So wifi is super fast but limited range, just like 5G. And 5G also has a host of other challenges(power consumption). If carriers need to put 5G towers on every street corner just to be effective why can’t they just use wifi tech and put wifi routers on every corner?
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Why don’t you shower in champagne instead of water?
may sound a bit complicated but read about waves : [https://www.physics-and-radio-electronics.com/physics/waves.html](https://www.physics-and-radio-electronics.com/physics/waves.html)
waves are created by a machine (in this case the router’s oscillator) and in the case of 5G, the machine required is different/faster/smarter than what you refer to as wifi router. 5G technology needs a completely different infrastructure.
5G=5th generation it has nothing to do with wave frequency (Hz)
this article explains everything in detail: [https://www.lifewire.com/5g-cell-towers-4584192](https://www.lifewire.com/5g-cell-towers-4584192)
Well. Funnily enough.., That’s near enough what modern 3G, 4G and 5G stuff is.
I mean, who really believes that mobile phones make analogue voice connections anymore?
Who really believes that they’re not already essentially just VoIP handsets that can also send/receive data, with a large mesh wifi network?
Yes. They operate outside of the 2.4 and 5ghz wifi bands that we’ve come to expect of “traditional” wifi, but, the tech is still pretty much the same.
You’re still connected to a network, it can still usually failover from the faster, newer tech, to an older one.
Just like wifi, if you’ve got a dual band router/hotspot. If the 5ghz signal gets too weak, it usually swaps over to 2.4ghz.
Edit: the same constraints that hinder 5G, would hinder any use of 5ghz wifi and beyond, for mobile phones. It takes more power to transmit a stronger signal, and give you better range.
What’s the transmission power of a modern phone? It’s less than 1mW right? I mean, compare that to a UHF or VHF hand held radio. They sort of start around 250mW, and go up to 25W for commercial/milspec units.
You get a mobile (car/truck mounted) radio capable of 200W or more..
[Some hand held and mobile radios](https://www.motorolasolutions.com/en_us/products/p25-products/apx-story.html) that are starting to blur the lines between phones and radios.
Some of these things available now run wifi and SIM cards now too.
Another thing to consider is, what are the international regulations regarding maximum transmit power of a consumer grade smartphone handset?
If you’re really concerned, you could always run a personal repeater/hotspot in your car/home. Kits are available for 3G, 4G, LTE, 2.4ghz and 5ghz wifi, and by now, I’d expect 5G too. They consist of an externally mounted antenna, a random length of coaxial cable to connect it to the booster/amplifier/repeater, another length of coaxial cable, and an antenna that’s mounted indoors or in your car to give you more range, and “signal strength”.
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