It’s no surprise that the digital world is gradually expanding its capabilities with advanced solutions. IoT is no longer a new technology but rather a common part of the digital transformation strategies in diverse industries, from manufacturing to education. 5G connectivity is currently making its presence more stable in the technology world. According to the 2022 GSMA’s Mobile Economy report, the market share of 5G in Europe will reach 44 percent by 2025 as compared to 4 percent in 2021.
And the combination of 5G and IoT can do wonders. 5G for IoT ensures:
- extreme data capacity
- multi-gigabit speed
- ultra-low latency
- ultra-high reliability
Simply put, 5G allows IoT devices to work and transmit data much faster.
Remote access technology empowered with 5G can significantly elevate business performance and ensure more automated workflow in any sphere. Let’s discuss in this article how 5G is changing the current business landscape and, in particular, how it’s improving the capabilities of IoT technologies.
What is 5G IoT?
5G network IoT stands for the fifth generation of wireless mobile communication systems for IoT devices. Unlike its predecessor 4G, 5G provides the fastest wireless internet connection ever known. Core characteristics of 5G are as follows:
- low latency of around 5 milliseconds (4G’s latency is in the range of 60-98 milliseconds)
- download speed is 10 Gbps (billions of bits per second) compared to 1 Gbps of 4G
- the need for small cell technology for high-frequency signals and cell towers for low-frequency signals (while 4G can use only cell towers to transmit signals)
Thus, we can say that 5G is almost ten times faster than 4G as well as much more flexible and reliable. The impact of the Internet of Things on 5G is substantial, as IoT is one of the most common use cases of 5G technology which helps 5G expand its influence in the digital world.
How do 5G networks affect IoT?
Even though 4G is still going to be relevant for years to come, the adoption of 5G yields lots of benefits. First of all, 5G allows for supporting a large number of static and mobile IoT devices. Thus, for instance, it offers enhanced operational capabilities for enterprises.
With the evolution and proliferation of IoT devices, 5G is a viable solution in terms of its speed and quality of services. As compared to the IoT devices’ communication protocols using the unlicensed spectrum such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, and Z-Wave, cellular technology or 5G that uses the licensed spectrum provides much higher levels of reliability, security, and system performance.
We may say that 5G is announcing a new era for IoT technology and it’s going to spread its power, gradually beating other ways of communication between IoT applications.
Use cases of the IoT in 5G technology
In this section, we have a look at the common 5G IoT use cases in the industries that might benefit from these technologies most. However, the application of 5G IoT isn’t limited to the below business sectors, it can be well implemented in almost any sphere that uses IoT devices.
Manufacturing sector
With the help of 5G, manufacturing plants can improve their performance by, for example, increasing the number of managed automated vehicles and robots. Plus, 5G allows for achieving maximum efficiency from the massive number of IoT applications involved in the manufacturing process.
The improved performance potential of 5G also enables advanced predictive maintenance of manufacturing machines. As 5G allows IoT devices to efficiently communicate with each other by exchanging data in real time, performance issues of certain machines can be defined and solved earlier, increasing the performance capacity of the manufacturing plant.
Healthcare industry
Healthcare practitioners can also benefit from implementing 5G IoT devices. Possible ways of using 5G in healthcare could be as follows:
- Surgical training with the help of AR/VR technologies working on the high-speed 5G
- Enhanced telehealth services with quality video communication delivered through 5G
- Assistance of robots in healthcare practice connected via secure and reliable 5G technology
- Data analytics of massive datasets collected from diverse IoT devices managed by 5G
High speed of service delivery is critical for the healthcare industry, as even seconds can save someone’s life. 5G can ensure this speed and make it reach earlier unknown heights.
Self-driving cars and smart city
If we consider a smart city, 5G can enhance traffic management by enabling efficient connectivity between diverse traffic IoT devices including surveillance cameras and traffic lights sensors. 5G can also improve the energy-saving capabilities of the cities by efficiently monitoring energy consumption and defining ways to save resources.
In the near future, cellular technology 5G will be also helpful with connecting driverless cars to all the traffic IoT devices, creating a smart traffic environment. Another possible way of implementing 5G in the city is air monitoring systems that notify people when air pollution exceeds the safe limit.
You can watch how the city of Chicago is heading towards becoming a smart city with the help of big data technologies and IoT.
Smart home
Apart from enterprise use, 5G Internet of Things is also becoming common for consumer needs such as for connecting smart home devices. In combination with machine learning, artificial intelligence, and big data technologies, 5G can efficiently collect and process all the data collected from home IoT devices to generate deep insights into productive household management. For instance, Viomi 5G IoT solutions allow for connecting more than 256 IoT home devices between each other.
5G is also responsible for the delivery of high-definition video, enabling immersive TV and gaming experiences as well as high-quality video conferencing. With the help of 5G technology for IoT home devices, consumers can test the maximum potential of their home and make it their invulnerable fortress.
Although 5G technology isn’t in common use yet, it’s steadily developing and winning the trust of more and more customers. It promises more benefits than challenges and is going to become a true game changer for the current digital world and IoT applications, in particular. Explore this area and consider implementing this technology to increase your competitive advantage in the market even before 5G IoT becomes mainstream.
