EU Partners Up With Japan To Develop 5G Connectivity

5G online connectivity could be coming sooner rather than later after the European Union and Japan agreed to collaborate on developing the technology.

Although, European nations were once at the forefront of the network technology scene, they have recently fallen behind the likes of the US and countries in Asia.

Read more: UK government already investing in 6G networks, before 5G exists

The EU has been placing a great deal of investment in the pursuit of 5G technology, having previously struck deals with South Korea and a host of other nations. If the partnership with Japan is a success, 5G mobile Internet could help usher in a new wave of connected devices. The Internet of Things (IoT) and the growth of wearable technology means that there will be greater pressure than ever before placed on wireless networks.

The launch of 5G connectivity, therefore, could be a huge economic boon to the nations that implement it first, fostering the development of new technologies and business growth.

As part of the partnership with Japan, the EU is pushing to standardise 5G networks so that users will not have to worry about whether their devices support certain networks or mobile carriers. 5G is expected to become available commercially by 2020, but a number of companies are already trialling the service.

Read more: 5G mobile Internet being tested in London

Earlier this year, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei stated its intention to plug the gap between 4G and 5G connectivity with its own 4.5G network. 4.5G will shorten latency from 50ms to 10ms, support more than 100,000 connections and provide speeds of 1Gbps, and should be available to consumers by 2016.