AS WITH EVERY new standard before it, 5G wireless technology promises to be the new gold standard in terms of speed, coverage, and reliability, and has the potential to become our dominant mode of wireless connectivity. 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) was a major leap forward from the 3G technology that preceded it, but LTE really hasn't stopped evolving. Engineers continue to make improvements to LTE, and rather than viewing 5G as a successor to 4G LTE, it should be understood that LTE serves as the foundation on which 5G will develop. The Promise Of 5G Consumers will, of course, be excited for the speed and reliability that 5G will provide, and carriers will surely tout those aspects of their networks. 5G will, however, improve the connections between loT (internet of things) devices and make the technologies behind smart cities and smart homes more efficient. "5G, because it is looking to address many different use cases and not simply mobile broadband, will provide support for lower latency-that is, how much time it takes to get data through the network and back-as well as higher reliability," says Ken Ruben, principal analyst with 451 Research. 5G brings to the table bandwidth and speeds that are massive compared to what we are accustomed to now, and it does so by using different areas of the wireless spectrum. It's also worth noting that in some cases additional small cell equipment will be required. Dividing a network into multiple virtual networks. This enables smarter networks that could, for instance, provide greater bandwidth for devices and applications that require them