5G: Super fast data, throttled by reality

5G will genuinely be transformative — when it finally gets here. But the problem we’re seeing at Mobile World Congress, is that people are getting excited about the potential of 5G, but overlooking the immediate reality. Dan Bieler, a telecoms analyst with Forrester, said that hype surrounding the technology has “picked up noticeably compared with MWC 2016.” Journalists’ inboxes have been bombarded with news of 5G trials and prototype hardware from pretty much every big tech company around. Samsung, AT&T, Ericsson, Verizon, Nokia, Sprint, Qualcomm, have all had news to share, just to name a few. But while these firms are making genuine steps forward with 5G, some of the language might make you think the technology is right on the cusp of being widely available.