There's been a lot of hype about what 5G will bring, but we're years away from highly immersive experiences. Here's what to expect.  

If you didn’t know any better, you’d think full-scale 5G rollout was right around the corner. In a matter of months, we’ll be streaming hi-def video on our mobile devices while walking down the street conducting remote appendectomies and dodging self-driving cars.  

And who can argue? Dozens of 5G-enabled solutions were announced at January’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Successful demonstrations were held at the Super Bowl and at the Winter Olympics. AT&T just announced the lucky cities that will be the sites of its urban test bed. And the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) published the first 5G specifications in December with final standards to be released in June.

The reality is that while the media has done a great job of hyping the promise of 5G, the industry has failed to set realistic consumer expectations and acknowledge that we’re years away from delivering these truly transformative experiences. Progress is going to be slow, at least by the standards set by the 5G hype machine.