The introduction of 5G technology in the UK has been hailed as a game-changer for businesses and the wider economy.
This new generation of mobile network promises faster speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity, opening a wide range of exciting new applications and services to help end users, including businesses, accelerate growth and improve efficiencies.
What is 5G?
5G is the fifth generation of mobile network technology, the next in the evolution of technologies from generations of 2G, 3G and 4G.
The technology works by using a combination of higher-frequency radio waves and advanced signal processing techniques to transmit data at far higher speeds.
What does 5G offer that its predecessors couldn’t?
Some of the key features and functions of 5G include:
• Faster speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, with some estimates suggesting speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second.
• Lower latency than previous generations of mobile network technology, meaning that there is less delay in sending and receiving data.
• Greater capacity that can handle much higher volumes of data traffic than previous generations of mobile network technology, making it possible to support a wider range of applications and services.
• More connected devices, making it possible to create more complex and sophisticated Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
• Network slicing which means that different parts of the network can be allocated to different applications, enabling greater flexibility and efficiency.
What does this mean for end users, and particularly businesses?
Harnessing 5G opens a world of benefits, especially for businesses, from time and cost efficiency to improved network security and more. Benefits include:
• Faster downloads and uploads making it easier to work and communicate on the go. In the post-Covid workplace with more remote working, this is a particularly relevant advantage of 5G.
• Video conferencing is smoother and more reliable, enabling better collaboration and communication between teams, with larger capacity for more people to connect from multiple destinations.
• There is far greater capacity and support for more connected devices, allowing users to leverage Internet of Things (IoT) applications. This in turn means interactions can be more complex and sophisticated, enabling businesses to collect and analyse more data to inform decision-making.
• Enhanced virtual and augmented reality mean businesses can create more immersive virtual and augmented reality experiences, which could be used in a range of industries, from healthcare to entertainment. For marketing applications, this has revolutionised the virtual experience to encourage higher engagement, more sales success and better revenues.
• With faster speeds and greater capacity, employees can work more efficiently, enabling businesses to be more productive and responsive to customer needs.
5G as a Post-Covid Economic Recovery Tool
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the global economy, with many businesses struggling to adapt to the new normal of remote work and social distancing.
However, the introduction of 5G technology – beyond helping people to connect and work remotely – is helping to drive economic recovery in a number of ways, including:
• Supporting e-commerce as better connectivity allows businesses to scale up their operations and meet the increased demand for online shopping.
• Accelerating a full transition to e-commerce for many businesses that may have been lagging behind.
• Globalising opportunity by connecting a wider range of businesses, services and people to each other on a far broader scale.
• Making resources more widely accessible to a bigger audience, helping businesses solve challenges, expand and evolve faster than they would have been able to in the past.
Why IT Services Play a Crucial Role
IT businesses can play a vital role in maximising the benefits of 5G technology and supporting its roll-out and implementation. For many businesses, 5G is still a relative unknown, and IT services are ideally placed not only to educate and inform but to offer specification, implementation and support services to roll 5G technologies out into the business world.
Some key ways IT services can help businesses take advantage of 5G include:
• Developing new applications and services that take advantage of the faster speeds, lower latency, and greater capacity of 5G networks. This could include new mobile apps, IoT applications, virtual and augmented reality experiences, and more.
• Providing infrastructure and support for the deployment of 5G networks, including the installation of base stations, antennas and other equipment, as well as ongoing maintenance and support.
• Offering consulting and advisory services to help businesses and organisations understand how they can take advantage of 5G technology to improve their operations and create new opportunities.
As 5G begins to impact positively on the UK business sector and economy as a whole, it’s important that your business has the knowledge and understanding to leverage this technology.
If you’d like to find out more about 5G and what it can do for your business, contact us today and we’ll gladly assist. Call 01223 834844 today.
