Advanced optical components and encoding techniques are enabling 5G networks to achieve a tenfold speed boost over 4G technology.HANK HOGAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITORThe fifth generation of broadband cellular network technology (5G) offers a more than tenfold increase in speed compared to 4G. It handles a wider variety of devices, provides greater reliability, and operates with lower latency. These benefits signal why 5G services will reach $600 billion in global revenue by 2026, according to a study from Juniper Research. Courtesy of iStock.com/Milepost430Media Projected to comprise 77% of global telecom operator income, these moneys will be generated by people using smartphones and by machines talking to each other, said Sam Barker, head of...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESFiber Optic Sensors Are Wired for Growth with Infrastructure ImprovementsIn October 2021, a 40-year-old undersea pipeline off the coast of California ruptured, releasing more than 130,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean. The spill polluted the ecosystem,...Photonics Spectra January 2022 IssueMultiband Optical Filters Are Telecom Networks' MultitaskersMultiband optical filters have long been used in applications such as fluorescence spectroscopy, astronomy, and 3D cinema, to name a few. 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