{"id":8105,"date":"2022-01-31T14:30:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T14:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/31\/wireless-industry-now-claims-5g-will-miraculously-help-fix-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2022-01-31T14:30:06","modified_gmt":"2022-01-31T14:30:06","slug":"wireless-industry-now-claims-5g-will-miraculously-help-fix-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/01\/31\/wireless-industry-now-claims-5g-will-miraculously-help-fix-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Wireless Industry Now Claims 5G Will Miraculously Help Fix Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

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from the is-there-nothing-it-can’t-do<\/i> dept<\/h3>\n

\nFor several years the wireless industry has been hyping fifth-generation wireless (5G) as something utterly transformative. For this whole stretch we’ve been subjected to claims about how the wireless standard would revolutionize smart cities, transform the way we live, result in unbridled innovation, and even help us cure cancer<\/a> (doctors have told me it won’t actually do that<\/a>, if you’re interested).\n<\/p>\n

\nBut in reality, when 5G arrived, it was a bit underwhelming. At least in the United States, where speeds were dramatically lower than overseas deployments<\/a> due to our failure to make middle-band spectrum widely available. And at prices that remain some of the highest in the developed world thanks in large part to consistent consolidation<\/a> and regulatory capture<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

\nYeah, 5G is important<\/b>. But not in any sexy way. It provides significantly faster speeds and lower latency over more reliable networks. Which is a good thing<\/em>. But it’s more evolution than revolution. Consumers are generally happy with 4G speeds, and most consumer surveys suggest the number one thing they want is better coverage (which U.S. 5G has struggled to provide because middle band spectrum was scarce) and price cuts<\/u>.\n<\/p>\n

\nHoping to excite consumers and regulators, wireless carriers have been desperate to come up with marketing that tries to frame 5G as utterly transformative. Usually this involves marketing that takes something you can already do over 4G or Wi-Fi<\/u>, attaching 5G to it, and calling it a miracle. Like watching concerts (which you can already do) over 5G<\/a>. Or getting a tattoo remotely (which you could technically already do over wired, Wi-Fi, or 4G broadband):\n<\/p>\n