5G is the fifth generation of cellular network technology and the successor to 4G. It was first rolled out in 2019. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) develops its technical standards in cooperation with the ITU’s IMT-2020 program.

5G networks divide coverage areas into smaller zones called cells. Devices connect to local base stations by radio. Each station links to the telephone network and the Internet through fast optical fiber or wireless backhaul.

Compared with 4G, 5G can transfer data faster—up to 10 Gbit/s in tests—and respond quicker, with delays of only a few milliseconds. These improvements let networks handle more users and support uses such as extended reality, autonomous vehicles, remote surgery trials, and fixed wireless access for home internet.

5G also connects large numbers of sensors and machines, known as the IoT, and uses edge computing to process data closer to where it is generated.

Building 5G networks requires new infrastructure and access to suitable radio spectrum. Network operators report high costs and continue to improve energy efficiency and security.

Adoption differs among countries depending on income, geography, and national policy. Analysts expect 5G to support telehealth, smart transport, and digital media, while operating alongside 4G networks into the 2030s.

In 2008, NASA and the Machine-to-Machine Intelligence Corporation (M2Mi) conducted nanosatellite communication studies that influenced early next-generation network concepts.

In 2012, New York University established NYU Wireless, a research center focused on millimeter-wave communication. The same year, the University of Surrey founded the 5G Innovation Centre, funded by £35 million from public and industry partners including Huawei and Samsung. Also in 2012, the European Union launched the Mobile and Wireless Communications Enablers for the Twenty-Twenty Information Society (METIS) project to align emerging network research with international standardization.