How do 5G and 6G networks support smart city applications?

However, lower latency and the ability to support more devices increase supply chain and cybersecurity risks.

While 5G and 6G networks could help first responders and smart city projects with more reliable communications, faster data transfers and new capabilities like intelligent edge computing, they could also introduce new threats, according to a federal government report.

To help public sector officials understand the impact of 5G, the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate recently completed an in-depth study of the technology being deployed.

“Organizations must balance the adoption of these capabilities against the risks and uncertainties of using either technology,” said Mark Fry, a senior technology official at Tech.

5G deployments around the world began in 2019, promising faster, more resilient data transmission. The new network protocols will enable new technologies like driverless cars and autonomous delivery robots, while the U.S. Department of Homeland Security missions will see advances in sensor networks and autonomous systems, the researchers wrote. For state and local governments, the rollout will give first responders new tools like priority networks, geolocation and search and rescue drones.

The report said that 5G's ability to support more sensors and IoT devices can better collect, process and analyze large amounts of data in real time. With the widespread use of 5G, monitoring teams at government facilities can deploy more cameras along the U.S. border and use real-time tracking to detect smuggling activities more quickly, or respond to rescue beacons of migrants in distress.

However, 5G also increases the risk of introducing untrusted or counterfeit components, giving malicious actors the opportunity to exploit valuable information and intelligence. End-user systems, such as government computers, phones and other devices, could be compromised as a result.

6G deployment is scheduled to begin in 2030, but by then, states and local entities will be moving toward a fully digital and connected environment, the report said. These improvements will increase network efficiency, allow for optimization through artificial intelligence and powerful edge computing, provide faster service in remote locations, and dynamically respond to network demands through cloud-hosted networks.

For autonomous vehicles, 6G's wider bandwidth capabilities can improve real-time information on smart transportation. Connected vehicles can be equipped with radars that allow them to sense the location of surrounding objects and detect potential obstacles. This information will be wirelessly connected to a central network to guide the vehicle's driving. Wider smart transportation systems, such as traffic pattern tracking, will also provide use cases for first-time response operations.

However, TechCrunch notes that legacy security gaps will need to be addressed before secure 6G deployments can be rolled out, as more devices could introduce a larger attack surface in system architectures for cybercriminals to exploit.