Almost a decade in the making, but 5G is finally becoming a reality. As the next generation of mobile internet connectivity, it offers unmatched speed and reliable connections to smartphones and other smart devices.
Before we dive into how 5G will transform our lives, let’s take a closer look at what 5G is all about, and what it means for the world.
What is 5G?
To put it simply, 5G is the next phase in over-the-air communication standards.
When compared to 4G, 5G delivers enormously improved data rates while significantly dropping latency rates for cellular devices.
That’s the basic concept behind it, but there is a lot more to what it offers than super-fast internet speed.
The potential of 5G
Sure, we can instantly download HD movies in a fraction of time, but 5G represents new opportunities and a chance to maximize the effect of emerging technologies. It is constructed as a unifying network that can assist the Internet of Things (IoT) in taking true shape, for instance. From vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) to robust virtual reality (VR), along with extended reality (XR), 5G is also laying the foundation of technologies that are yet to be conceived.
Businesses and organizations need to make arrangements and gear up for the potential that this next-gen connectivity has to offer. The fastest ones to embrace these changes will definitely gain a competitive edge over their rivals.
Although many have voiced their doubts about the dangers of 5G, we think it’s is set to reinvent the world of business, and here are five reasons why:
1. 5G is taking over markets
After years of hype, carriers are now turning towards 5G networks. Both AT&T and Verizon have launched their mobile 5G networks, recently. AT&T’s network is currently running in 19 cities, including New Orleans, Atlanta, and Dallas but most of its customers are small businesses. This means that 5G connectivity holds vast possibilities for small businesses.
Verizon has also launched a 5G home service last year but is now expanding its network coverage to other cities as well. With the next-gen connectivity taking shape, the leading smartphone manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Motorola, and Huawei are also equipping their flagship models with 5G capability.
5G hasn’t been completely out yet and it’s already causing major shifts in the market.
2. Mixed Reality
VR and AR are the latest technological breakthroughs but every tech guru knows that we can’t get a wholesome experience, without concrete 5G coverage. For AR and VR to feel real, they need to operate at the actual pace of reality and that is only possible with 5G, as it promises to deliver up to 2.5 GB/s (gigabytes per second) which makes 4G a thing of the dark ages.
At the (MWC) Mobile World Congress, Microsoft showed off their new HoloLens2 that brought digital and physical elements together to collaborate in real-time. 5G coupled with HoloLens2 will bring mixed reality apps to a whole new dimension, from maps to business apps, once the next-gen connectivity is unleased, it’ll make AR and VR a part of our everyday life.
3. Smart Factories
We already have factories that are completely operated by robots but with 5G in the picture, it’ll take the smart factory development only further. The manufacturing process will move away from the manufacturing floors, right from design to distribution, the whole chain of product development will be connected. The designers will be able to get customer feedback in real-time while product rerouting could be done instantly due to weather patterns and customer demands.
Great things are to happen because of connected devices and IoT as 5G will enable them to achieve unimaginable growth. That is why major manufacturing industries are hugely outspending on IoT investment and it is expected to continue till 2020.
4. Autonomous Vehicles
We’ve been talking about self-driving vehicles for quite some time and they still haven’t taken flight but now things are about to finally change as 5G technology has made its digital footprint in the global market. The primary reason which kept Autonomous Vehicles restricted to the drawing boards was their safety concern but 5G will allow machines to mimic human reflexes in real-time.
As of now, 5G is the only technology reliable enough to rest a human life on. 5G is still being rolled out and once it’s out everywhere, there will be nothing to stop the development of safe autonomous vehicles, not just like cars but buses, taxis, trucks, and airplanes as well.
5. Edge Computing
With 4G, cloud computing came into existence, but 5G is planning to bring something else to the table and that is Edge computing. Also referred to as fog computing, it allows data to be processed as close to the original source as possible. Data doesn’t travel far that is why it can be processed much faster. To explain in plain words, if you’re in a self-driving vehicle and you see that an accident is about to take place because what happened on the road, you wouldn’t want your car to send all the raw data up to the cloud and then send the processed data back to your car.
You would just want your car to automatically hit the brakes. This is one of the drawbacks of cloud computing as it can’t hold all the data the IoT will generate. And the situation only gets worse in multi-cloud environments. With 5G, you will get real-time responses because of low latency data transmission so that such situations can be dealt with even before they completely happen.
The downside to 5G Technology
5G with all its potentials and possibilities also comes with a few drawbacks.
Privacy advocates claim that with 5G rolled out, law enforcement and others can easily track and pinpoint someone’s whereabouts in real-time. And that’s not all, 5G also has a hand to play in global warming.
