How Private 5G Networks Can Change the World

In an increasingly digital world where every pillar of information is now online, lightning-fast connectivity, rock-solid reliability, and impenetrable security are transforming into essentials within the network industry. 5G transforms the connected ecosystem and pushes the boundaries of connectivity to lay the foundation of a faster, more secure, and sustainable future. 

For years, if an organization wanted to deploy a private wireless network at an office building, factory, transport hub, or other facilities and areas, its options were limited to Wi-Fi or proprietary network technologies, such as Sigfox or LoRa. When utilized for small-scale connections, such as connecting laptops to the Internet and other limited Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) use cases, these legacy private networks may be sufficient. However, their limitations in coverage and security, as well as their incompatibility with public cellular networks and high ongoing maintenance costs, made it difficult for organizations to utilize and scale them for many Industrial IoT applications. 

With the recent deployment of 5G technologies, organizations now have the power to make an informed decision whether to join a commercial network or invest in infrastructure to manage their own private network. This has been made possible by the release of unlicensed spectrum for industry verticals, allowing organizations to own the wireless spectrum it uses for the network, along with the network base stations and other infrastructure, which provides it with full control over the network and grants isolation of its users from other Mobile Network Operators’ (MNOs) public networks. On that note, other types of private networks do exist, such as private shared and hybrid private networks, where parts of the network are either owned, shared, or operated by the MNO or other organizations. 

A Big Leap Towards a More Autonomous World

With 5G connectivity being 20-30x faster than its predecessor, 4G, and has significantly lower latency, this new development alters the playing field. Not only will video calls come with little to no delay, but futuristic technologies may be developed and deployed sooner. Take movie streaming services that have surfaced these past few years, its launch and then popularity arose after 4G technology has successfully been implemented. Imagine what future technologies may surface upon the implementation of 5G, which may lead us to take a big leap forward in constructing a more autonomous world. 

Remote and robotic surgeries will not be a thing of the future for too long, as private 5G networks can be deployed on the company’s premises, such as hospitals, office buildings, schools, and many others. Such networks are more than able to deliver high quality of service (QoS) and security requirements, which are detrimental to isolate the network against issues that may occur in the public mobile network. Therefore, private 5G networks can pave the way for futuristic technologies to be developed and implemented sooner than we may expect. 

Transforms the Job Landscape As We Know It 

This consistent acceleration towards a more autonomous world will transform the current job landscape, entailing enormous shifts from blue-collar to white or purple-collar job vacancies.

Within developing countries, around 70% of the labor force is blue-collar – this statistic is like night and day when compared to Western and developed countries, which see a steady decrease in the blue-collar labor force over the years. More needs to be done in order to equip the majority of the population for survival in an autonomous world in the future, which could mean providing more accessible education for all, and creating awareness on robotics, automation, and other futuristic technologies. 

Changes in Lifestyle 

The coronavirus pandemic has given us a taste of being confined or restricted in terms of mobility and movement, which has opened our eyes to the possibility of a more sedentary lifestyle especially with technology executing most tasks for us. Even at this point in time, food and other commodities can be delivered right to your doorstep, leading us to wonder how technology will play a role in making our lives even more convenient in the near future. Drone delivery systems could step up to the occasion and make a mark on delivering goods to geographical areas that may be unreachable by men. The future is somewhat uncertain with loads of possibilities, which we need to prepare for by constructing the right infrastructure. 

To Conclude 

Private 5G networks pave the way for a more autonomous world in the near future. When it comes to preparation, alongside infrastructure construction, more still needs to be done to equip the labor force to adapt to a job market that will shift from blue to purple or white collar.

After learning about how 5G private networks can change the world, you are probably interested to know how to implement them in your business. Since 2013, VIAVI Solutions has been an early driver in 5G adoption and we continue to deliver innovative and cost-effective 5G testing tools to customers. Our industry experts are able to help you find the right solution for your 5G validation, testing & verification, and visibility needs. Be sure to contact us today. 

Click here to read the article written by our Chief Technology Officer, Sameh Yamany.