How 5G Technology is transforming industry
The emergence of high-speed 4G cellular technology paved the way for HD streaming and superfast broadband back in 2009, increasing the speed and quantity of data transmission and revolutionizing the internet. Now, 5G is set to make the digital world even faster.
5G technology can transmit data at a real-world speed of up to 3 Gbps - compared to the average real-world 4G speed of 35Mbp - meaning 5G could be 100 times faster than 4G.
The need for faster data speeds in 2021 is clear: 4G exclusively uses the low-band spectrum, meaning at peak times with many devices connected, the bandwidth of the low-band spectrum is used up, slowing speeds. As a result, data congestion is a common problem for IoT, digital twinning, and AVs.
This is not only annoying for public users but can be a barrier to doing business - slowing production lines, for example. 5G, though, operates on three different spectrums (low, medium, and high band), as well as in conjunction with 4G. The low-and spectrum is important as it is the best at penetrating buildings and has good coverage, and so to alleviate the heavy data load on this spectrum, 5G will operate on the two others, increasing speeds and allowing more structural flexibility. Rollouts began in 2019 and are gathering pace around the world. Here’s what it means for industry:
Manufacturing
Currently, 42% of unplanned downtime in manufacturing is caused by equipment failures. With the introduction of 5G technology, manufacturers will be able to implement predictive maintenance more effectively, increasing production efficiency.
The manufacturing industry relies on big data, automation and IoT devices, with machines and data stores connected by 4G. Faster data transfer speeds with 5G allows diagnostics, simulations, and general interconnection between machines to work faster and more efficiently.
It will allow manufacturers to adopt newer developing technologies in the future, which will increasingly require higher, more stable data transfer routes to operate. And 5G technology will allow manufacturers to boost efficiency on production lines, too, as sensors on the production line become more effectively interconnected.
Energy
Smart meters, already in use across most developed economies, allow energy companies and national grids to measure changes in energy uses in real time and respond swiftly to match their energy output to public demand, increasing efficiency and reducing wasted energy.
To date, unreliable data connections have stifled uptake, but faster and more stable data transfers may well change public perceptions. 5G enabled IoT devices, too, will help to boost energy efficiency. The sector already uses connected sensors to measure and predict when more or less energy output will be needed to match demand, and higher rates of data transfer, provide more data to feed into predictive systems for more accurate results.
That means, ultimately, reduced outages and downtime, and a lower carbon footprint.
Healthcare
There are many areas of the healthcare sector that will be transformed by 5G, with one of the largest changes being to data management. Hospitals and the wider healthcare sector, famously slow in digital transformation; many hospital records and patient details are still stored either in physical documents or on ageing local hardware.
With faster upload speeds, and more secure connections, 5G makes sharing patient data between establishments much quicker and more efficient, providing a centralised data store in the cloud.
5G will also transform how medical training works; VR and AR can give students a “hands on” experience without risk to a patient - and at a low cost too. Even more importantly, 5G allows medical professionals to telemedicine more efficiently from any location, making remote care a real possibility for the first time in many parts of the world.
Transportation
Self-driving cars have been a long-time coming in the tech space, and it is still unclear how close we are to a fully autonomous vehicle. What is certain is that the worldwide adoption of 5G networks will speed up the development of AVs (autonomous Vehicles) rapidly, as the increased data transfer speeds of 5G will facilitate more adaptive and effective AI driving systems.
The automotive industry is set to launch their first versions of AVs at the same time as 5G technology is rolled out. This means 5G will be a vital aspect in the development of AV technology, which relies so heavily on rapid data transfer and processing to operate. As seen in many of the industries set to be transformed, 5G is the foundational road paving the way for other new technologies to revolutionize the world.