Developments in modern technology continue to transform how we live and work every day. While the cultural advancements that industry disruptive solutions like IoT (Internet of Things) have created over the years have been impressive, the rise in mobility has created even more opportunities for innovation.
With the introduction of 5G technology and the reliable infrastructure that comes with it, considerable enhancements are now available and currently being developed for IoT technology. These promise better speeds, lower latency, and support for considerably more devices on a network.
However, like with all types of technology, the innovation it affords isn’t without certain limitations and potential challenges that need to be considered.
What is 5G, and How Does it Work?
5G technology represents the next iteration of cellular technology, following the more commonly used and referenced 3G and 4G technology. The primary improvement between these formats has been the ability to support faster download speeds, making it much easier to stream data and allow for uninterrupted communications.
As to be expected, 5G technology improves considerably on the speed of 4G technology by allowing data exchange rates of up to 10 gigabits per second as opposed to the 1 gigabit per second data cap found in 4G.
In addition to the speed increases found in more modern cellular technology, 5G also reduces latency that is often experienced with older formats. Latency is what impacts the ability of data packets to travel to and from their sources more seamlessly. By reducing latency amounts to just milliseconds, 5G gives IoT solutions the ability to support much more responsive applications.
5G’s Promised Benefits for IoT
The introduction of 5G technology is promising a number of benefits when it comes to IoT technology. This includes:
Improved Speed and Lower Latency
The speed and ultra-low latency of 5G technology means that IoT sensors can collect and transmit data almost instantaneously.
This allows for real-time critical decision-making in applications like industrial automation, where split-second adjustments can improve efficiency and safety.
Increased Network Capacity
One of the major challenges with older IoT solutions is that they’re often limited in their scale due to networking restrictions. However, with the introduction of 5G technology, the scalability of IoT deployments is considerably improved.
This is important when designing and running highly complex and integrated applications like those used in smart buildings and cities and when playing a supportive role in minimizing energy consumption.
Additional Use Cases
With 5G becoming more common in modern mobile solutions, there are now a number of additional use cases for the technology. One major area where 5G is being utilized is in the manufacturing of newer vehicles, especially those with autonomous features.
Since most modern cars have built-in GPS functionality and various forms of AI (artificial intelligence) features, 5G provides more options when designing these components since it can support the back-end infrastructure required to keep them running optimally.
Current State of 5G and IoT
At this stage, 5G is no longer considered a new development in mobile technology. However, not all areas have fully adopted it due to a lack of infrastructure to support it. Although some countries, including the U.S., have made a number of strides in new use cases for the technology, full global availability is still several years away.
While many telecom companies have put more priority on developing 5G support technologies, the cost and the complexities associated with it mean it will still take time until it has the same adoption rate as 4G.
When it comes to IoT technology, 5G is gaining more rapid deployments in many industries. Manufacturing sectors, for example, are actively utilizing 5G technology to enable the use of “smart factories” that rely on a network of sensors and data collection units to assist manufacturers in streamlining their production and quality assurance processes.
It’s anticipated that 5G technology will continue to create more possibilities for IoT technology when integrated into a wide range of industries, such as healthcare and the transportation sector.
That being said, along with a number of advantages this combination of technologies is bringing, there are some potential hurdles that are materializing.
- Infrastructure Barriers – 5G deployments at this stage can be cost-prohibited in many areas. For some regions, the move to 5G requires a significant upgrade investment to towers and supporting systems, which is making the global adoption rate slower than with other mobile technologies.
- Device Compatibility – While more modern deployments of IoT solutions are built to support future 4G/5G transitions, not all legacy IoT devices are designed to be cross-compatible. This can lead to major roadblocks for some organizations moving over to a new format.
- Security Concerns – The increased connectivity and data exchange facilitated by 5G IoT continue to raise some concerns when it comes to security and privacy. Since the technology is still relatively young, there needs to be more time spent understanding the new threat landscape that this new combination of 5G and IoT can present to businesses.
- Energy Consumption Issues – For battery-powered IoT devices, the increased data transmission demands of 5G can lead to faster battery drain. This an be a challenge for applications where frequent battery replacement is impractical or impossible.
Predictions and Possibilities for the Future of IoT
It’s anticipated that the number of IoT devices around the globe by 2025 will reach 25 billion. As newer technologies continue to be released, this expectation could increase as more diverse applications in the market are designed to leverage IoT to a larger extent.
In addition to 5G, the growth of edge computing and AI-driven technologies is also creating more use cases for IoT. The ability to communicate seamlessly between IoT devices while also applying powerful algorithms and real-time analytics to the data collected opens up new possibilities for different industries.
However, these quick advancements in emerging technologies don’t remove organizations’ accountability when considering the ethical elements of IoT adoption. Organizations must do their due diligence when introducing these technologies into their operations and product design. This ensures that businesses are able to leverage the capabilities of 5G technology without compromising the integrity of their networks and the privacy of their customer data.
Author Bio:
Guido Voigt
Guido Voigt is the Director of Engineering, at Lantronix, a global provider of turnkey solutions and engineering services for the internet of things (IoT). Guido’s and Lantronix’s goal is to enable their customers to provide intelligent, reliable, and secure IoT and OOBM solutions while accelerating time to market.
