If you’re a frequent traveler you probably own a 4G mobile hotspot device for connecting your laptop to the Internet when there’s no reliable Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection available.
Those hotspot devices sure come in handy when you need one, but it can be a hassle traveling with an extra piece of hardware just to ensure that you’ll always be able to get online when you need to.
Well, according to the folks at Intel you probably won’t need a hotspot at all in the not-so-distant future.
Intel’s newsroom has announced in a press release that they’re partnering with Microsoft, Dell, HP and Lenovo to add full 5G mobile connectivity to new PCs beginning in the second half of 2019.
This is significant, for two reasons:
1 – 5G capable computers will be able to connect to a mobile carrier’s data network on their own just like your smartphone does now, eliminating the need for a mobile hotspot.
2 – 5G’s maximum data transfer speed of 10Gb per second is dozens of times faster than 4G LTE, and it even puts most home and business Internet connections to shame.
In fact, 5G is so fast you’ll probably dread having to return home and log back onto your much slower Wi-Fi network!
The addition of 5G connectivity will ensure that PC users will be able to connect to the Internet almost anywhere. As long as there’s a usable 5G signal available, you’ll be good to go.
Of course having actual computers connected to such a fast Internet connection will no doubt require the mobile carriers to offer data plans with much larger monthly data allotments. After all, at 5G speeds the typical computer user could easily burn through 10GB of data in just a few days.
How the carriers price those beefier data plans will likely be a key factor in how quickly the market embraces 5G capable computers, but I have a feeling they’ll take off like gangbusters.
Bottom line: If you’ve ever wished you could just take your laptop of the bag and connect it to a mobile data network just like you do your smart phone, you’ll have your chance starting sometime next year!
Bonus tip #1: If you like the idea of connecting your laptop to the Internet via a mobile data connection you don’t have to wait until the second half of 2019. You can do it right now with a 4G LTE mobile hotspot.
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