"There are 50 different carriers running 5G over the world but it's still pretty limited in scope and coverage." The annual Las Vegas gathering opens Tuesday with more than 4,500 exhibitors brings out about 175,000 attendees searching for innovations of the future.
Since smartphones are on the front line when it comes to mobile data networks, consumer electronics firms competing in that market are taking their time rolling out the devices. "The smartphone will still be a prime-time device for 5G," said Accenture global communications industry analyst Jefferson Wang.
With 5G, backers say, self-driving vehicles will think and react faster than human drivers, with the added benefit of knowing what cars or trucks around them have in mind. People will interact with insightful holograms. Jewelry will track a wearer's health. About 20 countries have deployed 5G networks, according to Qualcomm.
The US mobile chip giant estimates that 2.4 billion people could now theoretically use 5G, depending on where they are and whether they have a suitable phone. "Many 5G smartphones will be unveiled at CES, as well as laptops and tablets," said Gartner analyst Mikako Kitagawa.
"But people may have to wait until spring or summer for them to be available." Video game and television streaming fans are expected to be among the first to reap the bounty of 5G, accessing seamless rich virtual worlds to play in or downloading ultra-high definition films in second.
"In the long-term 5G can create holograms that are more interactive," Wang said. "Use cases like in South Korea, where you can go on a virtual date with a K-pop star, for example." 5G network technology is entering a commercial phase, with compatability being built into devices such as augmented reality eyeglasses, according to Steve Koenig of the Consumer Technology Association, which runs CES.
Augmented reality overlays virtual images on real surroundings viewed through smartphone cameras or special eyewear. Like virtual reality, in which headgear immerses wearers completely in faux environments, AR is data bandwidth hungry.
VR is slowing gaining traction, with Facebook-owned Oculus leading the way, but has yet to offer an irresistible wires-free experiences. Lags in VR graphics that are so slight people don't consciously notice can make some users nauseous.
Superfast 5G networks could eliminate data lag woes, and let VR headsets be used anywhere mobile connections are available. 5G could help usher in the long-promised era of "ambient computing," in which machine smarts are ever waiting to be beckoned, perhaps with a word or a gesture, or even anticipate desires.