The WIRED Guide to 5G

The future depends on connectivity. From artificial intelligence and self-driving cars to telemedicine and mixed reality to as yet undreamt technologies, all the things we hope will make our lives easier, safer, and healthier will require high-speed, always-on internet connections. To keep up with the explosion of new connected gadgets and vehicles, not to mention the deluge of streaming video, the mobile industry is working on something called 5G--so named because it's the fifth generation of wireless networking technology. The promise is that 5G will bring speeds of around 10 gigabits per second to your phone. US carriers promise that 5G will be available nationwide by 2020, but the first 5G networks won't be nearly so fast. Carriers have launched demos and pilot programs that demonstrate big leaps in wireless performance, but mobile networks based on the "millimeter-wave" technology that may deliver the fastest speeds probably won't be widely available for years.