Five worthy reads is a regular column on five noteworthy items we’ve discovered while researching trending and timeless topics. This week, we explore how the impending 5G wave will impact businesses. 

The next generation of cellular networks, 5G, is finally here, and it promises download speeds that are nine to 20 times faster than current 4G networks. Unlike 4G networks—which are already crammed with data from mobile devices and becoming congested in densely populated areas—5G will work on a different wavelength, opening up more bandwidth for everyone. The beauty of 5G is that it combines faster networks with lower latency and increased data capacity.  

The jump from 4G to 5G is going to unleash a whole new world of device-to-device connectivity. High speed connections are going to enable the development of true smart cars that can anticipate traffic conditions and talk to each other, as well as smart cities that have the potential to enhance safety and offer better quality of life. 5G will also help boost technologies like edge computing and IoT.

5G is also expected to play a major role in growing business digitalization. With faster connectivity in place, businesses can expect smoother operations and stronger workplace collaboration through better use of time and resources.

But, with new technology comes new challenges. Even though 5G holds immense potential, it has its own shortcomings; the rise of new security threats, as well as the challenges of network and service assurance, are just a few of the concerns around 5G.

With that said, here are five interesting reads on topics that your business must look into before the 5G network wave actually hits:

1. Seven Things Your Business Needs To Know About 5G

5G opens up new business opportunities, including the potential to launch new products and services, move into new markets, and increase productivity. This article explains what 5G may offer your business and how to prepare for this new technology.

2. The Future Of Networking is 5G: Businesses Must Prepare Now

Learn how 5G will redefine network infrastructure through a capability known as network slicing, and see how setting up a private 5G network slice can improve your company’s critical applications, services, and security processes.

3. With 5G, Cyber Security Researchers See A Hotbed of Security Risks

5G will facilitate more devices, more connections, and more flowing data, which means the risk of DDoS attacks will be that much higher. This article sheds light on the increased chance of security breaches.

4. Tackling network and service assurance in virtualized 5G networks

With the emergence of the 5G era, mobile networks will have many more virtual elements. Monitoring an increasingly virtualized network for performance is likely to become more complicated, this article includes tips on how to keep up with this change.

5. 6 Challenges of 5G, and the 9 Pillars of Assurance Strategy

The communication industry is trying to accelerate the deployment of 5G networks, but rushing things could lead to greater risks including new architecture complexities and security threats. This article addresses the need for thorough testing to avoid any negative impact on businesses.

While the future of 5G is bright and lightning fast, businesses still need to prepare themselves for 5G from both a technical and process perspective to ensure better security and service delivery. This revolutionary technology is already on the way and will be ready in limited capacity in parts of the US later this year. Each of the major US mobile carriers are expected to deploy a 5G network by the end of 2019.

We’re all anticipating 5G to be one of those technologies that holds huge promise for both consumers and businesses. Speaking of which, how do you think 5G is going to change your business? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Athira A K
Marketing Analyst

  1. Shenil Padmanabhan

    Worth reading.. but there are conspiracies about 5g that , We’ve heard a lot about mmWaves being used for 5G, which range from roughly 24 GHz to perhaps 90 GHz. Because of the high frequencies and the fact that they have short ranges, we’re going to need small cells everywhere to get the coverage that people want which will lead to higher radiation levels and higher rates of cancer.