5G is a buzzword nowadays. It is set to pave new possibilities and chances to connect the world better. From high-speed broadband to automated smart cars, 5G is a stimulant, transforming the world into a more connected and smarter planet. Wondering how 5G is used today? This article will list some popular 5G use cases.
This latest generation of wireless technology, 5G or the fifth generation, has taken the world by storm since its release. 5G is significantly faster than its predecessors – 4G, 3G, 2G, and 1G.
Today, mobile operator industries are shifting to 5G wireless technology due to its exceptional speed, low latency, enhanced capacity, and improved Quality of Service (QoS).
Do you Know? – According to Ericsson Mobility Report, there were around 70 million new 5G subscriptions by the end of the second quarter of 2022.
5G has the ability to enforce new technologies and services that were impossible, even using 4G. This is all possible because it leverages enhanced access technologies such as BDMA (Beam Division Multiple Access) and FBMC (Filter Bank Multi-Carrier Multiple Access).
Well, the features of 5G – reduced delays, fast speed, and a large number of densely packed devices – together have the potential to make a major transformation in almost every industry vertical. Also, the availability of 5G can even create some new industries.
Without any further ado, let us start discussing the 5G use cases below.
Top 7 Promising 5G Use Cases
1. Broadband Internet Everywhere
One of the most common 5G use cases is the accessibility of broadband internet everywhere. Broadband is a high-speed internet connection with an internet speed ranging between 3 Mbps to 25 Mbps. In 2010, this internet speed was between 1 Mbps to 4 Mbps.
In contrast, the 5G speed is far greater than the aforementioned speeds. Its speed is somewhere ranging between 300–1,000 Mbps, and even more in some cases.
To support the above numbers, here is an example.
In 2019, the average download speed for mobile users in the United States was around 34 Mbps. However, according to Speedtext Global Index, this number doubled and jumped to 72.72 Mbps as of January 2023,
With the help of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), you can use the 5G network for home and business purposes. From the nearby 5G cell, you and your whole building or office can take advantage of the high-speed internet connection. You can connect your mobile devices, laptops, desktops, TVs, game consoles, and much more through existing WiFi connections.
2. Smart Cities, Vehicles, and Traffic
Other 5G use cases can be seen in vehicles and traffic. 5G will enable a quantum leap in car tech, allowing for ultra-reliability and high bandwidth connections. Smart traffic controls, self-driving cars, and direct vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication are all examples of how 5G will change the way we drive.
5G could make driving safer by allowing vehicles to communicate ahead of time to create new routes or adjust speeds to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
This could enable safe transportation for the disabled, elderly, and others who are unable to drive themselves, as well as directing traffic for school buses, construction, trains, and other dynamic scenarios.
3. Smart Factories and Farms
Automation is already among the 5G use cases in factories and industries. Another significant use case would be operating heavy machinery remotely. This, in turn, prevents any dangerous and deadly situation.
When it comes to smart farms, 5G helps farmers save a significant amount of money while allowing them to produce better crops. But how?
There are many farming equipments combined with ground sensors. They help farmers get instant updates about crop health. So, if crops need any care or attention, farmers can immediately take action without being late.
Another advancement 5G has improved it a lot is the use of drones. Farmers can use drones to water crops, feed animals, and perform many others tasks. They can just rest and get all updates on their mobile phones.
4. Immersive AR and VR
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are the two trending technologies these days. While AR is about real-world settings, VR is completely about the virtual world. Both these technologies are bandwidth-intensive. However, 5G can manage them without any lag in the internet connection.
The best use of VR is in sports. For instance, a football player can use a head-mounted camera and feed his point of view to all others connected to it. Others connected to the camera can don a VR headset and experience the player directly while he/she is playing on the pitch.
Regarding AR, it is a technology that projects digital data into the real world. The applications of AR are countless and unimaginable. With these unimaginable applications and the ability of 5G to smoothly transmit information to and from AR devices in real-time, the AR industry has an incredibly bright future.
Here are some typical examples of 5G AR:
- Projecting emails and text messages into the neighboring rooms.
- Extending your computer’s display by creating multiple floating monitors.
- Projecting a virtual HDTV in your room.
What makes 5G different is that it enables the use of AR and VR technologies on mobile phones and other network-enabled devices.
5. Smart Healthcare
One of the most admirable 5G use cases can be observed in healthcare. There have been a lot of advancements in this industry with the introduction of AI-powered systems. These systems have made administrative tasks a cakewalk and do not require any manual intervention.
In case of any emergency, 5G has made it possible to share information or situation with medical professionals immediately.
We all are very well aware of smart wearables that monitor heart rates and rhythm. With technological advancements, wearables capable of blood sugar, hemoglobin, and other vitals, are near future.
On a more technical note, you would want your wearables to withhold the monitored data and store it on a server, allowing you to share your records with doctors or family members.
Furthermore, 5G has made the sharing of high-resolution photos and videos from anywhere to a doctor. This means your doctor can examine or treat you while staying remote.
In short, 5G enables immediate and frequent data transmissions at an incredibly high speed without degrading your phone’s battery performance.
6. Better Law Enforcement
This is yet among the best 5G use cases. Drones are beneficial for police to monitor different areas of a city and get real-time updates with 5G without any delay. However, many people consider drones as an invasion of privacy.
Still, they are helpful to the government, allowing them to enforce laws better than ever before. Thes drones are equipped with special HD cameras and monitor citizens. So, if they break any law, they will be noticed by these high-resolution cameras. In addition, 5G enables storing audio/video streams on a server to prevent data loss.
7. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Communication
P2P or peer-to-peer communication refers to the transmission of data back and forth between two or more devices without the need for a server.
Nowadays, most communication takes place by storing data on a server, which can be downloaded. Though this method provides an amazing experience, it is pretty time-consuming, as it requires storing data on a server.
For instance, consider you want to share images with your friend. It is common to share them by email or any other file-sharing app. First, you have to upload them to an email server or file-sharing service server. Later, your friend can download those images from the server.
However, 5G is changing this communication method, allowing your mobile devices and computers to do the same as servers. The minimum download speed of any 5G cell is 10 Gbps. This implies in ideal conditions, you can transmit hundreds of megabytes of data in a second. This is incredibly faster than any other network.
Recommended: Where is 5G Available in the US?
Exploring 5G Use Cases That Hold Promise for the Future
Well, these were a few common 5G use cases; the list is practically very long. It has applications in almost every industry, from healthcare and education to logistics and manufacturing. The high speed of the network has made it possible for data transmission to occur within seconds.
The development and deployment of 5G are currently ongoing. It has ferociously gathered momentum in the modern age. Still, the future cannot be anticipated. However, one thing is very certain: 5G will provide far more than simply a faster phone connection. It may dramatically alter people’s life.
