Guest Post: Why 5G is Essential for AI, IoT, and Robotics

Hearing claims that 5G will change the world should not come as a shock, and appears to be more than just marketing hype. Why? Because the capability and capacity of the 5G technology can transform existing technologies in unimaginable ways.

With research suggesting that 5G is expecting to provide $12.3 trillion of global economic output, and support 22 million jobs around the world by 2035, the potential is huge. Not only will the technology support devices, but it can also transform lives.

In addition to mobile device technologies, we’re also seeing that artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and robotics sectors will be impacted by 5G. In this post, we will explore the potential of 5G in these sectors.

Autonomous cars

As the Internet of Things binds our physical world and brings its entities on the digital platform, 5G is essential to their sustainability. From detecting obstacles, interacting with smart signs, and following maps, to establishing communication with each other/cars by other manufacturers, the responsibility on these vehicles is huge.

All this can happen only when huge volumes of data are transmitted and processed in real time. To do this, a network of equal speed and potential is required, which 5G appears to offer. 5G serves with capacity, low latency, and security – all imperative to bring autonomous cars on roads.

Smart cities

The cities that we will have in the future will be different from what we live in today. They will include connected devices, interacting autonomous cars, on-demand smart buses, flying drone taxis, and more. Smart cities will contain smart buildings too, which will enable businesses to work with increased efficiency by regulating energy consumption.

Data from these cities will help us understand how resources are used in that particular area, and how that usage can be optimized. While possibilities are endless, we will need a next-generation network – 5G – in order to make this an absolute reality.

IoT technology

The Internet of Things has already begun to transform the world, but the integration of 5G will revolutionize it. It will enable billions of additional devices to connect to the internet. While IoT in homes has immense potential, the real deal lies in industrial IoT.

From manufacturing, agriculture, to retail, healthcare, and more, IoT will leave no industry untouched. And 5G will intensify its reach in all. 5G in healthcare, for example, will enable robotic surgery, personalized medicine, wearable healthcare, and so much more.

Robotics

We all know what potential robotics brings to the industry, but many may not know what it can do in collaboration with 5G. To function efficiently, robots need to exchange huge volumes of data with systems and a workforce. For this to happen, the capacity and capability of a 5G network is needed.

In agriculture, for example, robots could easily monitor the conditions of a field of crops,  and send near-real-time video and information back to farmers. On receiving instructions, the robots could then perform desired actions – such as pruning, spraying or harvesting the crops. They could also measure characteristics and transmit them to remote scientists.

Why does this matter? The world’s population is growing, and so are our needs. In order to maintain the supply of food, new technologies need to be brought to the field.

AI entertainment

An obvious use of 5G networks is to address and support the ever-increasing demand of mobile video. The network’s data capacity, speed and low latency will facilitate innovative means of entertainment, including virtual reality and augmented reality. We will likely see a gust of innovation in the AR and VR arenas, but not just for entertainment – businesses will see the benefits as well.

AI, IoT, and 5G – why?

We are also seeing a generous amount of confusion that hovers over AI and IoT. One thing we all understand is that it all boils down to data – and processing tons of it in real time.

However, right now we are not completely equipped with networks that can support this feature, but 5G promises to:

• Use a lot less power
• Leverage IoT sensors that will last for a long time
• Support many more devices compared to 4G
• Provide incredibly high-speed data connections.
• Deliver data with lower latency, in order that more data can be processed.

From predictive maintenance, lowering costs, to solving problems/making needed changes, 5G will revolutionize industries beyond limits.

Network optimization and alicing

For example, 5G will enable network slicing, which is a process where you can use a portion of your network bandwidth to prioritize and fulfill a specific need. This means the network can be appropriately sliced and distributed, as per the priority of the task, among the participants and used for given tasks.

5G’s low latency

Please remember that 5G is definitely about speed, but not about it alone. Low latency is what enables the 5G network to serve very near-real-time video transmission – for purposes such as sports or security. This feature can prove to be extremely beneficial in industries such as construction, health care, and more where regular and real-time coordination is the key.

1. In the construction field, low latency can allow members to effectively videoconference with each other to get work done.
2. In health care, medical providers can monitor patients with the same efficiency, even when they are out of the hospital.