5-Geeeeee!

I don't know what this image means, but I wanted to use one with those big-headed white creatures from stock art.

The next generation of Internet connections is here, but only in four cities (none of which I live in). Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, and Sacramento are all getting Verizon's new 5G internet service. That's right--five whole G's of internet. Us New Yorkers still have to make due with four.

In all seriousness, though, this is essentially the fifth generation of wireless data transmission (hence the term, “5G Internet”). Here's the short, easy version: this is wireless internet that's 100 times faster than 4G internet, and with more efficient connectivity (or, lower latency) between devices.  Now, here's the long, technical explanation: Essentially, it uses high-frequency radio waves--known as millimeter waves--to transfer large amounts of data at very high speeds. Since these waves cannot travel very far, numerous "small cells" will be deployed to carry the signal, as opposed to large cell towers.

With many of our devices, including phones, vehicles and appliances, able to connect to the internet, this kind of technology could bring about substantial innovation to the world we live in. Imagine a future of self-driving cars and the widespread adoption of virtual reality. Major cities will be coordinated through the instant transfer of information.  Also, yes, you can download a lot of large things in a much shorter amount of time and browse the Internet more efficiently. In addition, the pervasive amount of, and size of, smart cells will allow access to high-speed internet in areas that previously couldn’t have it. 

So, I bet you want to move to one of those four cities now, right? Well, not so fast. Verizon's service uses millimeter-wave technology, but without an official 5G standard. In short, not all devices speak the same language. In addition, it's a home only service, so smartphone users are out of luck. 

Still, other smartphone companies are planning to deploy their own 5G networks, and standards can't be too far behind. We may soon have a massive leap forward in our current age of mass connectivity. Also, we'll browse websites faster.