According to eMarketer, 5G mobile connections are on a steady year-to-year incline, with the total number of connections predicted to reach 3 billion by 2025. With 5G quickly becoming the new normal, it’s important for businesses to become familiar with 5G routers and the advantages they offer.
The advantages of 5G
5G has practically become synonymous with “speed.” The 5G network is built on smaller but more densely packed antennae placed on existing structures rather than cell towers, making it possible to transmit information from point A to point B much faster than ever before – so much faster that speeds can be measured in gigabits rather than megabits. This translates to faster performance and ultra-low latency, a huge advantage in the IoT.
But the benefits of 5G for business go well beyond speed, including:
- Reach: With a more tightly packed or “densified” network, 5G will allow for much wider IoT coverage while providing high capacity for remote control of operations.
- Computing and storage: 5G’s faster speeds and wider reach will allow businesses to collect, process, and store huge amounts of data from a wider range of devices.
- Edge computing: While 5G allows for better cloud computing and storage, it also allows for better edge computing, or computing that happens closer to the source of data.
- Network slicing: Layering multiple logical networks on top of a single physical network gives businesses the agility to meet a wider range of specific needs on one network.
So, what do these advantages actually mean for businesses? Keep reading to learn more about what 5G solutions mean for companies of all sizes across a range of industries.
To learn more about 5G for businesses, check out Cradlepoint’s guidebook.
Three implications of 5G for business
1. Improved customer experience
Higher speeds, better cloud computing and storage, wider coverage, and massive device connectivity all allow businesses to better serve their customers. This is as true for B2B companies as it is for B2C companies, and the implications go far beyond traditional network-based services such as telecommunications and content streaming. The bottom line: customers want service that is both fast and high-quality. 5G for business is designed for exactly that.
2. Highly diverse applications
As mentioned above, experts predict that the future 5G network’s increased speed and reliability will revolutionize a wide range of industries beyond telecom and streaming — particularly those that rely on automation and robotics, AI and machine learning, and virtualization (i.e., Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality).
Below are just a few examples of how 5G will disrupt business across sectors, from healthcare to manufacturing and beyond:
- Healthcare: Faster speeds and higher computing and storage capabilities will allow for expanded telemedicine, faster transmission of records, increased applications for virtual and augmented reality in treatments and medical simulations, and more. This makes 5G for the healthcare industry especially useful for expanded service in rural areas.
- Retail: More than ever before, retail service depends on high bandwidth and low latency for optimal customer experiences. 5G’s speed and computing capabilities will improve the shopping experience while reaching customers beyond fixed locations, the importance of which was made all too clear at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Transportation: Experts predict that 5G routers will reduce commute times, accelerate the development and adoption of self-driving cars, increase traffic safety, and even enable the design and implementation of smart cities. While these applications may seem futuristic, 5G is already in use for vehicle routers
- Manufacturing: The manufacturing sector has long relied on automation to increase efficiency and revenue. The 5G network will provide the flexibility, lower costs, and shortened lead times needed to maintain profitable operations.
3. Competitive edge
Businesses that invest in 5G now are investing in business agility, or the ability to design, create, and deliver higher quality solutions to customers – whether they be businesses or consumers – faster than ever. At the very least, 5G for business will enable wireless networks to compete with broadband connections for the first time in history. In the IoT, investing in 5G will soon become a requirement – not merely an option – for staying competitive in the industries mentioned above.
The future is 5G
It’s true that many of 5G’s implications currently only exist in the imaginations of creative business leaders. But the best way to make them a reality is to invest in the 5G revolution today.