The Industries That Will Benefit Most From 5G

5G hit the headlines last year when it became the target of conspiracy theorists ire throughout the UK and US, but the new generation of mobile network is nothing to fear. In fact it is something to be welcomed by both casual mobile phone users and CEOs of major companies.

In this article we take a look at some of the industries that stand to gain the most from the implementation of 5G. Before that though, let’s have a brief look at what 5G is and how it differs from 4G.

What is 5G?

5G is the fifth generation of mobile technology. The first generation was launched in 1980 when business people with briefcase-sized mobile phones used 1G to place important calls. Ten years later in 1990 the second generation of mobile technology improved to allow not only voice calls but SMS messages too.

In 2000 we had the advent of 3G which, if you are of a particular age will remind you of flip phones and early ‘viral’ videos. Then in 2010 4G, which is the mobile technology many of us use now was created.

5G which went live in 2020 is the latest advancement in mobile technology and it not only allows users to download full-length movies in seconds, it also allows people to connect their phones to multiple devices with lag-free guaranteed connections.

In short 5G has not been created solely to eradicate buffering for people watching Netflix on their phones, but has been created to drive digitalization in as many industries as possible. Here are a few of the ones standing to gain from the growth of 5G.

What is 5G?

Gambling

The global pandemic has hit a number of industries particularly hard but with regards to gambling, the events of 2020 have only served to accelerate a trend in the gambling industry – the shift to the online sector.

With many land-based casinos closing their doors to customers for large periods of 2020, regular gamblers were forced into playing games like blackjack online or spinning virtual slot machine reels. Prior to 2020 many gamblers were choosing to do this anyway, but the pandemic has certainly accelerated this shift.

The advent of 5G then has come at the perfect time for the gambling industry, allowing it to revolutionise how it interacts with its players. In addition to that, increased connectivity will make it easier than ever before to gamble online which will be a major boon for the industry.

 

The factory of the future with 5G

Manufacturing

Ericsson is one of the first companies to come out and explain how 5G is revolutionising their manufacturing processes. The Swedish multinational has used 5G connectivity to produce digital replicas of their production lines.

These replicas simulate the production process and troubleshoot problems before they even become issues in real life. AI technology connected via 5G also allows the Ericsson production line to autonomously react to real-life supply and demand issues.

Across the wider manufacturing industry, 5G will also significantly improve the way that training is implemented, allowing new recruits to practice with digital replicas of production lines and machinery.

Agriculture

One industry that you wouldn’t expect to benefit from an improvement in internet communication technology would be agriculture. What, you may wonder, is the benefit of faster internet to a farmer who spends all day every day out in fields dealing with livestock?

Well, in recent years technology has come to the fore in agriculture with the use of wireless collars to allow farmers to accurately locate their sheep. Vodafone also implemented something called ‘Moo Call’, which by tracking the movement of cows’ tails can accurately predict when they are likely to give birth.

Up until recently almost all of these technologies had been hamstrung by poor mobile coverage in rural areas. The government is seeking to tackle this issue with 5G RuralFirst, an initiative that will prioritise 5G coverage in the most remote of areas.

Smart farms are coming

Transport

The climate crisis is already beginning to impact on our day-to-day lives, accelerating the need for governments, companies and individuals to change their behaviours to save the planet.

Since 1970 Carbon Dioxide emissions have increased by about 90% with much of that increase coming from fossil fuel combustion. The move to electric cars will be a key development in reducing our carbon emissions but the connectivity of these new vehicles will also play a major role in revolutionising transport.

New generation vehicles, connected via 5G, will allow for real-time management of public transport resources and for real-time traffic management plans. Fleet management for large scale haulage companies would also become much more streamlined, cutting out unnecessary journeys and thus reducing emissions.

Healthcare

This is where 5G begins to stray into the realms of science fiction as the new mobile technology could completely transform the world of healthcare. Firstly, virtual reality training could become a staple of healthcare systems in the years to come thanks to 5G.

This would allow surgeons to practice dangerous operations to a high degree of accuracy which would result in better trained surgeons and ultimately, healthier patients. 5G also promises to allow constant monitoring of patients vital signs through wearable technology.

In addition to that, connectivity from 5G could see surgeons in Canada operating on patients in Germany using robotics, or see ambulance drones becoming a reality. All in all, healthcare is the one industry that stands to benefit most from 5G.