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Comment by m0zg | Hacker News Reader

Why? I think 4G LTE is more than fast enough, if available.

It doesn't really matter, people want 5G. There's also the standard argument that when 5G becomes standard, new applications will arise. I can't think of any off the top of my head, but that's also kind of the point. People in the 90s probably couldn't imagine graphics cards enabling a deep learning either.

5G is primarily targeted at IoT. New applications yes, but those applications won't necessarily be for phones.

Unless bandwidth prices for 5G get dramatically lower than 4G (unlikely, because I don't see mobile operators discriminating subscriptions like that), then 5G won't have much of an impact on phone owners.

What _is_ IoT in the first place?

Traditionally dumb devices that are streaming telemetry / sensor data to, and possibly receving commands from, a central server.

5G is supposedly better for the use-case because it should support more connections, it should have less latency, and the devices should use less power for staying connected.

Do people want 5G? Will carriers build it?

The only deployment that actually makes a lot of sense is better coverage at sporting events, but why buy a phone for that this year when nobody is going to sporting events.

And we can use existing WiFi standards in stadiums.

https://www.mobilesportsreport.com/2019/10/ohio-state-breaks...

What people?

Here in Germany, we would already be happy if actually HSCSD worked everywhere, let alone LTE.

Because people will eventually build for 5G.

And then your 4G LTE won't be fast enough.

4G in my area is currently faster than my home internet on the Australian NBN. The killer feature seems to be not the fact that its faster but that it is shorter range so there is less congestion. If you live in a big city, 5g will bring 4g speeds that the suburbs experience.

And speed doesn't seem to be the limiting factor of mobile internet. Data caps are by far more restricting.

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