Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Juan Algar/yevtony
Topics: Technology, iPhone
Ella Scott
Tons of natural-sounding acronyms have infiltrated our language to the point we’ve forgotten what they actually stand for.
From taser to laser, scuba, radar and zip code - there are so many acronyms and initialisms carrying unique etymologies that we use on a daily basis.
While some are born out of ease, others are created specifically to make formal content easier to digest and to allow for straightforward manuscript readings.
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Interestingly, a wad of the acronyms we use today also live in the tech sphere - GIF is an acronym for ‘Graphic Interchange Format’, Wi-Fi means ‘wireless fidelity’ and AI is of course ‘artificial intelligence’.
But did you know the mobile network ‘G’ family - 5G, 4G, 3G and the rest - are also initialisms?
If you’re a loyal iPhone user then this offering has been living in the top right-hand toolbar for years, but you may not know what it means.
A quick search across social media will show you that you're not the only one unfamiliar with this acronym.
However, in a nutshell, 5G stands for fifth-generation wireless with the same principle being applied to 4G (fourth-generation) and 3G (third-generation).
Essentially, it indicates the generation of cellular connection you’re using; 5G being the latest.
So while the ‘G’ doesn’t exactly stand for a phrase or a complex word in this case, it is still classed as an acronym.
According to Ofcom, 5G is much faster and offers greater capacity than previous generations of wireless technology.
It’s said the consumer experience is also improved from earlier versions allowing for more connected devices.
Moreover, fifth-generation wireless is used in smart manufacturing, drone delivery and even just to upload your Apple Watch workouts to Strava.
If you look at your smartphone and see a little ‘5G sign’ in the corner then you know you’re using the latest network with the highest potential speeds and capacities.
Last year, 5G was utilised by doctors at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University who performed the first remote eye laser surgery.
It’s reported that a team of medical practitioners and scientists constructed the 5G robot that operated on 12 rabbits in the center in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province.
Following the successful trial, the researchers said the milestone would help address the imbalance in the development of ophthalmology and the distribution of world-class medical resources nationwide.
"If everything goes smoothly, 5G remote micron ophthalmic surgery will be available to humans within half a year," Professor Lin Haotian said.
Furthermore, Zhong Xingwu, vice president of the Hainan Eye Hospital, said that operating remotely via 5G would significantly improve accessibility and quality health care for many patients.
The more you know, right?