To carry it one step further, 5 GHz is but one of several frequencies on which the WiFi protocol operates under the IEEE 802.11(x) standards. As someone else below mentioned, WiFi routers using 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies are pretty common and have been for a long time. And higher frequencies travel shorter distances than lower frequencies. These frequncies are higher than FM (87-108 MHz) radio and the lower 640-1600 kHz AM radio older folks have been used to for decades. Every radio frequency (RF) has a place on this continuum, from CB and HAM radios to satellites to medical decives garage door openers.
The "5G" that is newer that most folks are concerned about is referencing "5th Generation" wireless radio communications. For background, 1st Generation (1G) were those analog (non-digital) "brick" cellular phones. 2G was early digital data (GPRS) using smaller phones with SMS/MMS messages, 3G was EDGE and other similar (faster) standards allowing for better videos and 4G is LTE (at least under the global default GSMA standards). Then what is 5th Generation? Basically it is the next step up that utilizes much, much higher frequencies (see Part 1 above) to accommodate higher data transmissions. There is still a LOT to learn about 5th Generation, even for someone like me who has spent two-plus decades involved in the telecommunications industry
Bottom Line: When someone says "5G", make sure you quiclky identify whether he or she is refering to a specific Gigahertz frequency...or to the Generation of wireless data standards.
To carry it one step further, 5 GHz is but one of several frequencies on which the WiFi protocol operates under the IEEE 802.11(x) standards. As someone else below mentioned, WiFi routers using 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies are pretty common and have been for a long time. And lower frequencies travel shorter distances than higher frequencies. These frequncies are higher than FM (87-108 MHz) radio and the lower 640-1600 kHz AM radio older folks have been used to for decades. Every radio frequency (RF) has a place on this continuum, from CB and HAM radios to satellites to medical decives garage door openers.
The "5G" that is newer that most folks are concerned about is referencing "5th Generation" wireless radio communications. For background, 1st Generation (1G) were those analog (non-digital) "brick" cellular phones. 2G was early digital data (GPRS) using smaller phones with SMS/MMS messages, 3G was EDGE and other similar (faster) standards allowing for better videos and 4G is LTE (at least under the global default GSMA standards). Then what is 5th Generation? Basically it is the next step up that utilizes much, much higher frequencies (see Part 1 above) to accommodate higher data transmissions. There is still a LOT to learn about 5th Generation, even for someone like me who has spent two-plus decades involved in the telecommunications industry
Bottom Line: When someone says "5G", make sure you quiclky identify whether he or she is refering to a specific Gigahertz frequency...or to the Generation of wireless data standards.