Now there are plans for 4G to be replaced by, you guessed it, 5G - a new, faster network that has the potential to transform the internet.

現在有取代 4G 的方案，你猜是什麼？5G - 一個更快速的新網路，有機會可以改變網際網路的現況。

5G is a software-defined network - it means that while it won't replace cables entirely it could replace the need for them by largely operating on the cloud instead.

5G 是軟體定義網路，也就是說它不會完全取代電纜，只會藉由大量在雲端上操作來取代人們對電纜的需求。

This means it will have a 100x better capacity than 4G - which will dramatically improve internet speeds.

意味著 5G 擁有高出 4G 一百倍的容量，對於提升網速有很顯著的效果。

For example, to download a two-hour film on 3G would take about 26 hours, on 4G you'd be waiting 6 minutes, and on 5G you'll be ready to watch your film in just over three and a half seconds.

例如，使用 3G 下載兩小時長的電影需要花費約二十六個小時，用 4G 需要六分鐘，用 5G 的話，短短下載三秒半就可以收看了。

But it's not just internet capacity that will be upgraded.

但不僅是網路容量會升級。

Response times will also be much faster.

反應時間也會更快速。

The 4G network responds to our commands in just under 50 milliseconds.

4G 網路對指令的反應時間少於五十毫秒。

With 5G it will take around one millisecond - 400 times faster than a blink of the eye.

5G 只需要一毫秒左右，比一眨眼的時間快了四百倍。

Smartphone users will enjoy a more streamlined experience but for a world that is increasingly dependant on the internet just to function, a reduction in time delay is critical.

智慧型手機用戶將享受效率優化後的體驗，但對於越發依賴剛運行的網際網路的世界來說，時間延遲的減少必不可少。

Self-driving cars, for example, require a continuous stream of data.

舉例來說，自駕汽車需要不間斷的網路流量。

The quicker that information is delivered to autonomous vehicles, the better and safer, they can run.

訊息傳遞至自駕交通工具的速度越快，這些交通工具就能開得更穩定、安全。

For many analysts this is just one example of how 5G could become the connective tissue for the internet of things, An industry that's set to grow threefold by 2025, linking and controlling not just robots, but also medical devices, industrial equipment and agriculture machinery.

對許多分析師來說，這只是其中一個 5G 是如何變成如網路之結締組織般的例子，而這個產業在 2025 年前預期能成長三倍，不僅連結與控制機器人，還有醫療工具、工業設備以及農業機械。

5G will also provide a much more personalized web experience using a technique called network slicing.

5G 也會藉由一個叫「網路切片」的技術，提供更多個人化的上網體驗。

It's a way of creating separate wireless networks on the cloud, allowing users to create their own bespoke network.

即一個在雲端創造個別無線網路的方法，讓使用者得以創造特別訂製的網路。

For instance, an online gamer needs faster response times and greater data capacity than a user that just wants to check their social media.

例如，線上遊戲玩家比一般只想瀏覽社群網站的用戶更需要較快的反應時間與較多的流量。

Being able to personalize the internet will also benefit businesses.

擁有可以將網路個人化的能力也是一大商機。

At big events like Mobile World Congress for example - there is a mass influx of people in one particular area using data-heavy applications.

在重大場合，像是《世界行動通訊大會》，就有其中一個特定區域會湧入大量人潮，並使用極度消耗流量的應用程式。

But with 5G, organizers could pay for an increased slice of the network, boosting its internet capacity and thus improving its visitors' online experience.

但有了 5G，主辦者可以多購入網路切片，提高其網路容量，如此一來就能改善訪客的上網體驗。

So when can we start using 5G?

所以我們什麼時候可以開始使用 5G？

Well, not yet and according to some analysts not until 2020.

目前還不行，而且根據一些分析師的觀察，到 2020 年之前都不可能實現。

5G was created years ago and has been talked up ever since.

5G 幾年前就出現了，從此之後便引起熱烈討論。

Yet it's estimated that even by 2025, the network will still lag behind both 4G and 3G in terms of global mobile connections.

然而估計直到 2025，從全球行動裝置連結的角度來看，這項網路技術仍落後於 4G 與 3G。

Its mainstream existence faces multiple hurdles.

它在主流市場面臨許多障礙。

The most significant of these of course is cost.

其中最大的問題，毫無疑問就是費用。

According to some experts, 5G could cause network operators to tear up their current business models for it to make business sense.

根據專家分析， 5G 會讓網路操作者破壞現有的商業模式，以因應商業意識。

In the U.K. for example, 3G and 4G networks were relatively cheap to set up because they were able to roll out on existing frequencies, on the country's radio spectrum.

以英國為例，從 3G 和 4G 網路著手就相對便宜，因為它們得以將國家電台光譜上現存的頻率作為基礎。

For 5G to work properly however, it needs a frequency with much bigger bandwidth which would require brand new infrastructure.

為了使 5G 能適當運作，需要更大的頻寬，這時就需要全新的基礎建設。

Some analysts believe that the extensive building and running costs will force operators to share the use and management of the mobile network.

一些分析師認為龐大的建築和如流水般的花費會迫使操作者將行動網路的使用和管理分享出去。

This has been less of an obstacle for countries like China, who are taking a more coherent approach.

但是對於一些國家，像是採取較連貫一致做法的中國，就是個比較小的阻力。

The government, operators and local companies such as Huawei and ZTE are about to launch big 5G trials that would put them at the forefront of equipment production for the new technology.

政府、操作者和本土公司像是華為還有中興通訊正要推出盛大的 5G 試驗，這會讓它們成為未來科技設備生產的最前線。

That may be at the expense of the West, where there is concern regarding Asia's 5G progress.

這個現象可能以西方國家為代價，這些國家很關注 5G 在亞洲的發展。

A leaked memo from the National Security Council to the White House called for a nationalized 5G network to keep the U.S. ahead of their global competitors.

美國國家安全會議向白宮提出的協議洩漏出來了，內容寫到將 5G 網路國有化的請求，以便美國能引領全球。

White House officials dismissed the idea, but some experts predict that by 2025 nearly half of all mobile connections in the U.S. will be 5G, a greater percentage than any other country or region.

白宮官員否決這個想法，但一些專家預測直至 2025 年，美國近一半的行動裝置連結都會 5G 化，比率甚至超過任何國家或地區。

It's still likely however that much of the West will have a more gradual approach to 5G, driven by competition but with a patchy style of development.

然而，很可能許多西方國家都會因競爭而慢慢趨向於 5G 化，但發展速度只能算是勉強追得上中國。

For example, AT&T pledged to start rolling out 5G later this year but in just a handful of cities.

例如，美國 AT&T 公司信誓旦旦地宣布今年會開始推出 5G，但只在少數城市。

For key industrial zones however, it's predicted the technology will be adopted quickly, while for many in rural areas 5G may be a long way off.

然而，基礎工業區被預期會迅速採用此項技術，就在 5G 仍然對許多鄉下地區來說是遙不可及的存在時。

But when 5G does establish itself and fulfills its supposed potential, it could even change how we get the internet at home and at work - with the wireless network replacing the current system of phone lines and cables.

不過當 5G 確立地位，並達到應有的潛力時，就能改變我們在家或是在公司上網的方式，而它便是藉由以無線網路取代現有電話線和電纜的方式來達到目標。

It may not happen overnight, but 5G is coming.

這個現象並不會一夕之間發生，但 5G 的時代確實即將來臨。

Hi guys, thank you for watching.

大家好，謝謝你們的收看！

If you'd like to see more of our tech videos then check out these.

如果你們想看更多科技相關影片，就看看這些。

Otherwise comment below the video for any future explainers you'd like us to make, and remember don't forget to subscribe.

或是在影片底下留言任何想要我們製作的解說影片，別忘了訂閱。

Thanks for watching!

謝謝收看！