As 5G entered the UK market, every business knows this new technology is going to be pivotal. It will take at least three years from today for this type of mobile data network to have widespread coverage throughout the country.
As a business, you need to gear up for this revolutionary change, which is crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest tech trends of the industry. Mobile network operators are already betting big on 5G by making significant investments to acquire particular frequencies.
It is well-known that 5G is going to be the future and will play a significant role in driving innovations. However, you want to know how it will affect your business and the industry so that you can make the right calls in integrating this technology.
What is 5G?
5G is the fifth generation of mobile network, offering download speeds anywhere between 1 – 10 Gbps. The UK happens to be one of the first countries in the world to adopt this technology. At present, 5G has the following bands available:
- Sub 1GHz, excellent coverage, cheap, but slow speed
- 3.4 GHz – 3.8 GHz, primary frequency
- Greater than 6 GHz, low latency, high bandwidth.
All the major mobile network carriers, EE, O2, Vodafone, and Three are already rolling out this technology in areas which receive high internet traffic. However, EE had a huge headstart and was the first network in the UK to offer commercial 5G service. Although it is available in a handful of major cities, around 10 locations around the country will receive access to this new network.
How will it help your business?
The major question is why you should be thinking about investing in the fifth generation of mobile networks. 5G will help your business in the following ways:
Enhances remote workings
Remote working is an incredible benefit which comes with this technology. Although this has been on the cards for businesses for a long time, it didn’t take off since there were a lot of problems. For example, lack of a fast internet connection defeated the purpose of having remote workers.
One of the reasons why 5G is a game-changer in every industry is that it enables remote working. Having virtual meetings will no longer be a pain since businesses will have access to reliable and fast internet connections.
Improves business communications
Communicating with customers and employees requires a quick response, which 5G technology is able to offer. If your business has to stream high-resolution video conferences with your clients or board of investors, there won’t be any problems due to the low latency of 1 millisecond. Your company no longer needs to be dependent on hard-wired solutions, saving you from a lot of problems which comes with them.
Reduces time to complete tasks
When you are running a business which requires to complete tasks related to the network, speed is of the essence. For example, if you need to share files or documents across your cloud service or you need to conduct online sales, 5G will help immensely. It will ensure all these types of data transfer is efficient and swift.
Your employees won’t have to rely on conventional Wi-Fi connections, which improves productivity. Also, it eliminates frustration among your employees due to slow internet speeds. As a result, it boosts your staff morale, which will help your business immensely.
What technologies will 5G enable?
5G is growing in popularity among businesses because of the following technologies it will bring to life:
IoT
IoT devices have been flooding the market due to significant development in technology. As the world is moving towards one connected via the internet, 5G can help with these types of equipment.
As there are billions of these devices all over the world, they need access to quick and reliable network speeds. With 5G, device-to-device communication improves significantly, improving the use case for these types of equipment.
Remote-controlled machinery
One of the biggest innovations which will become a reality with 5G is remote-controlled machinery. Employees will be able to have complete control over devices, even though there are hundreds of miles away.
For the construction industry, this technology is incredible, and operators can handle cranes and other types of equipment. Similarly, in the healthcare industry, doctors will be able to perform remote surgery with high levels of accuracy and precision. Hospitals are already trying out prototypes which use this technology.
Virtual reality
You would have come across countless articles, which talk about how virtual reality is going to be huge. However, for several years, it always felt like this technology wasn’t able to take off.
With 5G, this is going to change as the low latency and high speeds will enable virtual reality. The experience becomes seamless and devices will have high levels of responsiveness, despite sending out large volumes of data.
Is it the replacement for fixed-line broadband?
Due to the fact that 5G is extremely fast when compared to current fixed-line broadband technology, you will wonder if it will replace the latter. Even though it comes with a lot of advantages, this type of change won’t happen immediately.
Keep in mind that 5G is still rolling out to the masses at a slow pace. Given the fact that it took a long time for 4G to become available to everyone, the fifth generation of mobile networks won’t replace fixed-line broadband any time soon.
The reality is that it will work hand-in-hand with this type of technology. For example, when the fixed-line broadband goes offline, it causes significant problems for your business. With 5G, you can use it as backup technology, allowing your company to stay online at all times. As a result, you won’t face any losses, even if your primary access to the internet goes down since all your devices can connect and use the quick speeds of this mobile network.
The fifth generation of the mobile network is going to change the way your company communicates, collaborates, and works. It is a disruptive technology, which will pave the way for innovation of powerful services and products.
At the same time, it will bring down the costs, while helping your business make the most of your existing resources!