It seems like only yesterday that 5G was the new ‘big thing’ on the block. While, for many years, we were all perfectly (or somewhat) content with 4G as the fastest network for smartphones, the technology from that fourth generation already feels outdated and archaic to those who have been living and working in 5G hotspots for a few years now.
According to various sources, 6G is supposed to launch commercially in 2030, with development and standardisation scheduled to start in 2025 and end in 2029. With this in mind, the first lab testing and pilots are going to take place in 2028, which is only four years from now.
But while this is very exciting for consumers and businesses alike, it’s a little strange to be talking about 6G when 5G is still not available everywhere. Across the world, there are plenty of countries that still don’t support 5G, which means their technological abilities are technically still restricted to a 2009-2019 model network. So why are people talking about 6G already, and why hasn’t 5G completely taken off yet?
The Thing About 5G
The reason this is all worth talking about is because 5G – and 6G, for that matter – are world drivers. By that we mean, if companies want to develop what they give consumers – and consumers want their products and services to get better – then networks like 5G are an important factor in development and evolution. The world in 2024 is largely online, after all. The iGaming scene is a good example of 5G allowing companies to push the boundaries by running software with faster speeds, higher capacity, lower latency, and increased reliability.
Logging onto an online casino in 2024 is a lot faster and easier than in 2014, and this is largely down to the new generation of mobile broadband, helping iGaming companies to boost their efficiency and create platforms that really work ‘on-the-go’. The industry is now so dynamic that there are entire forum pages dedicated to keeping on top of the latest and greatest.
The problem, however, is that 5G isn’t everywhere yet, despite being released over five years ago. This means that businesses operating in unsupported countries are a step behind the businesses operating with 5G, and this will only change once 5G installation has become widespread.
The Thing About 6G
By the time this happens, however, all the businesses operating with 5G now might be a step ahead once again. Five years is not a very long period of time in the grand scheme of things, and it’s clear that the appetite is there to continue levelling up. But while all the discussion may seem premature, it’s actually right on cue – especially if you consider the patterns of the past. 3G was released in 2001, 4G was released in 2009, and 5G in 2019. Historically, there’s been a ten year cycle between each new network generation, so if anything, 2030 as an introduction date is going to be one year late.
Nevertheless, a lot of people feel the same way: that this is all very sudden, and feels like progress for the sake of progress.
How Will Businesses Manage?
Really though, for businesses that have still not reaped the benefits of 5G, it shouldn’t be too much of a concern. One of the main reasons why 5G has not been installed everywhere is because of the extensive infrastructure that it requires. With new tech comes new challenges, and switching everyone to a new network generation is not as easy as flicking a switch that says ‘GO!’ Deploying 6G cells across large geographical areas is going to be just as complex, not to mention expensive, so the true introduction of 6G shouldn’t be expected for another ten or so years, giving businesses more time to catch up.
On the flip side of the coin, by that point, other technological advancements may have been made that does make it easy to initialise the infrastructure. This would similarly be a good result, as it will put every business on the same playing field, without the disadvantage of being behind competition. This is all just a theory, of course, but considering the rate at which technology is moving right now, it isn’t out of the question. As always, we’re all going to have to sit back and wait – and accept that discussions and anticipation for 6G are going to be getting even more frequent over the next few years!