5G & IoT Connectivity Expert: Transforming Telecom Networks for IoT Applications
With the advent of IoT, seamless connectivity between devices has become a necessity. 5G, the next-generation telecom technology forged to accelerate IoT applications. 5G technology is transforming the limitless possibility of IoT in a billion devices with its unmatched speed, ultra-low latency. However this transformation will not happen on its own, it demands telecom networks to change, innovate and adapt to the growing requirements of IoT. Let’s look closer on how 5g is changing telecom networks to build a smarter, more connected world.
What is IoT in Telecommunications?
IoT in telecommunications, describes smart devices that connect to other machine-to-machine (M2M) friendly assets over a telecom carrier, providing for data-mover exchanges. Telecom providers help to make this connectivity possible through strong infrastructure, communicating information from one device to another in different sectors.
Examples of IoT applications in telecom include:
- Smart meters which send information about data usage to service providers automatically.
- Connected vehicles exchanging information on location and status in real-time.
- Network-based remote healthcare monitoring where medical devices broadcast patient data.
The applications those verticals have are bandwidth-intensive and low-latency-sensitive, requiring telecommunications companies to play a key role in enabling IoT solutions.
Telecom network needs have changed considerably in the IoT era where we will connect billions of devices, and 5G is literally what unlocks this potential. A key element that makes this transformation possible is 5G network slicing, which will provide the telecoms with the ability to have bespoke virtual networks for particular IoT applications. From ultra-reliable connectivity for autonomous vehicles to low-power networks for smart city sensors, 5G network slicing provides the ideal operating environment for a wide range of use cases. This paradigm shift in how IoT solutions integrate with telecom infrastructure will transform the telecom landscape and catapult innovation & efficiency into a hyper-connected world.
How 5G will Help IoT: Bottlenecks of 4G
While 4G networks remained the primary carrier of mobile connectivity for a decade, these systems were never meant to be high density or service massive numbers of devices like you see in satellite-based IoT. With billions of devices coming onto the IoT ecosystem - 4G was not only making waves but was also creating an encore.
1. How To Speed Up The Communication Process
Whether for smart homes or self-driving cars, IoT applications require instantaneous communication. 5G allows devices to exchange data in real time at speeds up to 100 times greater than 4G. Take an autonomous vehicle driving on city streets: a few milliseconds of lag time could mean life or death. Such applications would be impossible without the elimination of these delays that you get with 5G.
2. Enter Low Latency: A Paradigm Shift
Although there are many important factors for IoT, one of them is Latency—the time it takes data to travel from the device to its destination. 4G networks have latency between 50 milliseconds, but 5G cut the milliseconds to a minimum of 1 millisecond. For IoT applications like remote surgery — where precision and timing must not be compromised — this dramatically changes the game.
3. Supporting Large Scale of Device Density
In truth, the IoT is not simply about connecting a handful of devices; it is about billions of them co-operating. 5G can handle an astounding 1 million devices per square kilometer, from connected sensors in smart cities to industrial IoT devices on factory floors, therefore our capacity will go beyond any 4G capabilities.
5G for IoT: Challenges of Transforming Telecom Networks
The full realization of IoT through 5G has immense potential, but telecom networks will need major upgrades before they can be deployed. However, this change does not come without difficulties, such as:
1. Infrastructure Overhaul
As a result, 5G will require more antennas and base stations per square mile than 4G. In order to continue providing the seamless connectivity IoT applications will need - something telecom providers will ultimately have to achieve with small cell technology (small, low-power antennas installed on streetlights, buildings and other urban infrastructure). This is a burden in terms of cost and logistics, especially in places with higher population density.
2. Network Slicing - One Network, Multiple Use cases
All IoT devices can not connect with one another in the same manner. However, a smart thermostat doesn't need the same level of bandwidth or latency as a connected car. Here 5G comes into the play with network slicing which enables telecom providers to slice their physical networks and create virtual networks that are designed specifically for IoT use cases. Although network slicing is a game changer, its implementation and operation can be technically challenging and represent an advanced form of software-defined networking (SDN).
3. Security Challenges
The growth of connected devices also leads to an increased attack surface. The amount of connected devices on 5G will be huge, which only gives cybercriminals more space to attack through IoT. Secure IoT data transmission and trust in the ecosystem start with robust security measures deployed by telecom networks, including device authentication, end-to-end encryption of data and ensuring a high level of network security.
Putting in Practice: 5G + IoT Real-Life Use Cases
Together, 5G and IoT are already generating excitement within industries by enabling applications that were previously impossible or impractical.
- Smart Cities - More Than An Idea
IoT networks powered by 5G are making the smart city not just a concept. Real-time air quality monitoring, traffic flow management and energy usage optimization through connected sensors. Smart traffic lights, for example, can optimize their timing according to real-time traffic information and minimize congestion and emissions. These systems depend on the fast and massive capacity of 5G for huge amounts of data to move seamlessly across systems.
- Healthcare: Beyond Remote Care
To cover healthcare with 5g-enabled IoT devices are being used to remotely monitor patients, provide telemedicine services, and even robotic surgery. Health devices are another type which gives doctors real-time data so that if any medical problem arises you can be detected as soon as possible. 5G’s ultra-low latency makes remote surgery also possible for surgeons to operate from thousands of miles apart with precision.
- IIoT: Smarter Factories
Realizing the promise of 5G for IoT applications, and enabling smarter factories Manufacturers are adopting 5G to enable Industrial IoT solutions that make factories intelligent and efficient. Sensors will let you monitor how well the machinery performs, know when it needs maintenance and avoid downtime that can be expensive. 5G networks guide autonomous robots that walk goods precisely through warehouses, reducing logistical overheads and improving efficiencies.
Conclusion
5G is more than the next iteration of mobile networks - it is a vital tech base for future connected economies powered by IoT applications. 5G is tackling the shortcomings of past networks over anything from higher speeds and lower latency to greater support for a vast swath of devices as well as transformational use cases.
But with this transformation, we also have challenges - infrastructure upgrades, security and new partnerships required. The road to 5G IoT, however, presents telcos both a challenge and an opportunity for renewal: to change the clarity of connectivity thresholds for an any-device-to-any-device world. The potential when 5G and IoT converge is only limited by the network that enables them!
