5G and IoT: Compatible with each other

5G is here! It’s hard to ignore the hype surrounding 5G as governments, telecom providers, vendors, and more all vie for who will lead the next wave of connectivity. 5G promises significantly faster network speeds and more reliable connections with mobile devices.

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However, it’s more than just high-speed networks. The fact that it can transmit more data faster could lead to an unprecedented growth in IoT technology. According to a Juniper Research study, 5G-enabled IoT is expected to generate $8 billion in revenue for operators by 2024, a significant increase from $525 million in 2020.

IoT 5G Use Cases

Once 5G is fully deployed, it will certainly disrupt the market and we will see rapid growth in new or existing applications.

Industrial IoT Communications

Smart manufacturing already connects millions of devices on the shop floor. 5G communications can create better connectivity and better control over many processes that are performed manually today. 5G has various use cases here: smart factories, wireless industrial control, and wearable devices.

Connected Healthcare

The adoption of EHR/EMR systems and the digitization of medical data/records is only the first step towards modern healthcare, and 5G will allow patients to receive more timely care and monitoring through faster medical image transmission, telemedicine, bio-connectivity to emergency services, and real-time bio-connectivity to wearable devices. Telemedicine, in particular, can help manage epidemics like the recent coronavirus because it allows caregivers to monitor patients remotely. This allows for better utilization of clinics and hospitals while also reducing exposure to caregivers.

Augmented and virtual reality

Another area that will be enhanced by 5G is augmented reality and virtual reality applications. For example, in industrial applications, technicians wearing 5G augmented reality goggles can see a virtual image of the machine to identify parts, provide repair instructions or show unsafe parts. AR/VR can make remote company meetings more interesting, and sports training is another promising area for AR/VR.

Connected Vehicles

Powered by 5G, the next generation of cars and trucks will sense the local environment and communicate with cloud-based platforms. This could lead to innovative fleet management solutions, in-car payments and connected commerce, remote diagnostics and OTA updates, predictive maintenance, connected car insurance, and more. The transportation of goods and people will become safer and cheaper.

Smart Grid

5G will allow the creation of virtual power plants, which will use sensors to monitor and balance the precise generation and delivery of multiple different energy sources in real time. Increased efficiency will lead to fewer emissions. Surplus energy can be stored and traded using smart contracts and blockchain.

Smart City

As urban populations surge, governments are seeking digital solutions to address issues such as public service delivery, public transportation, traffic congestion, etc. 5G will enhance connectivity between all distributed sensors and enable fast data exchange between them. Possible use cases include connected surveillance cameras, smart transportation, street lights, smart parking, etc.

What does the future hold?

5G has the potential to advance smart machines, governance, entertainment, smart manufacturing, healthcare, and more. We are looking at a future where the near real-time connectivity provided by 5G enables the Internet of Things and analytics to open up a whole new world of business opportunities.