Mobile applications require bandwidth. Generally speaking, speed is a necessity. As the internet becomes more pervasive and we ask our smartphones and devices to perform ever more sophisticated tasks, the demand for greater capacity grows. The planned "Internet of Things" will add billions of new connections. Google's dream of self-driving cars will need near instantaneous responses that can only occur with vastly improved infrastructure--especially in wireless communication.
The current state-of-the-art is 4G LTE. Top speeds can hit about 15 megabits per second. When available, it allows the user to download a high definition movie in about eight minutes. There are lab tests underway on the next generation of access called 5G. At top speeds in excess of 10 gigabits per second, that same movie will download in about five seconds!
Today, this technology is confined to the lab and highly controlled tests. It could be many years before you start to see this in full production. Major companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Cisco are working on plans to invest billions of dollars in the quest for ways to differentiate themselves.
Here are some articles that give more background on the subject.
General overview: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/technology/what-5g-will-mean-for-you.html?ref=technology
Cisco, Ericsson, and Intel: Cisco, Ericsson and Intel to work on 5G networks - Business Insider
CNET review of Verizon's plans: Inside Verizon's vision of smokin' 5G speeds - CNET
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