5G is already here as we have entered the era of 5G. A much faster and more reliable network technology 5G represents a major step forward from current connectivity options, both cellular and wireless broadband, as it promises unheralded speeds and connectivity capabilities. There is no doubt that 5G promises to be faster, reliable, and more efficient than the previous 4G network, but what’s the difference between 5G and Wi-Fi? The key differences between 5G vs. Wi-Fi are use cases. They both offer high speeds, high device density and have similar costs to deploy and maintain, but they are different according to the utilization of use cases. However, the technologies 5G and Wi-Fi can be deployed together and complemented with each other with their own strengths.
Wi-Fi has been around for long years, but 5G is the newest arrival – 5G is the fifth-generation cellular network that promises to be faster, most powerful, and more secure than previous wireless technologies. 5G is the 5th generation of mobile internet connectivity, which has low latency enabling a wide range of applications such as self-driving cars, smart cities, and healthcare. 5G also supports the increasing number of devices that can connect to the internet through connected cars, connected homes and wearables such as smart watches.
Here, a question comes how does 5G compare with Wi-Fi? The main advantage of 5G is its speed which can help you stream your favorite movies without buffering or downloading gigabytes of content in seconds, whereas Wi-Fi is prevalent technology used for home and business environments, costs you lower to deploy, maintain, and scale. Wi-Fi can provide exceptional support for loads of data-demanding devices such as PCs, smartphones, streaming devices, TV sets, etc. so now let us see difference between 5G and Wi-Fi along with Smart Mobile Network Monitoring Tools, Mobile Network Drive Test Tools, Mobile Network Testing Tools and Smart Best wireless site survey software, site survey tools for wireless networks & Wifi site survey software app in detail below.
Difference between 5G vs Wi-Fi
Security – Though both the technologies like Wi-Fi and 5G can be used securely, 5G offers better security and privacy by default compared to Wi-Fi.
Capacity – 5G has high capacity (many devices a network can support) that enable support for very high density of devices across the public mobile network infrastructure. Though 5G encompasses larger bandwidth requirements hence it can support more devices. But the capacity in Wi-Fi networks can reach at around 50 devices per radio.
Reliability – 5G due to its smooth wireless handoff provides improved reliability for mobile devices than Wi-Fi. But you may experience poor wireless handoff if you have ever lost a Wi-Fi connection while moving through the office.
Cost – 5G devices are slightly more expensive than Wi-Fi as they reduce the operational expense for installation/operations within the wired network infrastructure.
5G will not replace Wi-Fi and it will only provide the best user experience through instant connectivity and offer an opportunity to encrypt traffic. Any pain point associated with Wi-Fi deployments such as security concerns, 5G can address those. For example, if you’re using Wi-Fi for a video call, you may experience the call drop when you move from your home to walk outside, in that case, 5G offers more seamless connectivity to transfer traffic between networks for keeping the sessions intact.
Wi-Fi will continue to be a viable option for indoor environments, while 5G will continue for outdoor areas or industrial use cases that depend on reach, quality of service, and security. So, several companies will probably use a combination of both technologies (Wi-Fi and 5G) as per their requirements.
Conclusion
When we talk about 5G vs Wi-Fi, both technologies have their pros and cons, and these technologies can work together (5G will not replace Wi-Fi). Both technologies need network measurement for their better performance with stable network connectivity. If you have such kind of requirements, the RantCell tool is the most suitable option to choose from. Whether it’s indoor testing/walk testing or drive testing on 5G/4G/wi-fi coverage, RantCell would be your partner in terms of network measurement solutions, benchmarking solutions and more.
