Ask HN: What would you do with 5G?

For the sake of argument (since the 5G standard isn't close to fully specified yet), let's assume a standard urban 5G connection is:

-1Gbit/s data rate

-1ms latency

-same energy efficiency as 4G

What would you build or do with such a powerful internet connection (besides stream more content)?

10 points | by roymurdock 1766 days ago

9 comments

  • Spooky23 1766 days ago
    Depends on the price!

    I’m assuming the main mobile/IoT use case will be persistent video. Real-time streaming for facial recognition, event detection, survey, etc.

    It will replace most of the MPLS and similar tech for field offices. Better mousetrap.

    Personally, I’m more interested in low bandwidth (3G-like), high penetration technology for IoT.. metering, telemetry, etc. In the long run, I think hardware will get cheaper and faster at lower power, and streaming everything to cloud will always be less reliable and higher opex.

  • rasz 1766 days ago
    >-1Gbit/s data rate

    >-1ms latency

    So better than current top of the line 1Gbit stationary fiber? 20 people maxing single base station, and dont forget the xx GB/month data cap. What you describe is maybe 7-8G.

    But just for fun: phones will become thin clients if/when we eventually reach ~100Mbit _unmetered standard data plans_ as a baseline. The idea of phone OS might vanish, handsets will be treated as fancy skins for your cloud data instance. Commodity hardware, no more $1K smartphones.

  • finnthehuman 1766 days ago
    For work I have a bunch of fielded 3g devices. I don’t know of many “interesting” use cases are both inherently mobile and hamstrung by 4g. Most have (much) lower data demand than IRL streaming, which is already a thing that exists with 4g.

    Coverage, network cost and hardware cost are the interesting factors. We’ll see how 5g actually effects those once the shine of the hot new tech wears off.

    The real, actionable, answer is boring: I’d upgrade my hotspot and If the price is reasonable, I’d replace my household ISP.

  • dmarlow 1766 days ago
    Get rid of my cable internet for starters, that's what I'd do.
  • sauravt 1766 days ago
    Move to a remote mountain, that 5G radiation is dangerous to health.
    • randomvectors 1764 days ago
      Is there any conclusive evidence for this?
  • jarjarbinks455 1765 days ago
    Get ear cancer from the stronger radiation levels.
  • throw51319 1765 days ago
    5G is almost completely useless for most people. It's actually very useful for governments to spy and for big corps to market and embed more in our capitalist societies. So of course they're going to shove it down our throats as the "next big thing."
  • 7373737373 1764 days ago
    More internet controlled robots!