As 5G rollout nears, the unending debate over health effects is back

5G networks will use a frequency band separate from the already congested 4G networks.

Business Standard : Affordable access to the fourth generation of wireless communication, or 4G, has had us hooked to our phones for a large part of the day. It’s our gateway to the news, entertainment and to commerce. But what’s coming next may change the way we interact with the internet forever. At transmission speeds of over 1 gigabit per second, 5G – the fifth generation of wireless communication – will be more than 20-times faster than 4G.

At these speeds, the concept called internet of things – where one internet-linked device can send and receive data from another such device – would become more workable. But to enable data traffic at this rate, telecom companies will have to change the way they send data.

5G networks will use a frequency band separate from the already congested 4G networks. And instead of relying on low-frequency radio waves like 4G and all its predecessors did, the 5G network is set to make use of high-frequency radio waves. These would carry more data and enable faster transmission rates.

But there’s a catch.

The millimetre-long radio waves that will do much of 5G’s bidding cannot travel over large distances. They will have to be intercepted and re-beamed after about every 500 metres. To do this, telecom companies plan to place several small antennas 500 metres apart, cramming them in close spatial quarters. This could expose us to radiation from more sources than before.

Unlike X-rays and ultraviolet radiation, radio-wave exposure is non-ionising. It doesn’t damage the DNA per se. However, some studies have shown that continuous exposure may cause small amounts of localised heating. Whether this could lead to more serious health effects is a question many researchers have asked – and the answers remain out of reach.

Few reports have shown a positive relationship between telephone use and cancer. However, there are as many studies that show no association between the two. “So far, the body of evidence is not large enough to say that the association is conclusive,” Manya Prasad, a senior resident at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, told The Wire

From foldable devices to smarter assistants, technology to expect in 2019

In new year 2019, gadgets are expected to get a major transformation, setting the stage for devices that would change the way we interact with technology.

From the news of when to expect a first 5G smartphone to a glimpse of a foldable screen device, the year 2018 set in motion a lot of things that would materialise in the new year 2019. The technology and gadget space is expected to get a major transformation, setting the stage for devices that would change the way we interact with technology. Business Standard lists some of the upcoming devices and technologies:

FOLDABLE DEVICES WITH BENDABLE SCREENS

Since its inception, mobile phones have been bearing a bar shaped form factor that cannot be bent, twisted or folded. However, things are about to change and soon there would be devices with bendable screens, making the concept of foldable devices a reality. Last year, South Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled a working prototype of its first foldable device at its developers’ conference. Called the Galaxy X, the device boasts an inward bendable screen and a secondary screen on the outside. The convertible device (tablet-cum-smartphone) is expected to be unveiled this year.

Not just Samsung, other smartphone makers like LG Electronics, Lenovo, Motorola and Huawei are also known to be working on their own foldable devices, which are expected to be unveiled sometime this year.

ROLLABLE TELEVISIONS

The rollable OLED screen technology has been around for some time. However, it has not yet found its way into consumer-ready products like smartphones or televisions. Last year, LG showcased its 65-inch rollable OLED TV at the Consumer Electronic Show. This year, Samsung and Sony are expected to unveil televisions with rollable screens. While the utility of such televisions is still unknown, it is safe to assume that these upcoming televisions would at least address the space and portability issue that the current generation televisions face.

5G IN SMARTPHONES

With all the optimism around the 5G network, it is safe to assume that the next generation of mobile connectivity would start to roll out by the end of 2020. However, to ensure that consumers have compatible devices when the technology rolls out, smartphone makers are working over time on devices with 5G network support. These are expected to be launched sometime this year. Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has already showcased a 5G-ready prototype based on its Find X smartphone. OnePlus, another Chinese company, also revealed its plan to launch a 5G smartphone this year. Likewise, Samsung, Huawei, Honor and other smartphone manufacturers are also said to be working on their own smartphones with 5G network support.

Business Standard

Self-driving car industry needs standards, wide-reaching 5G network: JLR

JLR's Ralf Speth outlined ambitious plans to stay ahead of the rapidly changing technological changes.

Automakers need standards for key equipment, a wide-reaching 5G broadband network and strong partnerships to make self-driving cars and electric vehicles a success, top European car industry executives said on Wednesday.

Ralf Speth, chief executive of Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover , outlined ambitious plans to stay ahead of the rapidly changing technological changes, but said the sector also needed unified and clear guidelines for safeguarding driver information and privacy.

Government and industry should work closely together to ensure success as the market evolves, Speth told a conference hosted by Automobilwoche magazine in Berlin.

European carmakers are racing to keep up with the rapid pace of development in the self-driving and electric vehicle markets in the United States and China.

The changes sweeping the industry promise to bring "enormous progress to humanity," with autonomous cars offering mobility to many people now locked out of driving, such as the elderly and those with disabilities, Speth said.

But carmakers and suppliers would increasingly have to forge partnerships to meet the technological challenges involved, he said.

"No company alone can master challenges such as autonomous driving and connectivity on its own," Speth told Reuters after the conference, adding that companies will also need to keep investing in improving conventional engines, which will continue to power a majority of vehicles for years.

Volkswagen and Ford Motor Co are in "exploratory talks" to jointly develop self-driving and electric vehicles in a far-reaching strategic alliance meant to save the companies billions of dollars, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters last week.

Speth also called for industry-wide standards for charging stations and cords, as well as vehicle communication systems.

One area of concern was the production of batteries for electric cars, Speth and other executives said.

Oliver Blume, chief executive of the Porsche division of Volkswagen, said demand for batteries would be so great in coming years that it could not be met by current suppliers.

"We will definitely need intelligent partnerships," he said.

Detlev Mohr, senior partner with consulting firm McKinsey, said in an interview that he expected to see increased efforts to strengthen the supply chain - especially in the battery sector - in Germany and neighbouring countries over the next two years.

"I hope that it won't be too late. We certainly need acceleration and a more decisive approach. The setting of strategic goals is good, but the implementation is what will ultimately make the difference," he said.

Business Standard

India to roll out 5G by 2022, increase fiber backbone to 2.5 mn kilometers

South Korea is expected to launch these services by March 2019, Japan in late 2019 and China, along with most western major cities, in 2020.

India plans to roll out state-of-the-art 5G telecom services in the next four years, a senior official said, as the nation rushes to catch up with its Asian peers.

“We are not there yet,” Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said in an interview in New Delhi, adding that complete roll-out of 5G will be done by 2022.

“5G won’t be driven by supply, it’ll be driven by demand and the rest of industry needs to wake up to this.”

The South Asian nation, traditionally a laggard while embracing latest technology in telecommunications, will follow South Korea, Japan and China where 5G service will be offered within the next two years. The high-speed and low latency service will help Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Digital India plan, which seeks to broaden Internet access, and the Smart Cities initiative.

“If we want smart cities, clearly we need smart infrastructure for it,” Sundararajan said, adding some early stage projects may start rolling out as early as 2020.

The new technology has advantages of massive connectivity, low power consumption and boasts of download speeds and capacity that can enable autonomous vehicles, drones, remotely assisted surgeries and traffic control.

A slight delay, however, might actually be beneficial for India, according to Sanford C. Bernstein’s Hong Kong-based analyst Christopher Lane, who expects South Korea to launch these services by March 2019, Japan in late 2019 and China, along with most western major cities, in 2020.

“India needs China to launch to drive economies of scale and lower cost 5G handsets. I think 2022 or later is appropriate for India,” Lane said in an email.

South Korea, which recently tested its 5G technology during the Winter Olympics in February with self-driving cars, virtual reality games and a motion-detection system to ward off menacing wild boars, is planning an airwaves auction to commercially deploy 5G wireless services.

Japanese firms are gearing up, as are the U.S. carriers. Italy is targeting a September auction of spectrum that could be used for 5G while the U.K. sold bandwidth in April that included some earmarked for these services. The Hong Kong government is even considering giving airwaves away for free.

India’s telecom regulator too last week proposed floor prices for auctioning spectrum dedicated for 5G rollout although the auction dates are yet to be announced.

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