As smartphones and other digital devices get smarter and more numerous — and as the applications they run generate ever more data — the wireless network that connects them must change to keep pace. That’s why telecommunications giants like Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint are racing to roll out the fifth generation of wireless network technology.

Although some have criticized 5G for its high projected cost, there’s wide agreement that the emerging technology will bring faster, more reliable connections for users. It could also provide the extra bandwidth needed to create what’s being called the “Internet of Things” — a network that links not just phones and computers but also robots, cars, and all manner of sensor-equipped consumer products and infrastructure.

5G could even usher in a new era of “smart cities” in which energy grids, traffic signals, and emergency services are linked to reduce inefficiencies.