The Impact Of 5G On Communications

It’s safe to say the way we connect, communicate, and traverse the digital landscape is evolving at an incredible pace. In the last few years, as the technology space has continued to evolve, our options for communication have grown increasingly impressive. While various innovations have facilitated this transformation, one of the most impactful is the introduction of 5G.

Touted as the next generation of mobile connectivity, 5G does so much more than simply improving signal range. At present, the 5G market is set to reach a value of $1.87 trillion by 2030, revolutionizing the speed with which we communicate and share data. The low latency and power associated with 5G has the potential to transform every industry and technology stack.

While 5G started as little more than a promise of faster communications, research and development into the space has made the concept a more tangible reality. Today, countless organizations, from Apple and Samsung to Verizon and AT&T have begun increasing their investments in 5G.?

Today, we’re exploring the phenomenal impact 5G is having on communications, and how it's set to influence the way we invest in communication technology going forward.

The Transformative Potential of 5G in Communications

Mobile technology has long had a fundamental impact on the way we live and work. The development of new smartphones, faster internet connections and stronger processors have allowed us to explore the online world without being tied down to a desktop device.?

Now, 5G is set to deliver an even greater set of transformations. 5G technology can provide enhanced mobile broadband capabilities, allowing people to engage in meaningful video and audio communications without the lag or inconsistency of previous networks.?

What’s more, 5G powers the transmission of various forms of data, opening the door to new evolutions in concepts like the Internet of Things. Already, we’re starting to see 5G’s potential for enhancing automated connections between processing tools, servers, and devices.?

While investment in 5G opportunities has been increasing for some time, the pandemic marked a significant turning point for the technology. As employees began working more consistently from home to avoid infection, businesses needed a faster way to keep remote staff connected. 5G quickly came to the forefront as an essential solution for bridging the gap between teams.

Semiconductors, chips, and intelligent new devices have emerged rapidly in the modern landscape, allowing for the more rapid adoption of 5G, and the enhancement of various communication strategies, like UCaaS and SDWAN.

The Influence of 5G on UCaaS Technology

Perhaps one of the most meaningful areas where 5G has begun to influence communications, is in the development of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). UCaaS has emerged as the ultimate cloud-based platform for enterprise communications in recent years. The technology aligns teams around an all-in-one environment for voice, video, instant messaging and more.

The rise of digitized workspaces and remote working has prompted accelerated adoption of UCaaS, and a rapid increase in the value of the marketplace. Currently, UCaaS is set to become a $46 billion market, according to some leaders.

5G takes the potential of UCaaS to the next level, by ensuring teams can continue to access the technology they need for fantastic communication anywhere. With the fifth-generation mobile network in place, users can engage in high-definition video calls and audio interactions without worrying about dropped connections.?

5G also ensures employees can collaborate in real-time with their colleagues, using the latest collaboration and messaging tools. What’s more, employees can share valuable information, files, and documents over the cloud, without putting as much strain on their bandwidth. Going forward, some experts also believe 5G will open the door to new forms of communication and collaboration.

The speed and low latency of fifth-generation networks not only allows companies to transition more of their interactions into the cloud, but it also allows for investment in strategies like “extended reality”. With 5G, employees can potentially communicate over Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality environments.?

The Rise of 5G, UCaaS, and SD-WAN

As 5G continues to support the accelerated adoption of UCaaS, its also highlighting the need for new, complementary solutions in the UC environment, such as SD-WAN. Companies are discovering the benefits of bringing SD-WAN and 5G into the traditional workplace with UCaaS, to create a faster, more secure, and more flexible ecosystem.

Currently, we’re living in a world where most businesses and households have access to broadband. However, broadband doesn’t allow for the prioritization of certain types of data. Many companies are finding it difficult to run video and voice data across a public internet connection.

5G promises the fastest level of connectivity available, while protecting public internet connectivity, for safer business interactions. SD-WAN uses on-site edge connectivity and 5G to allow companies to manage the movement of their traffic. Being able to control traffic through an SD-WAN connection means companies can find the least resistant path for critical data.?

Combining this functionality with 5G accelerates the process of routing data, voice, and video traffic, minimizing disruptions, and allowing companies to keep employees connected in any location. As an underlying architecture in the UCaaS environment, SD-WAN transforms the way people communicate, and gives business leaders more scope to control their environments.?

What’s more, the cloud-based nature of SD-WAN, and UCaaS solutions means any service provider can roll new technology out to 5G-enabled devices without any physical action. Remote employees can therefore get up and running within minimal time.

SD-WAN also allows communication to continue during a failure, such as an outage or a data center issue. This is possible because the solution can automatically switch traffic from one circuit to another. In a contact center, for instance, this would prevent calls from being dropped during an outage, so companies can continue to serve their customers.

5G and the Future of Work

Perhaps more than anything else, 5G, SD-WAN, and UCaaS can all work together to enable a new future of work. We’ve already seen the workplace changing at a phenomenal rate in the last couple of years, due to the issues caused by the pandemic. Companies are increasingly searching for communication ecosystems which keep employees connected, no matter where they are.

As service providers offering 5G-enhanced communication strategies continue to see success among their clients, we’ll see an increase in the availability of 5G solutions. As remote and hybrid working continues to increase, 5G is likely to become a table-stakes solution in allowing for consistent communication across every employee.?

With 5G, staff members in the age of anywhere work will be able to access the same connectivity, features, and tools as employees working in the office. With SD-WAN and 5G, companies can decide exactly how they want to run their network, giving more power to the people outside of the office.?

With UCaaS and 5G solutions, companies will be able to ensure employees have limitless freedom to thrive in an ever-changing communication environment. The speed and consistency of the connections on offer will even allow companies to implement new forms of communication whenever they choose.?

In a world where communication is the most important tool in a company’s landscape, 5G solutions promise to give all organizations the strength and versatility they need.?