How 5G is revolutionizing connectivity

In this decade we have seen great progress in what has transpired over the past ten years of how we interact, communicate and use digital services. Also with 5G on the horizon the future of connectivity is to 10x. 5G is more than what it presents in terms of faster download speeds it is a tech innovation which is transforming industries, improving lives, and bringing to reality what only a few decades ago was science fiction.

What is the state of play with our world and 5G, what also is 5G’s role in the transformation of our communication which goes beyond mobile phones? We will look at present situation, what is new, and what is to come.

What Makes 5G Different

To see what 5G is all about you first have to see how it differs from the old 3G and 4G networks. Each wireless tech generation has brought in something new, but 5G is a break from that — it is a game changer.

While in 4G we saw better video streaming, mobile gaming, and social media, in 5G we see it take those to a whole new level in three key ways:

• Faster download times what 5G does is it gives you speeds up to 10 to 100 times what you are used to with 4G. This in turn means what would take your phone minutes to download a full HD movie, with 5G it will happen in seconds.
• Lower Delay — delay is the time between your action and your device’s response. 5G brings that delay down which in turn makes real time communication, gaming and remote control as smooth as silk.
• Stunning Growth in Device Connectivity 5G is what is enabling us to connect an amazing number of devices at the same time which we are seeing play out as we put more smart devices into our industries, cities and homes.

These abilities go beyond ease of use. We are bringing to the table technologies and experiences which did not exist before.

Effects on Ubiquitous Connectivity

How people use their cell phones and cell internet.

Streaming of 4K and high def content is a breeze with 5G. Buffering during video play which used to happen at the worst possible times is a thing of the past. Social media apps which used to take forever to open now launch instantly and web browsing is a smooth experience.

But work and study online, beyond entertainment, have also seen improvements. What we have is strong and reliable connection which in turn improves apps like Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet. During the pandemic which saw us work and study from home a great issue was glitchy internet connections. 5G steps in here and also does that which past broadband infrastructure could not.

With the advent of 5G mobile gaming is at a crossroads. Fast games which require quick reactions and almost zero delay, as we see in competitive first-person shooters and online multi player role playing games, are enhanced greatly by 5G’s low latency.

Revolutionizing Industries

The real magic of 5G we see in how it is transforming entire industries. It’s in the game it is changing which we are only beginning to play.

Healthcare

Up to now what has been seen of 5G’s best use is in medicine.

Because of the low latency which we see now surgeons are able to do remote surgeries via robotic systems. Imagine a very skilled surgeon in London performing on a patient in Lagos remotely in real time, there is no delay at all which used to be a science fiction thing. That is no longer the case.

Telemedicine is also an asset. We see that high quality video based doctor and patient interactions which may be between remote physicians and patients has improved access for patients that used to travel great distances for care.

Transportation

5G is also what is enabling self driving cars. Self driving cars require constant and reliably fast communication with sensors, road maps, other cars, and traffic lights. We are seeing this made possible by 5G’s real time data transport which is what we have been waiting for. Self driving cars may not be here yet but 5G is the foundation we are building on for very smart and safe vehicles.

In modern cars 5G supports features such as predictive maintenance alerts, live traffic info, and high def in car entertainment.

Manufacturing and Industry

5G enabled automation is transforming what we see in factory shop floors today. We see robots in a manufacturing line that talk to each other faster than the blink of an eye, they almost seem to be in sync which in turn they do their work better. This results in reduced mechanical failures, improved product quality, and best use of resources.

Even in warehouse operations we see adoption of 5G. With 5G we are able to report that which was not thought possible precise movement of products via AGVs and drones which are remote controlled in real time.

Smart Cities

5G is transforming city life. We see roads, traffic lights and even dustbins talking to each other via sensors which in turn is at the base of a very efficient energy use and traffic management. Also rescue teams are better equipped to react as they are made aware of incidents as they are happening.

Picture a world where as you walk down the street, smart lampposts adapt light output based on the crowd or garbage bins that alert the garbage company when they fill up. This is all because of the enhanced connectivity provided by 5G.

Entertainment and Media

Also in addition to phone streaming, VR and AR are breaking into the mainstream via 5G. What used to be complex wired arrangements for in home virtual reality gaming we now see done wirelessly. Also we are seeing growth in the AR space which is made possible by live high speed networks which brings to life museum visits and live sports on your device.

At present 5G is being used at concerts and events for a more immersive experience. For instance in a football match which you can view from the stand, with the option to see beyond the stadium live, right in your living room.

Bridging the Digital Divide

One of the best things about 5G is that it will close the digital divide. In large parts of rural and poor areas of our world we see today’s traditional networks’ infrastructures of choice (cable and fiber) out of reach for deployment. With 5G they can have what is equivalent of broadband quality service through the air.

This improved access also will see more people enrolling in online education, getting jobs, researching, and developing, starting businesses which in turn will narrow the rural-urban gap.

Though 5G rollout is not equal across the world. In urban and wealthier countries we see faster roll out while many developing nations are left behind. It is up to governments and other entities to work together in order to bring 5G’s benefits to a greater number of people.

Problems of 5G

While we see great promise in 5G it also has issues.

To begin, we see that infrastructure development is a great challenge. In terms of fully realizing what 5G has to offer we will have to put in new fiber optic cables, transmitters and antennas into mainly urban dense areas. Also it is a time and capital intensive effort.

Second, we also see that security is an issue. As we add to the network’s devices, which is a growing trend, we see that the attacks’ surface area also grows. In health and financial which are very protective of their info, what we require is uncompromised security in 5G systems.

Finally in some parts of the world the internet is still a basic issue which we don’t see in others, much less high speed 5G. This is an issue of technology but also of political will, investment and cooperation which is lacking in many parts of the world.

What’s Next?

At the start of what 5G will do we are just at the beginning. In other parts of the world they are into 6G which by the 2030s will have even greater speed and performance. For the present 5G is very much the king of wireless connectivity for the coming years.

There is what we may call the positive side to it which is that which is most affected by 5G robotics, autonomous cars, smart city infrastructure are in the midst of a rate of change we have not seen before. What will transform is when all of these technologies break through at the same time which they are due to, thanks to 5G which is the common element.

For the average citizen we see more mobile internet, more pleasure, and wiser cities. In business we see new models, greater efficiency, and very different products.

Conclusion

5G is more than just an upgrade from 4G. It is a new world of its own which we see in industry, human, and in device-to-device communication. In health care we see breakthroughs, in the Internet of Vehicles we see the results also in virtual reality for video games and in breaking the digital divide, 5G is in fact changing the world for the better.

Connect at the core of what we are seeing in the present time which is an unparalleled tech transformation. With 5G coming in bigger ways it will bring out innovations which we can’t even put our fingers on at this point. The future is here and only looks to get more exciting going forward.