You've probably been hearing the term "5G" a lot lately in the context of fast internet.
Since the term comes up both in cellular internet and in home router contexts, I sometimes encounter customers who aren't entirely sure what the difference is — so here I am to explain it as briefly as possible.
In the cellular world, the "G" stands for "Generation." It is the successor to 4th generation and has nothing to do with the frequency being used.
In home internet, on the other hand, 5G is simply a shorthand for "5 GHz" — the frequency on which the communication takes place.
A third, entirely different term is "Wi-Fi 5," which refers to the generation of Wi-Fi in use and is an easier-to-remember alternative to "Wi-Fi AC."
So what exactly are these terms, and how do we use them correctly?
**Background:** Wi-Fi and cellular networks both use electromagnetic waves to transmit and receive data. The differences lie in the frequency ranges used and in their effective range.
Cellular communication is designed for use by antennas over long distances, and uses frequencies ranging from below 1 GHz up to 28 GHz and beyond for 5th-generation cellular.
Home Wi-Fi uses the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and more recently 6 GHz bands — the latter for Wi-Fi 6 (also known as Wi-Fi AX).
The higher the frequency used, the more data can be sent per second (because the wavelength is shorter, meaning there are more wave peaks per second available for modulation).
The trade-off of a higher frequency is that the effective range decreases significantly.
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**What does this mean in practice, and how does it affect our daily lives?**
- 5th-generation cellular is the preferred option with no real downsides for us as users. The drawback falls mainly on the carriers, who are forced to deploy far more antennas due to the reduced coverage range.
- For home Wi-Fi, we'll always prefer a router with 6 GHz or 5 GHz support, which delivers significantly higher browsing speeds.
However — 5 GHz signals don't pass through walls well, and their effective range is considerably shorter than 2.4 GHz. So if you're in a safe room or a bedroom far from the router and the connection isn't fast enough, it's worth trying to switch to 2.4 GHz.
When buying a router, computer, tablet, or phone, always prefer a device with the most up-to-date network card available (currently Wi-Fi 6E, with Wi-Fi 7 beginning to emerge).
And of course — to get maximum performance, always make sure the entire chain supports the top speed. That means your internet infrastructure, router, switch, cable, computer, and even the wall ethernet ports all need to be compatible with the same standard. Otherwise a bottleneck will form somewhere and significantly degrade performance.