How 5G Networks & Edge Computing Will Influence Entire Industries
The Internet of Things (IoT), the connection between various devices to exchange and process data, is certainly a driving force for the standardization of the 5G network. After all, 5G brings theoretical download speeds of 10Gbps and reduced latency of 1ms to the airwaves. The number of industries which will benefit from these advancements is enormous, and many are not yet existing. Qualcomm notes, that by 2035:
“…when 5G’s full economic benefit should be realized across the globe, a broad range of industries — from retail to education, transportation to entertainment, and everything in between — could produce up to $12.3 trillion worth of goods and services enabled by 5G mobile technology.”
Major companies are experimenting, designing and building with a 5G & Edge computing focus right now. For starters, here’s a list of areas where we can expect to see advancements:
Digital Gaming
5G & Edge Computing will vastly improve the performance of digital games. It’s not hard to notice where the gaming industry is headed. Take a look at commercials or attend any gaming event, and you’ll likely find the use of Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) technology. Let’s not forget the success of Pokemon GO, which was undoubtedly the first successful taste of AR for the masses. In fact, hit TV series The Walking Dead, is rumored next in line to create a similar AR game. Games as such are usually available within an app store, where a user will download the game to a device, perhaps make some in-app purchases, and play locally on the device itself. With the reduced latency that Edge servers will provide, games can be streamed on demand to any device. This would theoretically eliminate the need to download or purchase an app, and the app itself would not be limited to your mobile device’s storage or performance, but mainly its connection to the network.
As of now, you might play HD games from your Xbox or PS4, connected to your TV and home internet, and maybe you enjoy playing Battlefield 1 in a 64 v. 64 match. With 5G’s 10Gbps connections and low latency to the Edge servers, a user can experience HD games directly through TV’s, Chromebooks and mobile devices without the need for a gaming console. Online multiplayer would be able to support thousands of simultaneous players within the same game. AR and VR technologies will process larger data at faster speeds, enabling a drastic improvement in game performance and quality. Digital gaming will be more seamless and even more social. Take for example Hatch, an on demand gaming platform that will require no game downloads or in-app purchases, and will enable users to share gaming experiences together, live and on social media. The infrastructure behind 5G & Edge computing is what will support the success of such platforms.
Sports & Entertainment
Imagine watching your favorite team in ultra HD, from different angles, or from the point of view of your favorite athletes. Cisco has found that almost half of event audiences would prefer to see alternate camera angles. Additionally, they reported that most attendees to any arena expect the ability to instantly connect to the network during the event and 74% of fans would have a better experience during live events if the arena supported HD video. 5G & Edge computing will enable these experiences by supporting real time multicasting in ultra HD resolutions.
Organizations and rights holders affiliated with these new user experiences will benefit too. In order for fans to connect in these huge arenas, it’s common to find the implementation of high density Wi-Fi networks. These networks are costly for the stadium owners to setup and manage in a venue. Theoretically, 5G would eliminate the need for high density Wi-Fi. Another benefit is that stakeholders will be able to communicate with fans when they are the most engaged, in real time. Mobile devices could provide quick and seamless communication among fans, deliver live player stats and polls, enable more efficient logistics, such as ordering a drink to one’s seat, purchasing a ticket to the next game at a promotional rate, or providing information on how long it will take to leave the stadium. In all, the experience for fans could be drastically enhanced, the technology could be more seamless, and the operational costs to stakeholders could be reduced.
Communications
Video communication still has its limitations. It’s common for a user to lose video chat feeds or experience low resolution video during a call. 5G networks will eliminate these issues, augmenting the experience where users have always expected, clear video with minimal delay and virtually zero connection loss. Users can expect HD group video chats without technical limitations and improvements will certainly be noticed among long distance and international video conferencing.
In the spirit of IoT, communication improvements between devices are worth mentioning. With data processing in real time, the usefulness of drones and robots is elevated to an entirely new level. The recent devastation brought by Hurricane Harvey to the Houston, TX area exemplifies multiple use cases where drone operation will benefit society. There are unprecedented uses of drones by Allstate and Farmers insurance companies to assess the billions of dollars worth of damage from the storm, but the possibilities don’t end here. The increased communication speeds enabled by 5G & Edge computing will increase the effectiveness of drone deployments for more time-sensitive tasks, such as using drones as first responders which is currently under test by Verizon. Damaged communications infrastructure is also undergoing visual inspection by AT&T’s drones. 5G & Edge computing can level up this technology by enabling drones to be automatically dispatched, technically removing the need for a person to direct a drone to the scene. These drones would be able to stream live video and with the aid of machine learning, perhaps fix issues with their own sets of tools.
Transportation
Continuing with object recognition brings us to transportation. Of course, 5G & Edge computing includes the realization of autonomous vehicles, that is the self-driving car. Many ask is it possible? Yes. Currently, technical challenges such as the continuous stream of data and the processing required have complicated progress. The increased speeds enabled by 5G allows for the real time processing necessary for a vehicle to recognize objects and safely navigate. In fact, it has been noted that autonomous vehicles will substantially decrease the U.S. auto fatality rates.
Additionally, 5G will enable efficient traffic management. Real time data and low latency will power a smart traffic approach to the flow of our roadways and transport systems. As mentioned by Ericsson, instead of catching the bus, “the bus will catch you.”
Advertising
Walk around the NYC subways, and you can already find MTA’s digital signs with rotating content. Digital signs like these can adjust content based on the demographic which is in front of it with instantaneous data computation powered by 5G & Edge computing technologies. Social media platforms already do something similar based on your online activity, making content more relevant to the viewer. With fast object recognition, stores could automatically greet repeat customers and even give customers the ability to reorder previous purchases.
Healthcare
With 5G, doctors and medical examiners could have the ability to not just remotely monitor patients, but the fast computation of data could allow the standardization of unprecedented procedures like long distance surgery. Additionally, more remote care could result in less in-patient care costs. The Edge servers could allow for readily available, off-site computation of important medical data pertaining to a patient, which could benefit walk-in medical clinics that don’t usually have the same infrastructure capabilities as that of a large hospital. Such setups could theoretically allow clinics to perform more procedures than what is currently capable due to medical equipment limitations (mainly computing power).
With 5G & Edge computing, crucial patient information could travel more seamlessly for all stakeholders. Communication of medical data could immediately travel from the initial EMT to the Emergency Room, to the doctors and personnel within a hospital, and even live-streamed to any device of anyone relevant, such as the patient’s family members. Digital imaging could reach health professionals in various parts of the world, on any device, for medical analysis. 3D renderings of Cat Scans could be streamed to a mobile device. Patients and doctors from around the world, who may have never been able connect otherwise, could communicate in ways that are effective and meaningful to treatment.
Finance
5G technology can influence financial markets in ways not previously experienced. Markets could not only react to broadcasted news or market activity itself, but by live industry KPI’s and other various data which currently is not available to a trader on an exchange. Examples could include real time data provided by manufacturing or agriculture companies that could create an entirely new form of high frequency trading.
5G & Edge computing will benefit the world of crypto-currency too. With Edge servers, transactions could be supported by caching blockchain data for currencies such as Bitcoin, allowing for a speedier transactions and reducing the need for a crypto community to debate on how to enhance its network. The rise of Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies have seriously altered the way we think about the future of the financial sector, as well as the way software is built. Not only could 5G & Edge computing increase the rate at which blockchain data is obtained, but instant transaction processing tied with machine learning could enable entirely new forms of machine-to-machine transactions, as well.
Agriculture & Manufacturing
Currently in manufacturing, if a robotic component fails on an assembly line, the manufacturing process may be halted until the problem is addressed. The increased data processing speeds on 5G networks & Edge computing will allow machine learning to implement smarter decision making among factory components, such as workload balancing. If the first component out of four fails, the workload could be immediately rebalanced among components two, three, and four.
Preventive measures and real time monitoring could be improved. Machine learning can enable robots to adjust operations in the midst of functioning. Smart sensors could collect data and have the ability to identify potential equipment issues before the actually happen.
In the field, robots supported by 5G & Edge computing could automatically monitor crops and relay data to virtually anywhere in the world. Harvesting times can be determined for crops automatically, and robots could perform various farming routines, such as spraying and pruning.
What else?
Other industries not mentioned above might include military, smart homes, and smart cities. There are plenty of industries 5G & Edge computing will not only influence, but create entirely. First, the technologies which will serve as a foundation for the new network will be in focus. Innovations in the network infrastructure itself are currently in the planning and design phases. Major organizations throughout the world are investing in what is proving to truly be the race to 5G.
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