See Both Sides of Technology

In 2019, the world of 5G is highly anticipated. What is 5G? ST discusses several stories about 5G. ...................................................................Ed

The center of next-generation industries in the 21st century is 5G, a mobile telecommunication technology that has a maximum download speed of 20 Gbps and a minimum download speed of 100 Mbps. However, very few readers know exactly what the concept is about. What is 5G?

Keywords of each generation of the Industrial Revolution era were steam engines, electric energy, computers, and the Internet, respectively. 5G will then become the keyword for the fourth industrial revolution. 5G is a technology that will make our future more convenient and more comfortable, such as real-time search and rescue, full self-driving car support, and holograms, with high speed, ultra-low delay, and hyperconnectivity. Then, let’s look at the results of a brief survey of students at SSU to see what university students think of 5G.

The survey of about 70 Soongsilians was conducted from April 11 to 15 to determine their perception of 5G. As a result, all respondents said they do not use 5G, and most respondents (76.2%) said they have plans to use it in the future. Asked about what 5G technology is, and how well they know about it, “I don’t know well” accounted for more than a majority (54.7 percent), followed by a normal level (28.1 percent), and “I don’t know at all” (8.8 percent). When asked about their views on 5G, 62.5 percent of the respondents said 5G was a positive development, and would be helpful to mankind.

South Korea has seen the development of four generations of mobile communication systems in the last 36 years, from 1984 to the present. With 5G, experts argue that it is more like an evolution than innovation. The characteristics of 5G can be explained in three major divisions. First, 5G significantly reduces rack time. This means faster real- time response times, enabling precise and detailed work. Examples include self-driving cars and robot surgery. Second, mass-connected technology will become available. Unlike 4G, which was a smartphone-oriented connection, the 5G society is expected to control and manage all devices remotely as everything will be connected to the Internet. Lastly, it is said that virtual reality (VR) and holograms will become more popular. In that environment, virtual reality is likely to increase its associated activities as it will become more practical. These three characteristics are all based on the aforementioned high speed, ultra-low delay, and super- connectivity.

However, with the advances in technology, problems related to this development are also increasing. One of them is a security issue that has not been properly addressed. It could cause significant damage, from personal information leaks to hacking. For example, there will be such problems as probability of DDoS attacks and leakage of communications secrets from a particular company. Moreover, society’s growing proximity to the Pareto Act (80:20), a principle in which a small number of people create more value and acquire wealth than the majority of the population, can be a seed of unhappiness.

Yeom Da-yeon (ST Cub-Reporter)

ydy1213@soongsil.ac.kr

Lee Jae-hyeok (ST Cub-Reporter)

wogur9380@soongsil.ac.kr