What will 5G do for businesses and our lives? What you need to know!

How is 5G going to connect and transform our lives and business?How is 5G going to connect and transform our lives and business?

In many countries today, the 5G launch is getting ready or has already started. Many businesses and some consumers in the US and China have started to benefit from faster device connections, low latency, increased security, ability to connect unlimited number of devices, big increases in data handling, and better battery time.

As Wikipedia defines it, 5G is the fifth generation technology standard for cellular networks, which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019, the planned successor to the 4G networks which provide connectivity to most current cellphones.

5G Accelerates Business 

The main difference between 3G, 4G and 5G is that 3G and 4G use lower radio frequencies (around 6Ghz for 4G). 5G frequencies are higher (in the 30 to 100 and more Ghz range). For 5G technology, the use of higher frequency is purely to allow higher speed to ensure you can watch high quality (4K, 8K or higher) video streaming, for example, or to ensure Internet of Things (IoT) or connected objects can benefit from more bandwidth. It not only helps with speed but also lower latency (the waiting time for data to be processed), which is essential for real time activity such as autonomous cars.

5G is helping and will continue to help all industries. I do not believe you can find an industry that will not benefit from its key features.

An Evolution not a Revolution

5G is an evolution, not a revolution. The technology is evolving because our needs are evolving. We are now used to 4K or even 8K quality video streaming. We are starting to see autonomous vehicles operate. With pandemics, medicine is advancing quickly and due to a lack of doctors, e-health is requiring more and more use of robotics and remote surgeries.

Let us have a look at some examples for businesses and consumers that will hugely benefit from this evolution. 5G is here because 4G is reaching its capability and either we stay in the past or we move forward.

Transforms Healthcare 

In the healthcare market, remote surgeries have started to show that for some countries, patients can really benefit from a wider bandwidth and use of robotics. For example, a doctor based in the US could perform surgery in Australia if the country lacks a specialty. Robots will be used and video surgery will be in place. Because 5G has low latency, it allows real time reaction without any delay.

The amount of data needed for video calls or tele-consultation will be managed by the 5G infrastructure. Currently, when using the 4G network in a video call, you often see people “freezing”. This would not be acceptable during a surgery, for example.

Autonomous Vehicles

As car manufacturers worldwide are moving towards developing autonomous cars, 5G will allow the infrastructure to operate smoothly. They need real time reactions to all situations.

For example, lag time is not an option when you have someone crossing the road in front of the car. With more bandwidth there will be no delay in operating the car. 5G will allow the AI algorithm behind the car’s intelligence system to run smoothly and efficiently.

Internet of Things (IoT) Connects

The internet of things is about connecting everyday objects to the internet. Connected objects today represent more connections than humans to the internet. We can find connected objects in every industry. In the agriculture world for example, they are using IoT to help find weeds, drive tractors and spray products with unbelievable precision. Thanks to large bandwidth and the ability to connect many more objects than ever before, 5G is the technology for IoT devices.

Companies will see huge benefits in terms of availability, cost, and easier to deploy infrastructure for IoT. One of the key 5G features is higher throughput which will see higher individual user peaks, but, more importantly, increased overall system capacity to handle growth in users, devices, and resulting traffic demands. 5G will then allow IoT to develop fully and to optimize this industry.

Expands Opportunities

Gaming is also an area that will benefit from 5G. Extended Reality (XR) is meant to encompass Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR). Most people have probably tried VR or AR with games. As 5G becomes more and more available it can help make XR even more engaging. Another angle of gaming that will see a huge impact from 5G is immersive gaming, where players take part in the game. Gamers are continually looking for more realistic and engaging play.

Because games will need to be more realistic, with better quality and available in real time, it will require 5G key features such as connectivity, higher bandwidth, and very low latency. Moreover, these games will see the increased use of different wearables such as sensors and IoT devices making gamers’ experience more real than ever.

Improves Video Experiences 

Video streaming in high definition (4k-8k and UHD – Ultra High Definition) will benefit greatly from 5G. Ever since full HD was invented and the rise of Blu-Ray and HD video streaming came, there has always been a continual interest in higher definition content.

It is the same for 360 videos. It is being used to give people the possibility of being in some unusual location or see activities that they might never experience. As 5G bandwidth allows 360 videos to stream in ultra-high definition, the viewer experience will greatly be improved and we will be more engaged as it will feel very real.

5G Enhances Our Lives

I could go on and on about the various applications that 5G will enhance. I wanted to give you some concrete examples of activities that we experience every day. Our journey and experience as a consumer will be improved and companies will optimize their infrastructures and offerings to their customers.

As a conclusion, I hope you understand with these few examples what 5G can bring to our lives. As our requirements are evolving so does the technology around us. 5G is the way to ensure our lifestyle is the same at home as it is on the go.

With confinement during the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen how much we need efficient and effective technology to work and play. 4G is at the end of its fantastic life (remember how impressed we were when we could download a video on the go?). 5G is the answer to ensure we move into this next step of progress and innovation.

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