Is 5G Right For Education?

Experts predict that in 2020, 5G wireless will be widely available.  The upgrade will increase data speed by nearly 1,000 percent.  If used correctly, schools could use 5G to harness the power of data-heavy technologies.

A 5G signal travels at below 10 milliseconds.  Signals in the human brain take 14 seconds to travel, which means that 5G works faster than the human brain, dramatically increasing technology responsiveness.

5G’s signal covers a much smaller area and runs into issues when moving through solid objects such as buildings.  However, if service providers install a much larger number of smaller towers, they could support over a million connections as compared to central 4G towers that can support about 2,000 connections at once.

Researchers believe that in urban school environments, 5G could greatly enhance the school experience.  The networks would provide schools with faster response times and greater device capabilities.

Although 5G is still a few years out, schools need to start preparing for the change now.  Upgrading to technologies that support 5G can get quite costly.  Despite the cost, 5G could greatly advance student education by enhancing edtech and incorporating augmented reality and virtual reality into the classroom.

Story via EdTech