Page 12 - aruba-today-20201017

A12 technology
Saturday 17 OctOber 2020
AP Explains: The promise of 5G wireless - speed, hype, risk

By MAE ANDERSON and offer businesses dedicated
TALI ARBEL high-speed internet lanes.
Associated Press "5G speeds, and ever-fast-
A much-hyped network up- er home broadband, will
grade called "5G" means mean that existing appli-
different things to different cations will get richer, and
people. also that new applications
To industry proponents, it's will emerge — new Flickrs,
the next huge innovation in YouTubes or Snapchats.
wireless internet. To the U.S. We don't know what yet,"
government, it's the back- Benedict Evans, a partner
bone technology of a fu- at Silicon Valley venture
ture that America will wres- capital firm Andreessen
tle with China to control. To Horowitz, wrote in a 2019
many average people, it's blog post .
simply a mystery. The most immediate im-
What, exactly, is 5G wireless pact on consumers is far
— and will you even notice smaller. There will be faster
when it comes online? download speeds for mov-
WHAT IS 5G? ies and other video. The-
5G is a new technical stan- lander says your phone's
dard for wireless networks In this Sept. 17, 2020 file photo, visitors wearing mask to protect from the coronavirus walk past a internet will work better in
— the fifth, naturally — that 5G sign at the China Beijing International High Tech Expo in Beijing, China. crowded locations such as
promises faster speeds; Associated Press stadiums.
less lag, or "latency," when spectrum for carrying 5G speeds and capacities, They just won't connect to WHAT ARE THE SECURITY
connecting to the network; signals, and installing new said Michael Thelander, 5G speeds where those are CONCERNS?
and the ability to connect 5G antennas on cellphone CEO of wireless consultan- available. The 5G network is one front
many devices to the in- towers, utility poles and cy Signals Research Group. WHAT CAN 5G DO? in rising tensions between
ternet without bogging it streetlights. Wireless provid- Beware of confusion, There's a considerable the U.S. and China. The U.S.
down. 5G networks will ide- ers will invest $275 billion in though. Wireless carriers amount of hype over the government is rooting out
ally be better able to han- 5G-related networks in the have a history of rushing to promise of 5G. Industry Chinese telecom technol-
dle more users, lots of sen- U.S., according to CTIA, an slap the latest-and-great- groups say it will promote ogy in communications
sors and heavy traffic. industry trade group. est label on their networks, smart cities by connecting networks due to security
Before we can all use it, WHEN WILL IT BE AVAIL- and this time is no different. sensor networks that could concerns, and has pressed
wireless companies and ABLE? AT&T has already applied manage traffic and quickly other countries to ban Hua-
phone makers have to up- A true U.S. mobile rollout the name 5G on a service identify streetlight outages. wei, a Chinese telecom
grade. Phones need new began in 2019, but signifi- that's not really 5G. 5G could connect self- company, from 5G network
chips and radio antennas cantly faster networks are Once the network is ready, driving cars and fuel new buildouts.
to work with the new net- still sparse. It will take a few you'll need a 5G-enabled applications in virtual and U.S. officials have sus-
work. years to go national, and phone to connect to it. An- augmented reality. Its high- pected for years that
Wireless companies have even then more rural ar- droid versions have been speed connections could the Chinese government
been getting ready. eas of the country will not out for a while, and on enable better remote sur- could use Huawei network
They've been revamping be covered in the "millime- Tuesday Apple launched gery and other telemedi- equipment to help it spy.
their network equipment, ter wave" frequencies that its first 5G iPhone. But you cine, help companies au- Huawei has rejected such
buying up chunks of radio promise the highest data can keep using 4G phones. tomate their factories and accusations.q
U.K. says Instagram to crack down on hidden influencer ads

encers who don't disclose products or services. tisements, and then report
they're being paid to pro- "These changes mean those users to the business-
mote businesses on its plat- there will be no excuse for es they're promoting.
form. businesses to overlook how Instagram is also opening
It's part of an investigation their brands are being ad- up its "paid partnership"
into the influencer industry vertised either – making life tool, so that any user can
the watchdog launched a lot harder for those who display a label at the top of
two years ago. are not upfront and honest a post.
Regulators are concerned with their followers," CMA The changes apply to all
that Instagram wasn't do- Chief Executive Andrea U.K.-based users as well as
ing enough under consum- Coscelli said. anyone globally who is tar-
er protection laws to stop Under the new policy, In- geting Instagram users in
hidden advertising, which is stagram will ask users to the U.K.
illegal in the U.K. confirm if they're getting As part of its investigation,
In this June 20, 2013 file photo, a journalist makes a video of They want to make it hard- a reward for promoting a the competition author-
the Instagram logo using the new video feature at Facebook er to mislead people with product or service and if ity last year secured for-
headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif.
Associated Press posts that aren't labeled as they are, make them dis- mal commitments from 16
ads. close it clearly. celebrities, including sing-
LONDON (AP) — British reg- The Competition and Mar- Influencers are online per- The company will also start ers Ellie Goulding and Rita
ulators said Friday that Ins- kets Authority said Insta- sonalities with thousands using technology and al- Ora, to label any posts that
tagram will clamp down on gram's owner Facebook of followers who can earn gorithms to spot users who involved payments for or
"hidden advertising" by so- has committed to tighten- hefty fees from brands for haven't clearly revealed gifts of products they were
cial media influencers. ing policies to restrict influ- endorsing or reviewing their that their posts are adver- pitching.q