What should you know about 5G technology? What will happen in the future?
5G is far beyond what we think of as mobile phones today. We
are at the beginning of a revolution in the world of connected things, and the
first step towards the implementation of 5G (the latest generation of
telecommunications networks) is already in full swing.
The most memorable reports of 5G cellular networks revolve
around conspiracy theories about Covid-19. Some people claim that the network
is designed to weaken our immune system, while others believe that it spreads
the virus directly. The rational mind-one hopes most people-understand the
nature of the conspiracy. They know that 5G is just the next upgrade of our
cellular network. But even they did not grasp the point.
5G is far beyond what we think of as mobile phones today. We
are at the beginning of a revolution in the world of interconnected things, and
the first step towards implementing 5G (the latest generation of
telecommunications networks) has been fully launched. For some, the promise of
5G is simply to improve cellular functions, provide enhanced broadband power
and increase mobile capacity and data rates. In fact, 5G is 10 to 50 times
faster than previous generations of cellular networks.
However, for others, new network technologies hold the key
to shaping the future of almost every industry by radically changing the way
machines interact and function. From manufacturing facilities maintained by
hundreds of connected robots to self-diagnosed and updated cars, 5G will become
the foundation of the Internet of Everything.
The Benefits of 5G Low Latency
5G technology improves more than just connection speed-its
biggest advantage is its ultra-fast response time, also known as latency.
Compared with previous generations of cellular networks, 5G's ultra-reliable
low-latency communication (URLLC) really makes 5G stand out. In fact, this
technology makes the response speed 250 times faster than humans. For example,
automakers can use the high reliability of 5G to avoid damage to auto parts,
and because of 5G's low latency, they can seamlessly keep up with the pace of
the assembly line. This lays the foundation for supporting innovations that were
previously impossible to achieve through other connectivity technologies.
Industries with strict connectivity requirements will
benefit the most from 5G's low-latency technology. In the automotive industry,
5G is the missing element for autonomous vehicles to achieve the highest
safety. This technology enables fast data transmission and can interact with
roads and other vehicles at the level of collision avoidance and simplified
driving. By connecting 5G vehicles, automakers can also obtain data insights
and analysis for updating software or fixing problems remotely, thereby
completely changing the experience of car owners.
Use 5G To Change Manufacturing
Similarly, in the manufacturing industry, 5G can support
critical applications, which can lead to major reforms in automation and
artificial intelligence. The 5G smart factory is already being tested-Ericsson
and China Mobile are cooperating to transform its radio product manufacturing
base in Nanjing. These companies use sensors to connect approximately 1,000
high-precision screwdrivers to collect and analyze large amounts of data. This
data replaces manual tracking of tools, thereby reducing manual work by 50%.
The radio product factory now has the ability to maintain the connection between a large number of sensors and provide Ericsson with key data on the screwdriver. Through such a large-scale sensor deployment, other manufacturers will begin to implement human-machine collaboration and collaborative robotics technology to simplify factory operations.
5G In The Cloud
As these robots become more complex and adapt in real-time,
they will require a large amount of processing data that a machine cannot
maintain at all. 5G-enabled cloud robotics technology provides a solution that
puts system intelligence in the cloud connected to ground robots. The network
provides key technologies to maintain continuous Internet connectivity, remote
computing, storage, data resources, data-driven intelligence, strong network
security, and support for a large number of robots. For example, in the
hospital of the future, the cloud will act as the central "brain",
managing collaborative robots to guide patients or deliver drugs as a group of
machines.
How 5G Will Change Real-Time Location Services
5G technology also intends to use a single simplified
infrastructure to change the real-time location service (RTLS) to improve
accuracy. For example, 5G positioning can be accurate to the exact floor and
location of the mobile phone to the centimeter-level high-rise buildings. This
technology not only has the potential to significantly reduce overall
infrastructure costs, but it can also open the door to a large number of new
geographic information applications.
The current application of this technology involves asset
tracking. In networked digital mining, automatic mining vehicles and drilling
rigs can be marked and monitored from remote locations. However, 5G positioning
is expected to go further and spread to indoor environments from 2023. The
precise positioning capability of the network enables the machine to be tracked
or controlled when moving in the indoor factory workshop, which may
revolutionize the industrial and warehousing application market.
Challenges Of 5G Implementation
The global deployment of 5G technology still faces huge
challenges. Building infrastructure to support 5G requires a large amount of
capital investment. 5G cannot use the 4G-LTE mechanism for power supply, so it
is necessary to thoroughly overhaul the existing base stations, build smaller,
lower-temperature towers, and lay the fiber optic cable network connecting
them.
In addition, some critics believe that the vision of selling
5G to businesses and consumers is far-fetched. In fact, a few years after the
5G transition, there are still some unresolved problems, and some consumers
question the true added value of the new network. Nevertheless, due to lower
maintenance costs compared to 4G-LTE, the transition to 5G is the only
sustainable long-term solution.