The Internet of Things (IoT) is continuing to pick up steam as more businesses embrace the potential of connected devices to give them the competitive edge. At the same time, the arrival of 5G networks promises exciting new opportunities in terms of data speed, latency, efficiency, reliability, capacity and security. Together these technologies provide the basis upon which to rethink your enterprise mobile strategy.
Mobile strategy optimisation
IoT touches every industry. From healthcare, finance, retail manufacturing and agriculture, IoT is enabling companies to automate processes and reduce labour costs, reduce waste and improve service delivery. As the cornerstone of an enterprise mobile strategy, organisations are using IoT to:
- Gain insights by monitoring their business processes
- Improve the customer experience
- Save time and money
- Enhance employee productivity
- Make data-driven business decisions.
5G telecommunications platform
With the potential to deliver serious business advantages, it should come as no surprise that enterprise IoT adoption is occurring at a rapid pace and IoT endpoint usage is set to explode.
According to Gartner Inc., the utilities sector will be the highest user of IoT endpoints by 2020, while building automation, driven by connected lighting devices, will see a significant rate of growth, as will the automotive industry with telematics and healthcare sector where chronic condition monitoring will drive IoT usage.
IoT and 5G mobile strategy
IoT-enabled devices, and the data associated with them, will prove to be a valuable asset for businesses. However, for IoT to deliver on its promise, high-speed connectivity is essential. For instance, any business that is relying on IoT data to make informed decisions in near real time, requires data in near real time.
5G’s ability to transmit data faster and support more connections at once will help address this challenge and simplify connected device management. 5G offers the telecommunications platform on which to realise IoT’s benefits.
Supporting more simultaneous internet connections
5G will ultimately bring three main benefits over previous cellular generations. It offers far more bandwidth, higher reliability, and the ability to support more simultaneous internet connections through:
Higher connectivity
At peak speed, 5G operates at 10Gbps. That’s 100 times the speed of current 4G networks, which top out at about 100Mbps.
Greater capacity
5G will allow for more high-demand devices to connect over a single network. The ability to support more connections at a higher speed will allow more people to transmit data at the same time.
Lower latency
On 4G networks, the average latency speed is about 40-50 milliseconds. Over 5G, latency speed will be cut down dramatically.
New era of IoT and 5G
As many organisations are already taking advantage of IoT, 5G is set to play an important part in a new era of digital connectivity. 5G connections will allow everyone to realise the true potential of IoT technology. Better connectivity, reduced latency, and a faster connection mean more people can transmit more data at the same time.
Plan for 5G in your mobile strategy
If you “own” 5G in your organisation, and are planning first-mover opportunities, get in touch with the team at imei. We’re tracking developments in this market and can give you the information you need to exploit 5G to maximise the potential of your business.
