle necks that have held them back in the creative and production process.
Future of Visual Communications with 5G
As more and more connected devices emerge, the upward trend towards digesting information visually on these mobile platforms won’t be stopping anytime soon. Once 5G comes to market and in the hands of these device owners, it will be hard to move them away from these smart-communication platforms. As a result, the visual communications that you decide to create and share will need to fully consider the fact that consumers are about to fully live on their mobile devices.
5G technology will change the game for how visual communications are concepted, executed and digested. Connecting with audiences will likely need to go through a 5G network in order for a message to be shared. Visual communication creators should note that the message they are trying to convey can and should be sent via a platform favorable to 5G.
So, whether its visually communicating material via a VR classroom, or sending different videos back and forth in truly real time, the way visual communications are delivered will be revolutionized. Innovation is here with 5G technology and it’s evolving the landscape of visual communications, going from black and white to vivid, high-definition colors, moving in action.
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Jennifer Thayer
Jennifer is a Freshly Techy Associate Editor and freelance writer who covers topics within the consumer electronics and technology industries. Check out some of her pieces on the latest technology at www.FreshlyTechy.com.