Making the World Safer and Simpler via 5G and IoT

Whether you are shopping for groceries, rushing into a building on fire, or checking on traffic conditions for your fleet of trucks, data informs your decisions now, more than ever before. Having the right data at the right time and customized to your needs can be of great benefit to both individuals and organizations. Yet, how do we get the right data at the right time?

In many cases, having a lot of information is not enough—information needs to be timely to be useful. This is where the Internet of Things (IoT) comes into play—devices embedded into traffic lights, sensors, and other "things” connected via wireless tech such as 5G, can bring us more information faster and easier, helping to make working conditions safer and more efficient. Having the right data, at the right time matters and IoT enabled by 5G presents many strong advantages for business leaders.

I recently sat down with Parvin Mahajan , VP of Solutions Engineering and Commercialization from T-Mobile for Business to discuss ways 5G is transforming business.

Enhanced data collection enabled by 5G is bringing businesses greater insights that can lead to improved customer experiences, optimized operations, and even, new products. 5G is able to transform business, supporting an increased volume of data, innovative new cases, and millions of new Edge devices.

When it comes to IoT applications in a variety of industries, ‘edge computing’ is considered to be extremely valuable, offering enhanced performance, productivity, and security.

These benefits support today’s on-demand data needs.

Years ago, IoT was mentioned as the future of business. People spoke about its promise. However, today it has matured and has become vital to the success of a business. I’ve enjoyed watching it “grow up” and transforming what some would consider mundane industries like manufacturing, brick-and-mortar retail, shipping, and logistics—into the digital era.?

With that said, here are some integrated 5G-powered IoT use cases to consider that leverage 5G’s increased bandwidth, low latency, improved security, and massive capacity:

Supply Chain: Tracking the location and movement of valuable assets, such as construction equipment or rental vehicles can be achieved through IoT solutions. Understanding the location of your fleet, as well as vehicle-specific performance and driver behavior, helps companies optimize routes, reduce fuel costs, and improve overall fleet efficiency. In a post-COVID world, supply chains are now a major differentiator for business leaders and IoT paired with 5G is an ace up one’s sleeve, providing real-time insights to optimize operations and improved security.

Agriculture Monitoring: I’m not sure an industry has transformed more technologically in the past 10 years than agriculture. Farmers have had to transform into tech-savvy CEOs. As the population grows and land becomes more scarce, farmers have to do more with less. They are implementing IoT solutions across their fields that inform them on how to have greater yield. What previously took days to know the conditions of their fields is in the palm of his hands and they can make immediate decisions at the perfect time. The data they source helps them optimize irrigation and fertilization, as well as minimize wasted resources.?

Retail Inventory Management: IoT solutions can be used to track inventory levels in retail stores in real time. This can be done using a combination of sensors and RFID technology. Sensors can be placed on store shelves to detect when items are removed, and RFID tags can be placed on products to allow them to be tracked as they move through the store. This data can then be transmitted to a central system in real time via 5G, allowing store managers to see up-to-date information on which products are running low and need to be restocked. This can help to improve the efficiency of inventory management and reduce the likelihood of stockouts. Additionally, IoT solutions can be integrated into the retail environment in order to better understand customer behavior and preferences which can help with stock management and marketing campaigns.

Health Monitoring: IoT solutions can be used to monitor patients remotely, by tracking their vital signs or medications. This allows healthcare providers to work more efficiently, providing effective care. 5G has the potential to transform the healthcare industry by enabling new types of monitoring capabilities into previously underserved areas—providing high-bandwidth, low-latency communication. This can enable doctors and other healthcare providers to remotely monitor patients' health in real time, even in remote or underserved areas, and can also help to reduce the need for patients to travel long distances in rural areas for medical appointments.

Public Safety: IoT and 5G helps to provide emergency and response time data to those who devote their lives to public service, keeping them safer and more informed. IoT solutions can be used to monitor public safety systems such as traffic cameras or emergency response systems, in real time. This helps governments respond more quickly to emergencies and improve public safety a wide range of smart city applications, such as smart streetlights, smart parking, and smart waste management are rolling out across cities today, helping them operate more efficiently and improving the quality of life for residents.

These are just a small sample of what IoT tracking and 5G wireless technology can do together to benefit businesses. Bringing these technologies together enables business leaders to create new solutions that are simple, cost-effective, customized, and efficient. The mentioned solutions are a reality today; they are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what IoT and 5G can do together.?

Overall, 5G will enable IoT solutions to be more reliable, more secure, more efficient, and more responsive, which will allow for new and more advanced use cases to be developed. And unlike so many other emerging technologies, it’s already here!

To learn more about how IoT and 5G technology together can create a more informed, efficient, safer world, follow T-Mobile for Business on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit their 5GHQ website.

To connect with me, follow @evankirstel on Twitter or visit evankirstel.com below!

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