Why 5G and IoT really represent an epochal turning point

5G & IoT
Data and forecasts
Security

There is no doubt that we live in a historical moment in which technological innovations follow one another at a rapid pace, making any previous improvement quickly obsolete.

But it will be in the next few years that we will witness a real change of epochal scope, able to revolutionize practically every aspect of our life: 5G, combined with the IoT, will be able to open new horizons and develop new fascinating opportunities.

5G & IoT

The 5G (“fifth generation”) represents the fifth generation of mobile device connection standards, which chronologically follows 1G (the TACS telephone network), 2G (GSM), 3G (UMTS) and 4G (LTE).

⭕️ This new technology, expected for 2022, will allow the transition to what is called “gigabit society“, with a rapid implementation of concepts and functionalities that we are already discovering in recent years: Industry 4.0, smart cities, smart homes, autonomous driving vehicles and much more.

⭕️ The 5G in fact will allow mobile connections at very high speed, with latency times (between the emission and reception of a command) drastically lower than those offered by current mobile networks: we are talking of a speed around 100 Mbit/s (Megabit per second) in download and around 50 Mbit/s in upload with an expected latency of approximately 4 milliseconds, compared to 20 of LTE.

The Internet of Things (IoT) can then receive its actual consecration, since the new mobile network will allow the connection of a higher number of devices, with an increase in performance and a simpler and safer use.

⭕️ The devices will be able to connect to the Internet without using Wi-Fi (therefore also without a fixed line), with enormous advantages for areas such as Industry 4.0, self-driving cars, smart cities, smart homes and smart agri-food, but even in situations of digital divide or difficulty in fixed coverage.

⭕️ The IoT and the 5G are in fact two innovations that, if considered as complementary to each other, are distinguished by an exponential revolutionary scope: new services and applications can be developed, both in business and in favour of end users, in the most different areas of everyday life and with performances never achieved so far (energy and utilities, manufacturing, public safety, healthcare, public transport, media and entertainment, automotive, financial services, retail, agriculture).

It is estimated that the 5G will also allow IoT to move from the current 20 billion devices connected to 76 billion expected for 2025.

➡️ As a result, important business opportunities will grow for operators, who are already investing to be ready for the appointment in 2022. According to a study by Ericsson, 5G and its applications in the industrial sector will allow telephone operators, in 2026, to increase their revenues between an additional 12% and 36%.

➡️ Let’s not forget, however, that the significant improvements will be introduced can really extend to everyday life: we think of the possibility of connecting objects within smart cities, for example with smart parking management, which translates into better services and quality of life for citizens and the population.

Change is coming and as always, we must be prepared, because it is estimated that with the 5G at full capacity, the (old) 4G soon may no longer be able to support the demand for data traffic that will develop.

Data and forecasts about the diffusion of 5G and IoT

The recent edition of Ericsson’s “Mobility Report” contains interesting figures on the growth of data traffic: between now and 2024 mobile traffic is going to increase by 79% only in the last year. In six years, the new standard will reach 40% of the world’s population.

The 5G could therefore be the cellular technology that will be implemented faster globally than in previous generations thanks, above all, to greater network capacity, reduced costs and new potential for use.

⭕️ According to the report in 2024, the areas with the highest number of 5G subscriptions will be North America and Northeast Asia followed by Europe.

A focus on security

With the increased spread of connected objects, security threats will inevitably increase.

According to a F-Secure report, security flaws in devices could increase significantly without the necessary countermeasures.

➡️ It is therefore necessary to comply with stringent safety requirements, to protect the transmitted data and thus guarantee user-friendly use.

➡️ In fact, many products on the market would not consider the minimum-security requirements and settings and this may require regulatory intervention by governments to set minimum safety standards for commercialization.