Carriers and mobile phone makers have already started touting 5G capabilities, but it will be a long road to deploying the networks that provide coverage as complete as 4G is today.
"There are a number of things that have to take place for 5G to really [take hold], mostly infrastructure play," said Norm Rose, senior technology and corporate market analyst at Phocuswright.
5G requires more "repeating points" than 4G because it has a shorter range, Rose said, meaning more physical units need to be placed throughout the world to create the network.
"We're going to be in a hybrid world for many, many years of 4G and 5G mixed, and therefore, you're not going to have ubiquitous 5G every place for many years," he said. "You grab it when you can, and you appreciate it when you can. It's transformative, but it's evolutionary as far as transformation."
Noah Kimmel, IBM's transformation executive for travel and transportation, described 5G as "a mesh network," because base stations -- the physical transmitters and receivers that actually enable 5G coverage -- are smaller, with the shorter range that Rose mentioned.
"Rather than having giant, monolithic cell towers, there are going to be a bunch of little beacons placed throughout buildings, cities, etc., so it's more of a mesh network," Kimmel said. "It'll be interesting, because I think we'll see a bit of a changing landscape."
Verizon is one of a number of carriers deploying beacons to enable 5G. The carrier recently announced it would build networks in Chicago and Minneapolis, with more to come, according to Sanyogita Shamsunder, vice president of 5G ecosystems and innovation.
Verizon deployed 4G in tiers as well, with much of the country having been covered in two to three years. She said she expects a "similar trajectory" with 5G.
The base stations, also called "radios," are a little larger than a home's WiFi access point, Shamsunder estimated.
While the frequency 5G operates on is higher, requiring that the radios be placed closer together, Verizon was already placing radios closer together with its 4G network. While those units could be placed farther apart and still provide coverage, Verizon started deploying more 4G radios closer together to improve user experience as more consumers use 4G and the capabilities it offers.
Deploying networks is a logistical challenge that requires a great deal of coordination between the party deploying the network and the location where it's being deployed. Shamsunder said Verizon is working with city governments, owners of utility poles (5G radios are small enough to be placed on the structures) and others to attain proper permits.
Shelly Palmer, a strategic consultant and president and CEO of the Palmer Group, said that, theoretically, a traveler with a 5G phone should be able to travel seamlessly from one country's 5G network to another, but in practice, that remains an unknown as the technology is still being implemented.