The high image quality will make crystal clear video calls possible.
While it is still too early to use 5G from our own smartphones, Orange is offering the opportunity to experience a live preview of the latest generation of mobile networks at the MWC. Ultra-fast broadband, improved latency, very high resolution, virtual reality… Our specialists on the stand will be giving spectacular demonstrations of the power of 5G.
Firstly, these demonstrations are made possible by an experimental network implemented by Orange inside the MWC’s venue. Our experts are equipped with a Samsung smartphone that has been specially designed to take on the new 5G connectivity. In fact, the 5G protocol requires new antennas to be installed and uses different frequencies, so current 3G/4G phones will not be compatible with it.
A familiar universe
But what will 5G smartphones be like? “The main changes will be internal rather than external”, explains Carlos Perez, Connectivity Team Leader. “The chipset (the set of electronic components) is more modern. And putting all that technology in a device that looks identical to 4G devices has required a good deal of ingenuity”. This will be reassuring to current users: their familiar application system will still be there, along with all their Orange services – including their TV offer, of course!
Mobile 8K is possible!
The first and most highly anticipated technological achievement that will be experienced on site is increased connection speed. “The speed will be 10 times faster than the current generation”, Claudio Napolitano, Device Technology Manager at Orange, assures us.
At various demonstrations, presenters are downloading films live and streaming videos on the stand.
The ideal conditions offered by such a powerful connection are clear to anybody.
Another achievement is screen resolution, which promises to be exceptional. “While 4G can be used to send images in 4K”, says Carlos Perez, “a 5G smartphone will be able to send them in 8K”. With image quality this high, it will be possible to make crystal clear video calls and to watch films, series and TV shows on the move with an as yet unparalleled level of visual comfort.
Smartphones built for virtual reality
Finally, 5G connectivity represents a big leap for virtual reality. As we know, applications that use this technology really gobble up bandwidth. With the new generation, and thanks to significant improvements in latency, the performance of mobile network games will increase dramatically. The power of 5G also opens the way to new shared experiences, which the teams at Orange are working on at the moment. What’s in store for us? The ability to experience any event, concert or sporting fixture as if you were there by using a VR headset connected to a smartphone. What if the future was the ability to be everywhere at once?
