5G vs 5 Gig — What’s the Difference?
Telecom companies sure love our acronyms and abbreviations! But we know this can make things confusing for most people. Especially when new technologies emerge at the same time, with very similar names.
So, if you’ve ever heard “5G” and” 5 Gig” and thought, hey—aren’t those the same thing? We’re here to clear things up.
5 Gig Speeds
5 Gig refers to internet speed and bandwidth. “Gig” is short for Gigabits per second (Gbps). This is a fiber internet speed that references how quickly information can be transmitted through fiber optic cables. To give you an idea of how fast that is, 5 Gbps is equal to 5,000 Mbps…which is fifty times faster than the standard 100 Mbps internet plan.
Higher speeds mean higher bandwidth, which allows you to connect more devices to the internet without experiencing slowdowns. For instance, most heavy-use internet activities, like streaming, require 25 Mbps of bandwidth. With a 5 Gbps plan, you could connect and use up to 200 devices at once!
5G Cellular Networks
Coined by wireless carriers, 5G stands for fifth generation mobile network. It uses a new way of encoding data that’s more efficient than 4G LTE, which has been the standard up until recently. We won’t bore you with the technical details, but 5G is exciting for several reasons:
- Higher capacity—more devices per square mile can connect to one cell phone tower without experiencing slowdowns.
- Increased speed and reliability—you can get speeds up to 1 Gig (that’s 1,000 Mbps).
- Lower latency—enjoy a smoother experience streaming and gaming on the go.
When you have questions, we have answers.
So, there you have it! 5 Gig refers to internet speeds, while 5G refers to mobile networks.
At Horizon, we value our role as your trusted advisor, and we’re always here to assist. Whether you’re wondering about the difference between Gbps and Mbps or considering upgrading your service, our friendly, hometown team is more than happy to help. Find us online at Horizonconnects.com or give us a call today at 740.772.8200