Roughly every 10 years, the next generation of mobile communication networks is released, bringing faster speeds and increased capabilities. 5G networks currently are in development right now, availability is limited to urban areas around the country. The complete evolution to 5G will take years-expected by 2022-but its goals are to meet increasing data and communication requirements, including capacity for tens of billions of connected devices that will make up the internet of things, ultra-low latency-the delay in communications between connections-required for near-real time communications, and faster speeds to support emerging technologies. Together, S&T and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are working to do just that. However, 5G also carries over and introduces new risks that must be addressed to ensure its secure and safe use by the government and private sectors, including everyday citizens. You no doubt have seen the numerous television commercials touting the introduction of the next cellular technology: fifth generation wireless technology, more commonly called 5G.ĥG builds upon existing telecommunication infrastructure to improve bandwidth and capabilities and reduce network-generated delays. This is the first in a series of feature articles highlighting the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate ’s (S&T) work related to 5G.

Articles on 5g technology how it works