5G, the fifth generation of cellular technology, is designed to increase speed, reduce latency, and improve the flexibility of wireless services. It is a unified, more capable air interface, designed with an extended capacity to enable next-generation user experiences, empower new deployment models, and deliver new services. 5G technology has a theoretical peak speed of 20 Gbps, while the peak speed of 4G is only 1 Gbps.

5G promises lower latency, which can improve the performance of business applications as well as other digital experiences such as online gaming, videoconferencing, and self-driving cars. While earlier generations of cellular technology focused on ensuring connectivity, 5G takes connectivity to the next level by delivering connected experiences from the cloud to clients.

5G networks are virtualized and software-driven, exploiting cloud technologies. They also simplify mobility, with seamless open roaming capabilities between cellular and Wi-Fi access. 5G technology should improve connectivity in underserved rural areas and in cities where demand can outstrip today's capacity with 4G technology.

New 5G networks will have a dense, distributed-access architecture and move data processing closer to the edge and the users to enable faster data processing. 5G technology will introduce advances throughout network architecture. 5G New Radio, the global standard for a more capable 5G wireless air interface, will cover spectrums not used in 4G.

New antennas will incorporate technology known as massive MIMO (multiple input, multiple output), which enables multiple transmitters and receivers to transfer more data at the same time. But 5G technology is not limited to the new radio spectrum. It is designed to support a converged, heterogeneous network combining licensed and unlicensed wireless technologies.