Is 5G Faster than Fibre Optic?

What is 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of cellular technology, which promises an increase in speed and reliability over current 4G technology.

It is an exciting evolution in mobile communication technology that offers greater data speed and reliability.

As mobile network infrastructure continues to evolve, so too does mobile communication. 5G’s potential benefits include faster and more responsive connections, and the ability to transmit data at higher speeds.

What is Fibre Optic?

Fibre optic networking is a communications technology used by network providers to deliver high-speed internet, telephone, television and other forms of communication over long distances.

Fibre optic cables use laser light to transfer information over glass fibres. Optical fibre provides much higher bandwidth than copper wire networks and uses a fraction of the power of the older copper networks.

The key to fibre optics is that it doesn’t carry electricity. Rather, it carries data in the form of light. As the light travels down the cable it is converted into an electric signal that is then processed and sent over the cable.

Fibre optics can be found in almost every area of the world. It is often the most expensive option when compared to other communication technologies, but it also offers the highest speeds.

Advantages of 5G over Fibre Optic

It is undeniable that 5G is the next step in cellular technology. While fibre-optic connectivity is often considered the best and fastest method for connecting networks, 5G stands on its own.

Here are the main reasons why you should consider 5G over fibre-optic connectivity.

1. Speed

5G is already outpacing 4G and fibre-optic. The fifth generation of mobile broadband has made connections up to 1 Gbps possible, with peak speeds up to 100 Gbit/s. The speed increase is because the spectrum of 5G is more than twice that of 4G, so the bandwidth increases.

In addition, 5G uses smaller wavelengths of radio frequencies to transmit and receive information. 5G is able to use millimetre wave, which has shorter wavelengths and is more sensitive to obstacles in the line of sight.

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2. Capacity

5G can accommodate more devices simultaneously, with higher speeds than 4G. 5G allows many users to be connected at once.

It is estimated that 5G can handle at least 50 times more users than 4G.

3. Coverage

5G offers wider coverage than 4G and is fibre-optic. The area covered by a cell can be expanded significantly.

With fibre-optic, you need to purchase an additional cable or connection.

4. Reliability

5G has better reliability than fibre-optic. 5G can connect to multiple devices, including smartphones, smartwatches, and other wearable devices.

If a fibre-optic connection fails, you are left without access to the internet.

5. Security

5G can be used to secure and protect critical networks, while fibre-optic connections can only be used for high-priority data.

6. Cost

5G can cost less to set up than fibre-optic. 5G requires less installation and maintenance costs, because of its small size.

7. Scalability and Adaptability

5G can be easily scaled up or down. It can also adapt to changing environments.

Disadvantages of 5G over Fibre Optic

5G offers data transfer rates between 10GB and 100GB per second! That’s insanely fast! But there are some drawbacks.

1. Signals don’t Travel Far 

For starters, the 5G signals don’t travel as far as fibre optic technology does. In fact, they don’t travel as far as any type of optical networking technology.

This means it won’t go as far as fibre optic does.

2. Spectrum is Less Powerful

The 5G spectrum is also less powerful than fibre. Meaning that the higher the speed, the fewer channels you can use.

So, for example, if you had 100GB of data, you would have to use 1,000 channels to transmit all that data. This will be the case until 5G technology improves.

3. Requires a New Kind of Network Infrastructure

Another disadvantage of 5G is that it requires a new kind of network infrastructure. To connect devices to the network, 5G uses antennas instead of fibre.

It also uses new radio frequencies to connect the antennas to devices. This will increase the cost of 5G deployment.

But let’s say the disadvantages of 5G don’t matter to you. There is still a ton of reason to implement it!

Rain 5g vs Fibre: Conclusion

In my opinion, 5G networks are better than fibre, not necessarily because they are faster, but because they use a larger amount of spectrum.

You should also consider if the need for speed is because of real-time performance requirements. 5G is much more scalable than fibre optics because you don’t need to create physical cables. So, if you’re not doing real-time tasks, fibre optics is the way to go.

So, in my opinion, fibre optic is the clear winner here. But, there is no right or wrong answer. Only an educated decision.