The 5G network is the fifth generation of wireless technology, and it is set to revolutionize the way we interact with technology and the internet. The 5G network promises to deliver faster speeds, lower latency, and improved network capacity, which will have a significant impact on the way businesses operate. In this article, we will explore the impact of 5G networks on businesses, including how 5G will impact the workplace, how businesses can prepare for the 5G rollout, and what businesses can do to take advantage of the benefits of 5G.
Impact of 5G on the Workplace
One of the most significant impacts of 5G networks on businesses is the way it will change the workplace. The increased speed and reduced latency of 5G networks will allow employees to work remotely and collaborate in real time, no matter where they are located. This will give businesses greater flexibility in their staffing and operations, as they will be able to hire the best talent from anywhere in the world. The 5G network will also provide a more secure connection, which will help to protect sensitive data and keep confidential information safe.
Improved Connectivity
Another impact of 5G networks on businesses is improved connectivity. With faster speeds and increased network capacity, businesses will be able to connect to more devices and people than ever before. This will lead to new opportunities for businesses to streamline their operations, reduce costs, and increase productivity. For example, 5G networks will enable businesses to remotely monitor and control devices, such as industrial machinery, reducing the need for manual intervention and maintenance. Additionally, businesses will be able to connect to and access more data, allowing them to make better-informed decisions and improve their bottom line.
New Business Opportunities
The 5G network will also create new business opportunities, as it enables new technologies and applications to be developed and deployed. For example, the 5G network will support the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), enabling businesses to collect and analyze data from a vast network of connected devices. This will give businesses the ability to make real-time decisions, optimize their operations, and improve their customer experience. Additionally, the 5G network will support the growth of virtual and augmented reality, which will open up new opportunities for businesses to engage with their customers and improve their brand experience.
Preparing for the 5G Rollout
With the rollout of 5G networks underway, businesses need to prepare for the impact that this new technology will have on their operations. Here are some tips for businesses to prepare for the 5G rollout:
Review your current infrastructure: Before the 5G network is deployed, businesses should review their current infrastructure to ensure it is compatible with 5G technology. This includes checking for the availability of 5G-compatible devices, such as smartphones, laptops, and IoT devices.
Upgrade your technology: In order to take advantage of the benefits of 5G networks, businesses may need to upgrade their technology. This may include updating software, replacing older hardware, and investing in new devices and technologies.
Train your employees: The 5G network will bring new opportunities and challenges, so it’s important to train your employees on how to use the new technology and how it will impact their jobs. This will help ensure that your business is ready to take advantage of the benefits of 5G networks.
Develop a 5G strategy: Developing a 5G strategy will help businesses prepare for the rollout of 5G networks and ensure that they are taking advantage of the benefits of this new technology. This strategy should include a plan for how the business will use 5G networks, how it will integrate with existing technologies, and how it will address any potential challenges.
CMSWire recently spoke with several leaders in the communications, IoT, and communications technology (ICT) industry about their preparation for the rollout of 5G networks. Here are the insights they provided:
Learn More about IoT
IoT requires consistent and low-latency communication, something that 5G networks can provide. However, IoT-enabled devices also require fast and low-power Wi-Fi connectivity. There are a number of small Wi-Fi vendors that are designing chipsets to address these connectivity requirements, enabling companies to deploy these IoT devices at scale.
For example, the General Magic ARGUS GSM Small Cell is a wireless data device, chip, and module that offers two-way device-to-device communication. The ARGUS chipset combines voice, data, and Wi-Fi to ensure consistent low-latency communications for IoT devices that use the ARGUS Small Cell.
IoT-enabled devices will also require a reliable network backbone, and 5G networks provide this service. Verizon is launching its 5G network across the United States by the end of the year. The first 5G “carriers” are expected to launch in Los Angeles and Sacramento.
Learn More About 5G
Businesses should also take advantage of software and IoT capabilities to ensure that they are prepared for 5G networks. The 5G standard requires that the software on connected devices be designed for low-latency communication with low power consumption. Using software to meet these requirements means that connected devices can use hardware in IoT devices that were originally designed for 2G and 3G networks, making devices small, affordable, and easily deployable.
Learn More About Enterprise Software
IoT devices also rely on software to collect data and interact with the network. The 5G standard also requires that these devices have low-power applications, and require a wide range of vendors to build software applications for 5G devices, from hubs to sensors.
For example, Cisco is building a number of 5G-ready software platforms for enterprises, including a mobile application platform and a machine data platform for machine-to-machine communications. In addition, Cisco will build a 5G internet of things (IoT) platform based on the Internet of Things Cloud Platform.
Learning more about 5G will help ensure that your company can take advantage of the promise of a better network for both businesses and consumers.
Toward a Metaverse Based on 5G
As a technology executive and leading researcher on the intersection of VR/AR, I am excited about the opportunity that 5G networks present to connect users to the metaverse.
There is an ever-growing market of 2D and 3D content that users want to interact with in a VR/AR environment, and the quality of these networks depends on how reliable and fast these connections are.
The progress in this area has been breathtakingly fast, with 5G becoming a reality even faster.
The pace of development means that we are at a point where I believe we are entering the age of the Metaverse — the shared virtual reality experience where users interact with and travel through simulated environments created by others.
Imagine a world where VR/AR users could share in one virtual reality world in one state of the Metaverse while browsing in another at the same time, all within a single network, which can create an entirely new business model.
Way forward
We are still in the initial phase of development, but I believe 5G will dramatically alter the future of networks. It will change the way we understand the internet and how it is created and delivered.
Based on its ability to deliver the needed power efficiency while supporting high data rates, 5G has the ability to connect millions of devices and billions of people to the internet, which opens up a tremendous opportunity for companies to use its power to create a new revenue stream that I have called the “5G dawn effect.”
Via the “5G dawn effect,” I believe that companies that figure out how to monetize their investment in infrastructure can use 5G networks to leapfrog the current 4G paradigm and take over control of the IoT market.
Examples of companies using 5G to resolve business challenges
Renewable energy: Cisco and Excelero have partnered to create an enterprise-class hyper-converged storage solution, which enables hybrid IT operations. This solves a significant problem for companies because managing data center hardware is an expensive and inefficient process. Cisco’s technology offers enterprises high-performance, low-latency storage infrastructure with 100 percent hardware assurance and a cloud-like price for power, helping companies to get ahead of their competition.
Cisco’s technology offers enterprises high-performance, low-latency storage infrastructure with 100 percent hardware assurance and a cloud-like price for power, helping companies to get ahead of their competition. Security: Cisco’s software-defined perimeter (SDP) approach allows security teams to view and control an enterprise network in real-time, based on context. With 5G and advanced mobile computing, networks need to evolve to become more real-time and interactive, and at scale, which necessitates a new, agile way of managing and securing IT networks.
Exploration and Mining: Geo-location and real-time data collection from a constellation of connected sensor and object platforms are creating new applications and better ways to interact with the world. We recently worked with Lenovo, Vodafone, and TPCast, to demonstrate the first live 5G VR experience in Thailand. 5G enables this experience to deliver a live look at the surface of Mars with 4K resolution, down to each individual rock and dirt speck. In the future, 5G will be used to help unlock the value of “big data” by using massive computing power to analyze extremely large amounts of data.
Conclusion
The network is the cornerstone of our connected and data-driven world.
In the future, the network is becoming more intelligent, highly responsive, highly diverse and distributed, and tailored to the exact needs of our connected devices.
With this as a backdrop, I believe that we are entering the era of the 5G network.
The next five years will be critical to the network’s future success and evolution. The companies that stay ahead of the pack will gain a tremendous advantage in the race to take over the world of IoT and create the “5G dawn effect.”