Applications of 5G technology

5G technology will power a wide range of future industries from retail to education, transportation to entertainment, and smart homes to healthcare. It will make mobile more essential than it is today. What are the applications of 5G technology?

Researchers predict the global, social, and economic impact of 5G, which will benefit entire economies and society. It is expected to produce trillions of worth of revenue in the coming years.

1. High-speed mobile network

5G will revolutionize the mobile experience with a supercharged wireless network, which can support up to 10 to 20 GBPS of data download speed. It is equivalent to a fiber-optic Internet connection accessed wirelessly. Compared to conventional mobile transmission technologies, voice and high-speed data can be simultaneously transferred efficiently in 5G.

Low latency is one of the most important features of 5G technology which is significant for autonomous driving and mission-critical applications. 5G networks are capable of latency of less than a millisecond.

5G will be using new radio millimeter waves for transmission. It has a much higher bandwidth compared to lower LTE bands and is capable of a huge data rate.

Find more about the 5G new radio and how it works

Mobile downloads will be much faster, always-on, always connected, and responsive mobile Internet offer a powerful mobile experience. 5G networks will enable secure access to cloud storage; access to enterprise applications, and run powerful tasks with greater processing power virtually.

5G wireless technology will open greater opportunities for new device manufacturers and application developers. New VoIP devices and smart devices will be introduced in the market and thus more job opportunities as well.

Wi-Fi offloading and device-to-device communication techniques are suggested to further enhance network performance and support during limited access or the absence of mobile networks. The small cell concept used in 5G will have multiple advantages of better cell coverage, maximum data transfer, low power consumption, cloud access network, etc.…

2. Entertainment and multimedia

Analysts found that 55 percent of mobile Internet traffic has been used for video downloads globally in 2015. This trend will increase in the future and high-definition video streaming will be common in the future.

5G will offer a high-definition virtual world on your mobile phone. High-speed streaming of 4K videos only takes a few seconds and it can support crystal clear audio clarity.

Live events can be streamed via a wireless network with high definition. HD TV channels can be accessed on mobile devices without any interruptions. The entertainment industry will hugely benefit from 5G wireless networks.

5G can provide 120 frames per second, high resolution, and higher dynamic range video streaming without interruption. The audiovisual experience will be rewritten after the implementation of the latest technologies powered by 5G wireless.

Augmented reality and virtual reality require HD video with low latency. 5G network is powerful enough to power AR and VR with an amazing virtual experience.

HD virtual reality games are getting popular and many companies are investing in VR-based gaming. High speed 5G network can offer a better gaming experience with high-speed Internet.

3. Internet of Things – Connecting everything

Internet of Things (IoT) is another broad area for development using a supercharged 5G wireless network. Internet of Things will connect every object, appliance, sensor, device, and application to the Internet.

IoT applications will collect huge amounts of data from millions of devices and sensors. It requires an efficient network for data collection, processing, transmission, control, and real-time analytics.

5G is the most efficient candidate for the Internet of Things due to its flexibility, unused spectrum availability, and low-cost solutions for deployment. IoT can benefit from 5G networks in many areas like:

3.1 Smart Home

Smart home appliances and products are catching up in the market today. The smart home concept will utilize 5G networks for device connectivity and monitoring of applications.

5G wireless network will be utilized by smart appliances which can be configured and accessed from remote locations, closed-circuit cameras will provide high-quality real-time video for security purposes.

3.2 Logistics and shipping

The logistics and shipping industry can make use of smart 5G technology for goods tracking, fleet management, centralized database management, staff scheduling, and real-time delivery tracking and reporting.

Compared to conventional mobile networks (3G / LTE), 5G has a faster network with the capability to connect more devices at any given time.

How does 5G technology help in logistics?

• Efficient use of RFID tags
• Accelerated packing and labeling
• Use of smart tracking devices for accurate monitoring of temperature, shock, light exposure, humidity, etc…
• Realtime GPS location tracking and reporting
• Efficient monitoring minimizes theft risk and misplacing of items
• Realtime delivery tracking and reporting
• Self-driving cars and drones for future goods delivery

3.3 Smart cities

Smart city applications like traffic management, Instant weather update, local area broadcasting, energy management, smart power grid, smart lighting of the street, water resource management, crowd management, emergency response, etc.… can use a reliable 5G wireless network for its functioning.

3.4 Industrial IoT

Future industries will depend on smart wireless technologies like 5G and LTE advanced for efficient automation of equipment, predictive maintenance, safety, process tracking, smart packing, shipping, logistics, and energy management.

Smart sensor technology offers unlimited solutions for industrial IoT for smarter, safe, cost-effective, and energy-efficient industrial operations.

3.5 Smart farming

5G technology will be used for agriculture and smart farming in the future. Using smart RFID sensors and GPS technology, farmers can track the location of livestock and manage them easily. Smart sensors can be used for irrigation control, access control, and energy management.

3.6 Fleet management

Many companies are using smart tracking devices for fleet management, 5G technology will provide much better solutions for location tracking and fleet management.

3.7 Healthcare and mission-critical applications

5G technology will support medical practitioners to perform advanced medical procedures with a reliable wireless network connected to another side of the globe. Connected classrooms will help students to attend seminars and important lecturers.

People with chronic medical conditions will benefit from smart devices and real-time monitoring. Doctors can connect with patients from anywhere anytime and advise them when necessary. Scientists are working on smart medical devices which can perform remote surgery.

The healthcare industry has to integrate all the operations with the use of a powerful network. 5G will power the healthcare industry with smart medical devices, the Internet of medical things, smart analytics, and high-definition medical imaging technologies.

Smart medical devices like wearables will continuously monitor a patient’s condition and activate alerts during emergencies. Hospitals and ambulance services will get alerts during critical situations and they can take necessary steps to speed up diagnosis and treatment.

Patients with special needs can be tracked using special tags and precise location tracking devices. Healthcare databases can be accessed from any location collected data analysis can be used for research and improvement of treatments.

Medical practitioners will be able to share large files like an MRI report which is often larger than 1GB size within seconds using a 5G network.

3.8 Autonomous Driving

Self-driving cars are not very far from reality with the use of 5G wireless networks. High-performance wireless network connectivity with low latency is significant for autonomous driving.

In the future, cars can communicate with smart traffic signs, surrounding objects, and other vehicles on the road. Every millisecond is important for self-driving vehicles, decision has to be made in split second to avoid collision and make sure passenger safety.

3.9 Drone Operation

Drones are getting popular for multiple operations ranging from entertainment, video capturing, medical and emergency access, smart delivery solutions, security, surveillance, etc. 5G network will provide strong support with high-speed wireless internet connectivity for drone operation in a wide range of applications.

During emergencies like natural calamities, humans have limited access to many areas where drones can reach out and collect useful information.

3.10 Security and surveillance

5G wireless technology is one of the best solutions for security and surveillance due to its higher bandwidth and unlicensed spectrum.

Read more about major wireless technologies that make 5G and the Internet of Things possible

4. Satellite Internet

High-speed 5G network connectivity using satellite is one of the most significant improvements in internet technology for remote areas where conventional ground base stations are not available. Satellite internet technology offers connectivity in urban and rural areas across the globe with the help of a constellation of thousands of small satellites.

Find more about Satellite Internet Technology and applications

Final thoughts

5G is one of the most sophisticated wireless technologies we have ever developed so far. It will revolutionize the entire area where the wireless network can be used for efficient and secure communication. The socioeconomic impact of 5G has yet to be analyzed. However, it will make a significant impact on every area where wireless transmission is inevitable.