How 5G Will Benefit the Internet of Things (IoT)

Over the last two or three decades, the telecommunications industry has produced countless groundbreaking technologies. Apple’s iPhone, for instance, lead to the flourishing of the mobile app and game economy. Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) made affordable mobile services available to highly targeted, niche markets. Even SMS and other direct messaging solutions, have evolved over the years. Indeed, back in the good ol’ days, SMS was used primarily by mobile operators to alert subscribers to network issues, important service notifications, and marketing promotions. Now, it’s among the most popular and affordable modes of communication on the planet — and a top-shelf customer engagement tool to boot!

However, in this article, we wanted to turn our attention to the latest innovation to come out of the telecommunications industry: 5G Techology. And more specifically, we wanted to touch on how 5G will benefit the Internet of Things (IoT).

So, with that, let’s get started!

What is 5G?

First, let’s go over the basics. 5G stands for fifth-generation mobile network. It follows in the footsteps of previous iterations, appropriately named 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G. But 5G promises to be vastly more powerful than its predecessors. Here’s a summary from Qualcomm:

• First Generation (1980s): 1G delivered analog voice.
• Second Generation (1990s): 2G introduced digital voice.
• Third Generation (2000s): 3G brought mobile data.
• Fourth Generation (2010s): 4G ushered in the era of mobile broadband.

Then comes 5G, which offers extended capacity to enable next-generation user experiences, empower new deployment models, and deliver new services. While it was first launched in 2019, the ETA for widespread adoption is 2025.

And the expectations are high. Many anticipate that 5G, and the services and technologies it enables, will change the way people live and work. This is because it’s substantially faster than previous generations of mobile networks and can handle far more connected devices, opening up a world of possibilities for entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts alike.

But when we say 5G is faster than its antecedents, we’re burying the lede a bit. According to the wireless industry trade group GSMA, 5G will be at least 10 times faster than 4G. And, from what some experts are saying, it could be up to 100 times faster! Not too shabby.

5G will also come with lower latency. This means it’ll have greater capacity for remote execution, connected devices, and the implementation of virtual networks (also called Network Slicing). As such, 5G will be able to provide more diverse and sophisticated connectivity experiences that cater to highly specialized IoT use cases, from transportation, to remote healthcare, precision agriculture, digitized logistics, and more.

The Benefits of 5G for the Internet of Things (IoT)

While there are already approximately 30 billion IoT devices connected around the globe, billions more are expected to come online in short order. Indeed, a 2020 IDC report predicts that there will be approximately 75 billion connected devices by 2025. However, 5G’s superior speed and capacity are critical to helping the IoT industry meet and surpass this mark.

Current estimates say that 5G networks will offer speeds in the ball park of 15 to 20 Gbps. The folks over at IoT Solutions point out that this will enable users and devices to access files, programs, and remote applications without waiting. In addition, they note that 5G will make it possible for devices to leverage the cloud more effectively, reducing dependency on internal memory and the accumulation of data.

And because 5G has lower latency than its predecessors, applications that demand quick response times are now officially on the table. This means new experiences and opportunities associated with multiplayer mobile gaming, sophisticated factory robots and machinery, self-driving vehicles, and more.

In addition, 5G will be able to accommodate more devices operating on the same network. This will impact IoT deployments across the spectrum, from smart devices operating inside homes, offices, and other commercial and private residences, to those comprising sophisticated Smart City solutions and services.

Want to Learn More About the Internet of Things?

We’d love to walk you through the basics! At Pareteum, we offer a flexible, scalable, multi-tenanted IoT solution that was designed to ensure that any device, software, or connectivity type can be rapidly integrated and made fully interoperable with all other components of an existing IoT estate. The platform manages and secures the IoT infrastructure and associated data, enhancing the data with machine learning and predictive analytics to provide actionable device and connectivity insights.

Challenges concerning security, interoperability, costs, local knowledge, and storage make it difficult to take IoT solutions to market. At Pareteum, we provide all the IoT components necessary for enterprises, service providers, and municipalities to deploy their solutions and maximize the benefits of their IoT strategies.

To learn more be sure to check out our website or reach out to our team.

About Pareteum

Pareteum is an experienced provider of Communications Platform as a Service solutions. We empower enterprises, communications service providers, internet service providers, mobile operators, full MVNOs, light MVNOs, early-stage innovators, developers, IoT (Internet of Things), and telecommunications infrastructure providers with the freedom and control to create, deliver, and scale innovative communications experiences.

The Pareteum platform connects people and devices around the world using the secure, ubiquitous, and highly scalable solution to deliver data, voice, video, SMS/text messaging, media, and content enablement.

For more information on Pareteum Experience Cloud, set up a meeting!