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  • We are inside the experience center of Nokia's global headquarters here in Finland, and we're going to get a first-hand look at how 5G works.

  • 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology.

  • It's a new cellular network designed to increase speed, improve connectivity and decrease latency, which is the time it takes for one device to send data to another.

  • Telecommunications companies like Nokia say 5G is about more than faster download speeds on your phone.

  • It could help autonomous cars communicate almost instantly on the road or connect devices seamlessly around your home.

  • Nokia showed us in one demo how 5G could help machines perform skills, in this case balancing a ball, faster than ever.

  • So if we try first with a 4G latency, and we start the balance now.

  • About five, six seconds.

  • If we ask it to balance with it in 5G mode, usually they're able to complete that synchronization within a couple of seconds.

  • So it's quite a bit faster.

  • If you're thinking about robots that are working in industry, that translates to production time, that translates to money.

  • That's why 5G is big business for Nokia.

  • The Finnish company was once the world's top mobile phone seller, and it sees 5G as an opportunity to be a leader in mobile communications again.

  • 5G is the next generation of communications.

  • Not just the radio but everything from two ends of the world to another end of the world.

  • So you can't be a communications company without at least being on the radar with 5G here?

  • I think that 5G is something which will touch everybody's lives in a few years from now.

  • Nokia's efforts have helped put Finland on the map in the worldwide race to develop 5G.

  • In January, it will become one of the first countries to allow operators to launch 5G commercial networks.

  • One of those operators is Swedish communications company Telia.

  • We are a nation that adopts new technologies very easily.

  • Do you think that Finland could compete with a country like the U.S. or China?

  • In the business volume, maybe not, but in the agility, in the speed, for sure.

  • 5G also means more data. We are inside Finland's largest open data center which is preparing for an influx of data as 5G gets more popular here.

  • You need to have that data center close enough that you can send some data back to the users.

  • So proximity is more important than ever?

  • It is.

  • From data centers to fiber-optic cables and cell towers, companies are pumping a lot of money into 5G infrastructure.

  • But there are concerns the technology is developing too fast for regulators to keep up.

  • By 2025, it's estimated nearly half of mobile connections in North America will be with 5G.

  • Some say all those cellular connections could increase the risk of harm from radiation.

  • And security is another concern as several countries have blocked Chinese 5G operators, out of fear they will enable China to spy on citizens.

  • Nokia told me it's taking serious security measures when it comes to producing 5G technology like routers, software and radios.

  • We are now connecting not just the people but the whole world and we don't want the infrastructure to fail because of some security issues.

  • So those risks we have taken very seriously.

  • And I understand why some governments and people are concerned.

  • Still, 5G adoption won't happen overnight.

  • Even if 5G networks are up and running in countries like here in Finland, a lot of our hardware isn't enabled for 5G yet.

  • So that means it could be a while before consumers use 5G every day.

  • Hey everyone, Elizabeth here. Thanks so much for watching our reports from Finland.

  • Let us know if you have any other ideas in the comments section.

  • Check out all of our other videos over here. See you later!

We are inside the experience center of Nokia's global headquarters here in Finland, and we're going to get a first-hand look at how 5G works.

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