5G stands for 5th generation of mobile telephony technology. Earlier we have talked about the 2G, 3G, and 4G SIM cards already. In this article, you will get to know the 5G SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards and the eponymous technology in detail. A 5G SIM card more or less looks the same as previous generation SIM cards physically, but electronically there are quite a few differences. Thus, let’s talk about 5G technology and eponymous SIM cards with the help of different questions that may arise in your mind.
What are the requirements for using a 5G SIM card?
There are typically three requirements before buying a 5G SIM card, and they are:
- You need to be in an area where 5G technology is available
- Your mobile carrier must provide 5G services
- You need to have a 5G compatible phone
If any one of the three things mentioned above is absent, there is no point in having a 5G SIM card. 5G SIM cards can work with 4G or 3G devices too but do not provide the 5G perks. A mobile operator which provides 5G services will also issue 5G SIM cards for its users to access the 5G technological benefits. In India, 5G hasn’t been launched yet, but Airtel provides a 5G SIM card which will be useful when the aforementioned technology is available in India in the future.
Why buy a 5G SIM?
Normally, any generation SIM card can work with any generation smartphone, but the speed and performance won’t be the same. A 4G SIM card can work with a 5G enabled phone, but the speed and performance will be of 4G only. Similarly, if you use a 5G SIM card in a 4G phone, the speed and performance will remain at the 4G level. Therefore, if you want to experience high speed and low latency of 5G, it is better to use a 5G SIM card in a 5G phone.
1G technology was used for analog voice transfer for phone calls, 2G technology was employed for the transmission of voice calls digitally. With 3G technology, mobile data was introduced. 4G technology enhanced the speed of mobile data manifolds and the concept of mobile broadband was made possible. Now, with 5G technology in tow, the data speed will be superfast, latency rate will be exceptionally low to negligible, and much more.
When will 5G SIM cards be available?
There are many mobile operators who provide 5G services and offer 5G SIM cards too. But 5G technology is still under construction, and it is not ubiquitously available worldwide. Many countries have not issued 5G licenses to their operators, hence there are no 5G SIM cards available in such countries. In India, 5G hasn’t been introduced yet, but sooner or later it will be launched.
In the UK, Vodafone and EE provide 5G services, hence they also issue 5G SIM cards. It is important to note that 5G infrastructure is not yet very well-developed, but over time, it will be and achieve its full potential everywhere in the world. That will be the time when every carrier will offer 5G SIM cards to its subscribers.
Are there modifications in the physical appearance of 5G SIMs?
5G SIM cards look like the 3G or the 4G SIM cards. In other words, they use the same standard SIM card sizes. Moreover, they come in a 3-in-1 format i.e., mini, micro, and nano-SIM at once. This may sound unusual because 5G-enabled phones only support nano-SIM cards. However, the 5G mini and micro SIM sizes remain useful if you plan to use them in a 4G or 3G phone.
Furthermore, some 5G devices allow eSIM (embedded SIM cards). These are soldered to the device’s motherboard and can’t be removed physically. Although not every smart device supports embedded ones, they are still the future of SIM card technology. As technology advances, it is essential to make more space for other parts within the device. Hence, it becomes crucial to make small chipsets for the SIM cards. The embedded SIMs fit the bill here perfectly.
Conclusion
5G technology is the fastest of all generations to date. Hence, it should change your life drastically. It will be 100 times faster (when it is fully developed) than the mobile internet you use today. Many things will become possible due to such high-speed internet data, for example, remote surgery will be viable. This will permit us to “feel” objects placed thousands of miles away. Self-driving cars will be a reality, too, and so will lots of other things.
Additionally, video and voice calls will be very clear, in high resolution, and of high quality. The low latency will improve the response time in online video games many times over. To get the benefits of such things, you will require a 5G SIM card and a corresponding device. 5G SIM cards will be a household thing once the technology improves and becomes widely available.