Fifth-generation” or “5G” refers to the most recent wireless communications systems, which are faster and carry more data than 4G or LTE systems, enabling more connections for devices like cellphones and a wider range of wireless technology applications. As these systems and technologies rapidly advance, scientists and engineers often refer to future high-speed wireless communications as simply “next-generation” or “NextG.”
As the nation’s measurement institute, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is helping to create the technologies and methods that industry can use to build and evaluate 5G-and-beyond systems.
What is 5G?
Cellular networks go through evolutions over time. Industry, marketing and communications engineers group these generations together based on their abilities and characteristics.
