Watching a live sports event in 4k resolutions with no buffering or participating in a VR gaming session were just fantasies two decades ago. But today, those fantasies have become an impending reality, thanks to the 5g technology.
How does 5g affect the performance of streaming servers? It’s a common question for most people. And we’re here to answer that.
What is 5G, and why should we care?
5G, the fifth generation of mobile networks, is not just another incremental upgrade. It’s a technological leap that promises to drastically increase speed, low latency, and high bandwidth compared to its predecessor, 4G.
While this is exciting for the average consumer enjoying ultra-HD videos, it’s important for the servers and infrastructure responsible for delivering that content. For streaming servers, 5G introduces both significant opportunities and new challenges.
The 5G technology is primarily designed to handle more data at faster speeds of up to 10Gbps. This is 100 times faster than 4G. Beyond speed, 5 G’s other impressive feature is low latency, which is as low as 1 millisecond. The figure was around 50 milliseconds in the case of 4G. Low latency helps stream high-quality, real-time content without buffering.
How do streaming servers work?
Let’s first understand how streaming servers work before jumping into how 5g impacts their performance.
Streaming servers handle the real-time delivery of video and audio content to users. They store, process, and distribute the data streams to viewers based on demand. Their performance directly affects the viewer’s experience, influencing factors like buffering, video quality, and how quickly content loads.
There could be many factors that impact server performance, like bandwidth, server load, and latency. Traditional streaming services, especially those delivering HD or UHD content, often strain servers when dealing with a large influx of viewers. Add the demand for 4K or 8K video, and server performance becomes even more critical.
5 G’s impact on streaming server performance
Speed and bandwidth boosts
One of the most obvious advantages 5G brings to streaming servers is speed and bandwidth. 5G can handle large data transfers at significantly faster rates so that content like 4K and even 8K video streams will become more seamless. For users, this translates to smoother playback without the dreaded buffering.
Servers that previously struggled to manage ultra-HD content will benefit from better bandwidth and will be able to serve more users simultaneously.
The adoption of codecs like HEVC (High-Efficiency Video Coding), which compresses large video files without compromising quality, will work even better in tandem with 5 G’s capacity. HEVC is particularly important for streaming 4K and 8K content because it requires far less data to deliver high-quality visuals. Combining HEVC with 5 G’s increased speed and bandwidth means streaming servers handling more data-intensive content with fewer disruptions.
Low latency
Due to the low latency offered by 5G, data travels from the server to the user’s device faster than before.
Lower latency means faster response times, which is important for real-time streaming, live broadcasts, and interactive content like gaming or VR experiences.
For live sports or news, low latency allows users to see events in near real-time, closing the delay gap that viewers currently experience with 4G or slower connections. Plus, interactive media like gaming will also benefit. 5G allows servers to process user inputs and deliver responses much faster to make online multiplayer games smoother and more enjoyable.
Network efficiency
5 G’s network efficiency, through technologies like network slicing, allows for better traffic management which enables streaming servers to handle more connections without performance drop.
5G dedicates specific slices of the network to high-priority data like ultra-HD video for stable streaming even during peak traffic.
Challenges for streaming servers with 5G
While 5G offers undeniable benefits, it also introduces some challenges for streaming servers. With high speeds and lower latency come higher expectations. Users will demand ultra-HD content more frequently, and servers will need to handle significantly more data.
- Streaming providers and content delivery networks (CDNs) will need to upgrade their infrastructure to benefit from 5G fully.
- To meet the growing need for low-latency, high-quality streaming, many companies are investing in edge computing. This strategy involves placing smaller, localized data centers closer to users.
- The widespread adoption of 5G will lead to an explosion of data consumption. Therefore, streaming servers will have to adapt to this surge in traffic, possibly through better load balancing and server optimization techniques.
Conclusion
The arrival of 5G will undoubtedly change how streaming content is delivered and consumed. But with the latest technology, it increases the expectations of users. Streaming servers will need to work even harder to meet those demands. In this situation, codecs like HEVC combined with 5G will be revolutionizing.
