What is 5G IoT and how will it change connectivity?

5G will fundamentally change the way our world is connected. Before long, global society will adapt to a new technological lifestyle across industries, markets and regions. This new technical standard promises more than just a further evolution of existing mobile communications technology.

Digitalization, comprehensive changes in society and the economy will take place in almost all areas of life. So far, the main goal has been to comprehensively expand the infrastructure conditions of conventional networks to ensure network availability for almost all mobile devices. In the coming years, in addition to continued networking in 5G IoT, the focus will also be on meeting the growing requirements of the networked society in the best possible way than ever before.

Unlimited connection to the future

The amount of data worldwide continues to grow, making 5G indispensable. Due to the enormous growth in data, existing technologies will no longer be able to meet the needs of the world of the Internet of Things in the medium term. Germany is a good example of the development of data volumes. In 2017, the amount of data in Germany reached 1 billion gigabytes, which was already twice as much as in 2015.

Based on these findings, experts estimate that the number of IoT devices worldwide will be between 5 and 500 billion by 2020. This proves the necessity of 5G networks, which offer huge potential for our global economy: such high data volumes combined with the number of IoT devices and the personalized demands regarding IoT networks can only be realized with the help of 5G.

Why is 5G destined for IoT?

Smartphones became possible thanks to the so-called "3G" cellular standard, as 3G was the main driver for the production of smartphones at the time. The fourth generation of mobile network standards was created sometime later. Thanks to "LTE", data transfer rates increased significantly.

To this day, LTE is still the more popular and commonly used network. Speeds of up to 100 megabits per second are no problem for the network and have become a reality in many areas of the economy and society. It is even possible to modify LTE bandwidth to eventually reach download speeds of 4000 megabits per second.

However, looking ahead, LTE is not enough to meet the standards and expectations of new technologies. LTE was designed and optimized primarily for smartphones, while 5G will become the mobile standard for all IoT.

5G IoT reaches new heights in every aspect. The data throughput in the new network should reach 20 gigabits per second and allow for much shorter response times. In comparison, the first mobile phone with a 1G network connection required eight million times less than a 5G network.

With 5G, data can also be transmitted in real time. This means that 100 billion mobile devices around the world will be accessible at the same time. In other words, the connection density is about one million devices per square kilometer. At the same time, the new technology brings an increase in the relative speed of movement. This means that at speeds of up to 500 kilometers per hour, the quality of the connection will be more stable, which will bring huge benefits, especially for rail passengers.

Regardless of smartphones, the amount of data that is required will inevitably increase in other application areas. These numbers not only sound big, they are really big. For these reasons and many others, 5G IoT will become the new key technology for connectivity.

Diversified and innovative application areas

In addition to the Internet of Things, for example, Industry 4.0 will also benefit greatly from 5G technology. The continuous exchange of data between machines, systems, robots and people will become an integral part of industrial production. The number of connected devices and components will increase significantly. For example, the control units of industrial robots can process in real time and the probability of errors can ultimately be reduced to a minimum. For example, driverless courier services will thus be able to always pick up goods on time at the loading and unloading point of the machine.

There are many examples in the industry of how 5G can be used to optimize operational processes. New technologies bring opportunities and ideas that were not possible before because they were technologically impossible.

These ideas and opportunities are also being adapted to other economic sectors, regardless of industry. For example, agriculture with so-called smart farming. With the use of digitalization, data and insights about animal health, where weeds or pests are, or what the moisture conditions in the soil are, are all possible. Such smart networks will grow and mature exponentially in the future. With 5G IoT connectivity, smart farming creates something that traditional agriculture cannot yet do: it creates a greater degree of ecology while increasing the efficiency of food production.

Driving connectivity in a digital world

The digital transformation in the field of network connectivity has become visible and the potential is clearly defined. Based on the impressive figures regarding bandwidth or device density in 5G networks, one gets the impression that connectivity has reached its maximum potential.

Well-functioning connectivity is the most important foundation for setting up an IoT network, big or small. With 5G technology, there are ideas, methods, and measures that no one in the world has ever thought of. It is likely that countless new business ideas have been brought to the market due to 5G connectivity, continuing to revolutionize our digital world.

It remains to be seen when 5G technology will reach market maturity. However, one thing is certain: the technology is working, and the world is ready for another leap into the digital future.