Following the official launch of the 5G service by EE and Vodafone, here at C3, we thought it would be interesting to shed light on this new technology. From a telecommunications company perspective, this news is exciting and should bring a lot of changes in the industry.
This new generation of wireless network technology is set to change the way businesses communicate with consumers, analyse large data and integrate new technologies. Almost one billion consumers worldwide will be able to access 5G network speeds in the next few years, creating a large market that businesses will be able to benefit from.
The benefits of the 5G for businesses:
· High speed
Speed is expected to be one of the most relevant benefits of the new 5G technology. The 5G devices will be able to send and receive larger amounts of data than the 4G, allowing users to download and share games, movies and large files faster than ever.
· Faster connection
Whenever they download photos or watch movies, people consume a lot of data. When using 4G, every consumer uses the same bands of the radio frequency spectrum, so any download or share slows down the whole connection for everyone. With the introduction of 5G, new antennas will be added onto existing cell towers and new utility poles will allow faster connections. Therefore, the networks will have a greater capacity to cope with high demand applications such as simultaneous HD video streaming.
· Internet of Things
When this technology is fully rolled out, it will lead to seamless integration and a substantial increase in the Internet of Things. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to all the web-enabled gadgets with the capacity to act on the data acquired from the environment using processors, sensors and other communication devices. Often called ‘connected’ devices, they generate large amounts of internet traffic which make our homes and offices responsive more controllable.
· Latency
Reduced communication delays will be one of the most consequent improvements brought by 5G technology. Latency is the amount of time it takes for data to travel from one point to another. Reduced latency periods will be beneficial for businesses, especially those that rely on the Internet of Things technology because it will give them greater insight into their business operations and enhance their ability to transmit data. 5G technology also ensures that there will be no connectivity failures, which implies that critical cases such as digital health will have a more reliable connection.
· Network slicing
Network slicing is a type of virtual network architecture that enables multiple virtual networks to be created and customised to the specific needs of customers and operators. 5G technology makes it possible for a single physical network to be sliced into multiple virtual networks. Not only will this enable a business to practically have their own private 5G network, but it will also enhance their ability to set it up according to their specific business needs.
How will 5G impact different business industries?
The initial impact in the UK will be on the telecommunications industry. Wireless network providers will be able to provide newer, more powerful, high-speed broadband. In turn, 5G will also benefit the tech industry, increasing automation and enhancing the ability to perform critical operations through the use of artificial intelligence. Finally, the use of physical hardware will become less frequent as more companies will move their IT infrastructure to cloud computing.
As a B2B telecommunication’ solutions company, 5G could definitely help us to provide our customers with increasingly seamless and fast communication solutions and products. Here at C3, we think the 5G can make a lot of difference to how UK businesses work and connect with customers. Depending on the type of business you run, it will be very rewarding to start planning on how to improve your business by investing in this new technology. 5G is promising and we are looking forward to exploiting its potential and seeing its impact on our business.