Is the hype around 5G deserved? You bet it is.
Four reasons 5G is a technology game-changer
Talk of wireless 5G is everywhere. If you believe the media hype, 5G will power everything from high-speed mobile phones to autonomous cars and remote surgery. If it sounds fantastic, it is; but it’s also true. 5G is a game-changer that will drive the next wave of innovation as we accelerate toward the connected world of “the internet of things.”
Why is 5G such a big deal?
Over the past three decades wireless technology has progressed through a series of “generations” that has brought us the mobile internet. Billions of devices are now connected to the network, with hundreds of billions more to come. The “internet of things” has arrived and we need a wireless network that can handle it. 5G is answering the call. 5G technology uses high frequency spectrum to move massive volumes of data much faster and with super-low latency. New network architectures, such as edge computing, and the expansion of fixed wireless and private networks, are bringing 5G to urban and rural areas, campuses and factories across America. 5G is energizing the digital economy the way broadband enabled the internet when it replaced dial-up 20+ years ago.
Four reasons 5G will live up to the hype
1. Lower latency, super-fast connections. With latencies in the low single digits, 5G will add a whole new dimension to mobile computing. Latency for 5G is roughly 10x faster than with 4G. The quicker a device can communicate wirelessly with the processor running an application, the closer to instantaneous the device’s response time will be. Any application where lag-time is critical benefits: multi-player gaming, autonomous vehicles, industrial robotics and remote surgery. 5G also enables better, faster network hand-offs between cell sites at speeds up to 300 mph, making 5G suitable for mobile applications from driverless trucks and drones, to high-speed trains.
2. More data, more connected devices. 5G brings massive bandwidth capacity to wireless networks. This means enormous volumes of data can be transmitted at much faster speeds, and more devices can be connected to the network simultaneously. 5G is perfect for places where large numbers of users generate lots of data, like a football stadium or concert arena. 5G is perfect for the hyper-connected world of the internet of things, where every device from streetlights to drones will be connected to the internet, and wireless connections will need to operate securely and stably.
3. Processing power moves to the network’s edge. As 5G networks expand, mobile carriers and cloud companies are building new data centers that bring computing power closer to the user’s device at the network “edge”. Edge computing, coupled with 5G’s low network latency, means that applications such as AR/VR will come alive as the lag time between device and processor approaches zero. The smart phone of the future may not need to be so “smart”, or cost as much, when the phone’s processing power moves to the cloud. Lower device costs mean increased accessibility, which can help address “digital divide” issues.
4. Expanding broadband access and inclusiveness. 5G’s lower build costs, coupled with recently available unlicensed spectrum, make fixed wireless access (FWA) more economic to deploy. This means high-speed networks can reach previously underserved markets, and private industrial networks will expand. The timing could not be better. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted inequities in access to critical services like remote healthcare and education. It also underscored the importance of quality internet access to connecting WFH applications like video conferencing and collaboration platforms. More than half of Americans now believe access to the internet is “essential” to their lives. 5G will bring broadband to more people, increasing economic and social resiliency and productivity, and ultimately spur innovation.
5G will help enable the 4th Industrial Revolution
Broadband internet access helped launch the digital economy. Now, 20 years later, 5G is poised to enable the next technology inflection point. It will drive the interconnection of billions more devices to the network and move us closer to the connected “cyber-physical” world of the internet of things. 5G will change the way we interact with technology, and with each other, and it will help usher in a wave of innovation and productivity that will power the 4th Industrial Revolution.
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About the author:
Tom Dailey is the former chief strategy counsel and chief international legal officer at Verizon. He brings more than 25 years of telecommunications, media & technology (TMT) leadership experience to his work advising C-suite executives in organizations ranging from early stage startups to multinational corporations. He is the founder of Dailey Strategic Advisors LLC, which provides telecommunications and emerging technology clients with strategic and operational business guidance at the intersection point of law, regulation and policy.
Contact: linkedin.com/in/tom-m-dailey
