5G is coming to a town near you faster than you might think. With speeds that could eventually hit hundreds of times those of 4G, it promises to transform the way we communicate with each other and with our devices once again. Researchers and authorities are hoping to have a specification in place in the next couple of years, and radio communications experts from the 193 member countries of the United Nations will be setting down the technical requirements in 2016. 5G is, rather obviously, the successor to 4G: if you thought the those speeds you can get in certain parts of the country were fast, just you wait. Not only will the speeds be greater, so will the bandwidth (the amount of devices and data that can be handled at once): that means the benefits will go way beyond smartphones to cover everything in the Internet of Things. Your car, for example, will eventually be able to offer high-speed Wi-Fi wherever you are. Now despite the United Nations sitting down to talk about 5G next year, the chances are there will only be some people who can get their hands on the upgraded network. As with earlier upgrades, the first next-gen networks will be on a very small scale and will be used to test the technology in real-world conditions. But this is certainly one tech invention you will want to keep your eye on in 2016.
