The State of 5G

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5G is a standard that is still evolving and under development. Two of the major benefits it offers are high bandwidth and low latency. That’s why 5G has become crucial for complex solutions such as self-driving cars and video surveillance.?

As applications for 5G continue to grow and develop, it’s safe to say that it will accelerate digital transformation in entirely new ways. It could have an impact on every industry and every kind of business and organization in the future.

And it’s not just the technology that is evolving. The entire ecosystem from operators, device manufacturers, system integrators, cloud providers, and hyperscalers will all be a part of the evolution as well.?

To get a better understanding of the state of 5G, what it means for other protocols, future developments, and advice for businesses considering 5G, we asked our Partner, Staffan Eriksson , Head of IoT Connectivity at Telia , to share his thoughts.?

Staffan Eriksson , Head of IoT Connectivity at Telia

“5G is the future of connectivity, but that doesn’t mean 4G or LTE will sunset anytime soon. In fact, we’re likely to still see that the majority of deployments in IoT over the next three to four years will use LTE and 4G. Beyond this, LTE and 4G will still be supported on 5G and 5G radio networks, so customers can get the benefits of 5G in the long term even if they’re choosing to use 4G and LTE now.?

For companies who are considering 5G, my advice is to first take a step back from the technology and start looking at what you need. What problem are you addressing, how are you creating value, how will you improve and optimize processes, and how will you go to market? From there, ask yourself, “What data does this require?” Really understand what kind of processing you will need to deliver on your goals.

4G and LTE can still fulfill a lot of use cases. But if you need high bandwidth and 5G is the only solution for your use case, you’ll need to find a connectivity partner that offers 5G to allow you to start testing. 5G technology currently does not perform optimally for low-bandwidth applications, so for such use cases, other technologies like LPWAN and narrowband are better options. These technologies will eventually be supported by 5G as it evolves.

5G still has a ways to go in terms of development, but I sense that the future is near. Within the next two to three years, we’ll start to see 5G opening up a host of possibilities when it comes to smart cities, smart factories, smart manufacturing, and so on. 5G is the future, but the present is still very much 4G.”?

Staffan appeared on the IoT For All Podcast this week. You can watch the full episode below to learn more about the state of 5G and the impact it will have across multiple industries.?

1. Real-World Examples of How 5G Is Reshaping IoT - article written by Telia
2. Wireless and Antenna Selection Priorities in IoT Applications - article written by Mouser Electronics
3. The Business Guide to Cellular Connectivity - white paper written by Datablaze

Keep the conversation going! Share your thoughts on the transition to 5G in the comments below!?

Curious about how you or your company’s experts can be featured? Reach out to me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn: Ryan Chacon

See you next week!