Mobile communication has come a long way from services that provided a single service to the ones at present that can cater to multiple platforms and billions of consumers at the same time. With the Internet of Things gradually turning into a reality, there is a need for a communication system where people, objects, things and devices all become part of one large communication system. And when all things get connected with each other there is an immense potential to turn all this data into information and then use that information to provide services which are beneficial to society as a whole.
This is where 5G comes into the picture. 5G or 5th generation wireless system is a set of advanced technology that seeks to impart limitless access to information and makes communication faster. What we can be sure of is that 5G will be unlike any other communication standard that has gone before it as the challenges it will address will be markedly different than that faced by previous generations. While 1G till 4G focused on improving communication, 5G will focus on intelligence.
Why 5G is Important?
This essentially means that 5G will not simply be responsible for improving cellular connections or adding to the bandwidth capacity but will also have to resolve the difficult challenges of having to combine computing and communications together so that information is just a finger click away and made available to all the devices that comprise the Internet of Things. It is going to be a total overhaul of the radio spectrum and will open up opportunities that pave the way for connected smart cities, driverless cars and most importantly the internet of things.
It is going to provide incredibly fast broadband speed but more than that it would have the requisite capacity to help you perform any activity with as many numbers of people connected without a fall in speed or connection. Its speed which could range in several gigabytes per second, which would be incredibly fast; however, its biggest feature is its latency which is very much required to power IoT. 4G provides a latency between 40ms and 60ms which is good enough but not sufficient enough to provide any real-time reaction. 5G would provide a latency ranging between 1ms and 10ms which would provide excellent real-time response.
IoT and 5G
As IOT becomes more of a reality with all sorts of gadgets being connected to each other there will be a great strain on the existing bandwidth. Hence the capacity of networks must be increased at any cost as the current networks are already clogged with data and information. And for that we will have to make a transition to a 5G network as the current bandwidth capacity of 4G is clearly insufficient to take the immense potential of IoT. The speed at which 5G runs is a lot faster than the ones we are currently used to. To give an example, with 5G you would be able to download several HD films in a single second. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Its potential is endless.
The current radio spectrum through which we communicate is quite crowded. What 5G will do is widen the existing channels that will allow many channels to work together at the same time with elevated bandwidth levels and lower latency. The fact that all this is possible with reduced power consumption means that low power inanimate objects which had been fitted with sensors will be able to communicate with each other without any delay.
How 5G and IoT together Transform the Industries?
It is estimated that by the end of 2020 about 50 billion to 100 billion devices will be connected to the internet. Things could range from current or existing technology such as tablets, mobiles, to cars, refrigerators, smart watches and even smart clothes. Quite a few of these things will require or necessitate the transfer of data back and forth while other things would require less transfer of data. 5G technology being intelligent in nature will understand of its own accord and allocate bandwidth accordingly. 5G will make provisions for infrastructure that will be highly adaptive to the user’s requirement and depending on the situation will be allocated bandwidth.
5G technology with is still in its development stage but the promises that it holds is garnering engineers across the world to turn it into a reality. Data security is a critical area which needs to be addressed. With many devices being connected to the internet and these devices, in turn, collecting personal information security is of primary concern. Devices containing personal information will be more prone to attack and 5G will necessitate the creation of data vaults, storage facilities that can protect all this important data from cyber-attacks.
