Imagine, you’ve got a date coming over. As soon as your partner walks in the lights dim low, the refrigerator makes ice for the champagne and your speaker plays their favorite Bruno Mars song. No, you’re not living in the matrix, this is your present.
The internet of things is here and it brings along with it a new friend. So sit back and let the good folks here at 5Gversus4G help you understand this futuristic technology and what the introduction of 5G means for it as well as us all.
What is 5G ?
5G is nothing but the fifth generation of mobile networks, to put it simply. Working on the premise of high frequency and shorter wavelengths, this advancement in the field of telecom technology is striving towards low latency, higher bandwidth and decreased congestion.
Unlike its predecessors, the fifth generation offers network speeds that are faster than ever. But these perks unfortunately come with a price. The length of these frequencies means that its range is quite low. It also is easily obstructed by buildings, walls as well as trees.
One of the most fascinating aspects of 5G is its promise to work in close ties with the IoT.
What is IoT or the Internet of Things ?
The IoT is a system of interconnected electronic devices or ‘things’ that transfer data through the internet. This can be done over a mobile or desktop application.
It consists of a series of sensors that pick up the required information. They then pass this information to processing nodes or ‘gateways’ that process the information, which in turn will then be used by these smart devices. This process relies heavily on the effective communication between the sensors and the proper processing of information by the nodes.
With the immense developments made in the field and the easy availability of needed tech, there are billions of these physical devices all transferring and collecting data with each other in the world today. From a light bulb to something as big as a factory and much more.
What does 5G mean for IoT ?
The internet of things needs something to connect to. Its choice of fuel is well, not surprisingly, the internet. But what exactly will it run on?
For basic devices that are available right now, such as home appliances like an electric flask, thermostat, bulb or even a refrigerator, the IoT can use WiFi. But for “things” such as cars or other vehicles that don’t always have the luxury of a stable WiFi connection, 5G is here to help.
See also: Will 5G replace WiFi
As mentioned before, 5G is fast. These speeds will allow for quicker and increased connectivity. It can enable us to control more devices remotely. Through various applications on an “anchor” device such as a phone or computer, we’ll be able to carry out tasks remotely.
An issue that might creep up is the low range of 5G. This can of course be simply tackled with increased connectivity towers. But then it could still pose an issue to people wanting to experience the fifth generation outside the big cities where it’s the fastest.
There’s no way we could understate the IoT’s ability to store massive amounts of information in its databases, accompanied by the fifth generation’s speed and low latency. Where things get interesting is when individuals as well as businesses can keep a check on real-time performances and subsequently improve worker safety and security with this tech.
Is the IoT Safe ?
5G boasts an increased bandwidth along with the decrease in connection congestion. This makes it ideal for businesses, as IoT requires for multiple devices to be connected to it at one time.
Nowadays, manufacturers are adding sensors to the components of their products. This helps to transmit data back to them and see how they are performing. In fact, this can also help companies spot when a component is likely to fail and to swap it out before it causes damage. They can use this data to fix other problems down the assembly line to make their products more efficient and get better at spotting the error in the first place.
See also: Is 5G dangerous for you?
But with all this data being collected, what are the risks?
Badly installed IoT products are an open invitation to hackers and scammers. The Internet of Things runs off of our data that it retains. What that means is it has our passwords, our addresses and even how we like our coffee in the morning. Not to mention the fact that it’s connected to a dozen other devices all around our homes. And with the speed and efficiency of 5G, it’s a disaster waiting to happen.
It might seem like a long shot, as companies are getting better at security. But imagine one day if the smart locks at your office or home just refuse to open or the smart thermostat turns up the heat during a meeting. Or worse still, someone gets a hold of your car? It’s instances like these that make us question not if we’re ready for artificial intelligence, but whether we are capable of dealing with something as nasty as identity theft.
Conclusion
We as a society are progressing at a phenomenal rate. Soon our homes and even our cities will be the thing of the movies. IOT alongside 5G has many applications which will help society in a variety of ways. Let’s hope that we can handle it and do it well.