This episode is presented by eBay.

Rob, everyone loves a deal and a bargain from time to time, don't they? Absolutely, mate. And you know where you can grab a great deal? Talk to me. Where? The eBay app. Yes, you are correct. You didn't need to talk to me. I already knew it. I love eBay. When you're buying, you can discover loads of hidden gems. there's so many items where you think I would have never found that anywhere else.

Then when you're buying, you can discover loads of hidden gems. There's so many items where you think I would have never found that anywhere else. Then when you're selling, it's so simple and most

importantly, free. It's free, Rob. When it's this easy to sell for free and there's great deals

on things you love. You can't help but say when it's eBay. It excludes vehicles and business

sellers. Welcome to Scientific American

Science Talk posted on May 30th, 2017. I'm Steve Merski. Larry Greenmeyer is our technology editor.

Larry was recently at the Mobile World Congress 2017 conference in Barcelona, where he spoke with Verizon's Director of Network Planning,

San Yadha Gathechamsender. You had 3G, you have 4G, we'll get ready for 5G, and along the way

get a primer on how electromagnetic spectrum-based communications happen, starting with good old AM and FM.

This may sound like a cliche, but what does 5G mean to you?

Because it doesn't really exist.

So when you think about 5G, what are you, what are you thinking?

So 5G, our definition of 5G is 5G in what we call millimeter wave bands, which are very high

frequency bands, right?

And there are many opportunities.

I mean, there are challenges with that band because physics says that if I go high in frequency,

my energy dissipates faster.

It can't go too far.

So that's the challenge. But then there are new technologies

that help you overcome some of those challenges. I mean, you can't, I guess, overcome physics,

but there are things you could do better that form the energy in such a way that you can go,

...