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No 5G for Me

Given the option, I deferred.

If you watch all the wireless company commercials these days, it is all about their 5G systems that will give you blazing download speeds. I agree that the future is bright, but it is not here today and most likely will not be here for anyone outside of a major metropolitan area of a city with a vision to promote the 5G system. Definitely not in rural areas!

This past weekend I purchased a new iPhone 12. Then it came time to either keep the wireless plan I'm on or switch to a 5G one — I took a pass on 5G. By going with 5G I would lose the hot spot device that I have found to be indispensable for when I'm out and about with my laptop — blogging many times. It allows me to not be dependent on public Wi-Fi, so I have a dependable connection and it is not subject to those who spy or use public Wi-Fi to gain access into computer systems. Yes, I could use one of my other devices as a hot spot, but that also drains that battery a bit.

The other reason is that 5G, while being hyped, is not here! And, for the expected life of my phone of 2-3 years, it won't be here in this region, which is a bit of a hotbed for tech. Wireless companies have to negotiate agreements, licenses to use city infrastructure and power from places like light poles. You will need hundreds if not thousands of these 5G transmitters since they are not like cell towers because their transmission distance for "real 5G" is not that far. An agreement and then installation of 5G has to happen, city by city. 

Heck, I could easily be dead before there is 5G everywhere that I hang out on a regular basis. Thus, I like the new camera, the display is very crisp and as for the battery, who knows — I have not had it that long. 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.