In today’s digital world, change is inevitable. But no one expected the changes 2020 has brought. I believe, to keep up with this pace of change, IT leaders will have to drive efforts towards creating the future of their respective organizations – especially in the field of IoT which is quickly gaining momentum in the uncertain era we live in. Of all the trends that are driving the popularity (and success) of IoT, I think 5G is particularly promising.
Here are some of the 5 changes I expect to see in the IoT world when 5G finally lands.
Trend highlight: 5G
The hullabaloo around 5G has been long-standing and rightly so; the benefits 5G is expected to offer in the tech world is beyond compare – right from increased data speeds, to low latency, higher bandwidth, better reliability, network capability, consistent user experience, and more.
It is no wonder that analysts expect the 5G market to grow at a CAGR of 43.9% between 2021 and 2027 – up from $41.48 billion in 2020!
Given how important high performance and improved efficiency have become, 5G is going to change how enterprises function.
- Better location independence: One of the biggest changes I expect 5G to bring about in the IoT world is location independence. As many people continue to work remotely in a post-COVID world, 5G will allow companies to set a strong foundation of location-independent services. 5G’s low latency and high bandwidth features will allow them to evolve in response to the pandemic by enabling students and teachers as well as employees to seamlessly interact with each other in real-time – via audio and video – without compromising on quality.
- Enhanced healthcare: Healthcare is another sector that is going to immensely benefit from 5G-induced disruption. As hospitals continue to struggle with surging COVID cases, exhausted staff, and limited beds, 5G will help overall all the challenges of healthcare interoperability. In the coming year(s), 5G networks will make it possible for better integration between IoT devices, allowing for better patient-physician interactions. Using 5G, healthcare departments will be able to easily transmit high-resolution images between each other and leverage the capabilities of their connected devices – without compromising on performance. 5G will also help extend top-notch healthcare services to rural and remote areas via telemedicine and improve the quality and quantity of healthcare services delivered.
- The rise of smart cities: In the realm of smart cities, I think 5G will help in connecting a massive number of devices across streets and buildings while improving the quality, speed, and efficiency of data exchange. Offering faster connections, increased reliability, and higher capacity at lower costs, 5G will pave the way for high-bandwidth fast connections between infrastructure, devices, and people. With 5G, city administrations will be able to light streets, monitor pollution levels, reduce traffic, save energy, as well as improve public safety.
- Extended industrial IoT: Although manufacturers are already using IoT sensors to optimize supply chains and improve production efficiency, high latency and limited data transfer capabilities restrict them from streamlining their infrastructure and operations. For such manufacturers, 5G will allow them to build interconnected and semi-automated smart factories while providing the visibility they need into their supply chains. By providing reliable, high-quality data in real-time, it will allow manufacturers to transmit information quickly, identity issues or bottlenecks, and empower them to make evidence-based business decisions.
- Autonomous vehicles: If there is one reason why self-driving cars are still not a common sight on the roads, it is because of the lack of high-speed, low-latency connectivity. I expect 5G to soon change all that, by allowing for effective transmission of data between moving objects. Through real-time delivery of huge amounts of information, 5G is poised to become the driving force behind the success of autonomous vehicle networks.
There is no doubt about the fact that IoT has transformed personal and professional lives in the last couple of years. But I truly expect this transformation to be further augmented by the launch of 5G. Offering far-reaching connectivity, low latency, high speed, and increased reliability, this revolutionary technology will enable better location independence, enhance healthcare delivery, extend the concept of smart cities, enhance the realm of Industrial IoT as well as make self-driving cars commonplace.
