WiFi illustration from the Electronic Frontier Foundation via Creative Commons.
NEW YORK – You’ve seen the messaging: Super-fast 5G wireless is coming! And it will change EVERYTHING!
Data center and telecom professionals say that 5G will indeed be a huge deal, but that the hype and publicity around 5G is getting ahead of the infrastructure needed to deliver it. An example: Some AT&T phones are displaying “5GE” on some of its phones, short for 5G Evolution – which runs on its existing 4G LTE network.
“5G isn’t happening on the timetable that the cell companies would have you believe,” said Jeffrey Moerdler, who heads the Real Estate and Communications practice for the Mintz law firm. “5G cellular is in its infancy.”
“I think you’ll see 5G rolling out in pockets,” said Cliff Kane, CEO of Cleareon Fiber, a network service specialist. “It’s not going to be a profound impact this year or next year.”