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.