Not Just for Entertainment: The Future of 5G in Business Comms

5G technology was developed to manage the growing demand for data and enhance the efficiency of mobile networks. In the process, it delivers a range of improvements on previous mobile standards, making our digital interactions faster and more reliable. 5G technology is revolutionising the way we experience mobile connectivity, bringing a host of benefits to everyday life.

Around the world, people have been really excited about using 5G for recreational purposes – such as super-fast downloading of movies and incredible improvements in latency for gamers – but the technology will also have real implications for businesses. One important application of 5G is the improvement of an organisation’s communications and operations.

 

Effective Communication: Critical for Success in Any Company

Business communication – the sharing of information between people, both inside and outside an organisation – is important in promoting a strong business environment. Effective communication helps to improve efficiencies, build stronger relationships, and support problem-solving, innovation and growth.

Where there is effective communication in a company, so there are usually ‘engaged’ employees. According to Decisionwise, an American management consulting company that helps organisations to create engaging cultures that improve business success:

  • Companies with low engagement scores earn an operating income 32.7 percent lower than companies with more engaged employees.
  • Similarly, companies with a highly engaged workforce experience a 19.2 percent growth in operating income over a 12-month period.

These are strong numbers. The long-story-short is that a solid business communication process helps to create more satisfied employees and customers, and ultimately leads to financial stability and growth in the business.

 

From Good to Great: 5G and Business Communications

Theoretically, 5G offers data transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps for downloads and up to 10Gbps for uploads, with a maximum latency of up to 4ms. Tests conducted in South Africa revealed average download speeds of around 250Mbps, which compares well to a fast fibre experience.

5G’s standout features include its speed capabilities, lower latency and increased bandwidth. Let’s delve deeper into what this means for business communications and operations.

  • Faster Speed: Advanced 5G networks are able to offer a peak speed of up to 100 times faster than that of a 4G LTE network. Your employees will be able to enjoy super-fast speeds for sending emails, using video chat software with clients and team members, downloading files and attachments and updating software programs.

 

  • Ultra-Low Latency: Latency refers to the time it takes network data to travel from one point to another, and if you need real-time data within your network, then the lower the latency, the better. 5G networks have an ultra-low latency of just one millisecond. For comparison, with 4G technology, the average latency is about 30 to 50 milliseconds. This low latency ensures that web pages load almost instantaneously. It also means that new applications, such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and virtual reality (VR), will be able to progress into even more impressive capabilities and applications.

 

  • Greater Bandwidth: 5G networks have vastly increased network capacity to support a higher volume of connected devices, making it easier to manage multiple smart devices and IoT applications simultaneously. This increased network capacity is crucial for accommodating the growing number of connected gadgets in workplaces.

 

  • Network Efficiency: 5G also enhances network reliability and availability through its technological advancements, which make 5G networks far more efficient than previous generations. Dynamic spectrum sharing and network slicing make it possible for users to receive all the resources they need without compromising network capacity. With a more stable connection, users can enjoy uninterrupted service even in high-traffic areas or during peak usage times. This improved reliability offers substantial advantages for businesses. Companies can use 5G to automate processes, engage in advanced web conferencing, and maintain consistent, high-quality connectivity.

 

 

Bringing Business Communications and Operations into the Future

The many advantages of 5G technology have the ability to revolutionise business communications and operations through its superior speed, lower latency and increased bandwidth.

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In addition, 5G’s infrastructure features advancements that can support innovations such as the Internet of Things (IoT), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and artificial Intelligence, which all have the capacity to play into different aspects of communications and operations.

None of these innovations are new, but with 5G in the mix, we will have the capacity to make them really take off. And then who knows where it could all end up? Virtual reality, for example, is already showing significant potential in education and training, with the global market for VR in education projected to reach US$13,098 million by 2026, according to Forbes Magazine.

It could become like the scenes we’ve been exposed to previously in the movies, only in real life, all the time.