5G. Sounds classy, right? It also, more importantly, boasts a strength that we as humans haven\u2019t seen since Arnie in The Terminator movies. From download speeds as high as 20 gigabits-per-second (that\u2019s 60 episodes of The Wire in just over four minutes), to finally bringing coverage to rural areas, developing nations and less-connected communities \u2013 5G is, on paper, the hero technology we\u2019ve been waiting for.<\/p>\n
What is 5G?<\/h2>\n
5G is fifth-generation mobile network technology enabling exceptional latency speed (the time taken for devices to respond to each other over the wireless network). In essence, it\u2019s a constantly evolving network of connections for more than mobile phones, or to the less technical among us, the life-force of the internet of things (IoT). This is very important, because as our technology advances \u2013 think precision medicines, autonomous cars, augmented reality \u2013 it relies on being connected to different devices which, up until now, wasn\u2019t possible (damn you 4G!). Finally, 5G is powerful enough to drive the next generation of tech that will power consumer and industrial-grade technologies.<\/p>\n
How will 5G benefit business?<\/h2>\n
Qualcomm have estimated<\/a> that by 2035, 5G could underpin $12.3 trillion worth of goods and services across different industries in the United States alone. And there are many benefits for businesses:<\/p>\n It\u2019s quick. It\u2019s reaaaaal quick. Speed, minimal latency and enhanced data handling means people and systems in different organizations and offices can communicate in a flash. Cue near-seamless integration between different communications tools and business software.<\/p>\n 5G will be able to cope with more applications running concurrently \u2013 from connected cars and IoT devices to virtual reality experiences and simultaneous HD video streaming. It\u2019s essentially going to facilitate most next-generation technology, which will make mass uptake of new services easier than in the age of 4G.<\/p>\n In short, 5G will close the mobile coverage gap, opening up opportunities for businesses in traditionally hard-to-reach areas. In Africa, for example, 3G networks cover only 50 percent of the population<\/a>. Without appropriate coverage, many rural businesses can\u2019t access the infrastructure they need to grow, and even today\u2019s standard services experienced in many countries like streaming video are out of reach. 5G will sort that right out, enabling better connections between rural and urban areas, right across the globe.<\/p>\n Every. Single. One of them. But here are a few that are in for a real shake up:<\/p>\n Hospitals, surgeries and drop-in centers across the globe are usually overrun with sick patients looking for help. 5G has the power to change that. It will give the able-bodied and the housebound faster access to services \u2013 think online portals and different digital devices \u2013 reducing pressure on health infrastructure.<\/p>\n One of the biggest advancements 5G will facilitate for this industry is wearable tech. From MedMinder\u2019s<\/a> automated pill dispensers to SpiroSmart\u2019s<\/a> ability to turn mobile phones into respiratory meters, 5G will mean a proliferation in disruptive healthcare devices designed to monitor our health and even use artificial intelligence and tele-presence consultations to diagnose us.<\/p>\n It will also completely change the way we look at smart homes. Weihua Sheng, associate professor at Oklahoma State University and director of the Advanced Sensing, Computation and Control Lab<\/a>, has been working on bringing health sensors into our homes. Sheng\u2019s team is developing a cloud-based smart home platform for healthcare monitoring that includes environmental sensors, wearables and a robot assistant. For example, using different sensors, the system can detect whether the user is dehydrated. The robot assistant can then prompt them to drink more water. The platform can also determine whether a person has fallen and call for help.<\/p>\n Smart farming. It denotes the use of IoT applications in agriculture \u2013 from big data to crop sensors \u2013 which are going to be facilitated by the 5G network.<\/p>\n Allmeteo<\/a> is a shining example of how important data will be for the future of farming; it\u2019s a weather station that uses sensors to gather information from across farms, giving farmers analytics from which to choose the appropriate crops, and take the required measures to improve their capacity. But there are more innovations to come. Many more. One in particular is GreenIQ<\/a>. In short: it\u2019s an automated irrigation and fertilizer system that uses sensors to dictate when farmers water their crops, and by how much.<\/p>\n From water management to optimum fertilizer dispensers, 5G will give farms the ability to monitor, track and improve their systems in a way they\u2019ve never known before.<\/p>\n Three words: Self. Driving. Vehicles. Now that\u2019s a shake-up. Uber? Car insurance? McDonalds drive thru? Much to think about, and potentially lots of transport businesses who may take a hit. A study in the US<\/a> shows that self-driving vehicles will potentially reduce the need for parking space by over 5.7 billion square meters. That could free up vital resourcing for housing, or even urban farms to meet our increased food needs.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not just driverless cars that 5G will impact, it\u2019s going to make traffic lights more intelligent \u2013 reducing the time waiting in traffic \u2013 and boost public transport connectivity. Yes, the hideously slow train Wi-Fi you sometimes use for work, it\u2019s on the up. In Japan in 2018, Samsung completed a\u00a05G demonstration on a moving train\u00a0<\/a>in partnership with Japanese telecommunications carrier KDDI. We\u2019re talking peak speeds of 1.7 Gbps. Just the right pace for working on the world\u2019s fastest bullet trains.<\/p>\n There are tremendous benefits to 5G, but it has the power to take many businesses out of their comfort zones. As with all new technologies, there are risks. 5G is the first generation of mobile network designed for machine-to-machine (M2M). But it poses major security challenges for privacy, with personal data collected relating to our health, driving habits and more. Connected devices will capture more and more data, which could be a rich bounty for malicious actors. And as 5G needs more mobile sites, it may mean it\u2019s easier to geo-locate users, which presents additional risks.<\/p>\nIncreased network speeds<\/h3>\n
Greater network capacity<\/h3>\n
Greater coverage<\/h3>\n
Which industries are most likely to see those benefits?<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nHealthcare: watch out for wearables<\/h3>\n
Agriculture: big data means big business<\/h3>\n
Transport: greasing the gears of change<\/h3>\n
But what are the security risks?<\/h2>\n