How Can 5G Transform the IT and Software Development Industry?
Select Page

None of the frontier technologies that are being introduced today or that will be introduced in the future is creating greater hype than 5G technology. The next generation of mobile internet connections is on the horizon, leaving tech fans eagerly anticipating what’s to come. Studies are forecasting a rapid increase in the market share of 5G-enabled smartphones, surpassing 4G sales and reaching 51.4 percent by 2023.

Business leaders, IT personnel, tech-savvy individuals, It and software development companies, are looking forward to 5G. The rationale is straightforward. The technology is expected to usher in a new era in telecommunications, providing faster speeds and more stable connections across its service area.

5G is a game-changer for not only internet connectivity but also in the software application development industry. First, we’ll discuss five ways in which 5G is better than 4G LTE

How is 5G a Significant Improvement over 4G?

1. 5G has better data transmission speed and significantly lower latency

Possibly, the most obvious reason for going a step up in wireless mobile generation is the need for speed. 5G can be substantially faster than 4G, with peak data speeds of up to 20 gigabits per second (Gbps) and average data rates of a little more than 100 megabits per second (Mbps).

5G can also offer a ten times decrease in end-to-end latency. 4G latency is roughly 20-30 milliseconds, whereas 5G latency will be considerably below ten milliseconds (<10ms), and in the best-case scenarios, about one millisecond (1ms) delay. It can boost up the reaction time of applications drastically. 

2. 5G is a unified platform

The 5G design aims to be a powerful and unified platform that will allow new services such as mission-critical communications and the massive IoT.

5G can natively support:

  • Licensed shared & unlicensed spectrums.
  • Low, mid, & high bands.
  • From typical macro-cells to hotspots, a wide variety of deployment models.
  • New ways of interconnectivity, like device-to-device & multi-hop mesh network architecture.

3. 5G works better in high-network traffic

5G uses much higher radio frequencies (from the low band below 1GHz to mid bands 1GHz-6GHz, or even high bands of mmWave) to transfer exponentially more data over the air for faster speed, lower latency, and reduced congestion.

The new 5G radio interface, which employs a millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum, can accommodate more devices in a given geographic region. 4G can handle roughly 4,000 devices per square kilometer, while 5G will support over one million. Even under high network traffic, that means nearly no interruptions while streaming Netflix and Hulu or when on a conference call.

4. Location Accuracy

Positioning accuracy with 4G is between 10-500 meters, while with 5G, it will be less than 1 meter. Many applications rely on movement and location for their functions (like Google Maps or fitness apps that count your steps).

By capturing more data on the fly and boosting the accuracy of those characteristics, the 5G mobile network will considerably improve the performances of self-drive automobiles, drones, wearables (including healthcare monitoring devices), etc.

5. Improved Security

It’s natural that an increased amount of data transfer over the air, and a humongous amount of IoT and other connected devices, can make people anxious about the safety of this development. However, 5G by design is already inscribing many network security problems that its predecessors had.

With the new 5G technology, operators can do network slicing, and fence a specific network area for a user or app. It will provide the necessary speed and would block others from accessing your data within your network. 

In-house and offshore software development companies will have to work to create more secure authentication methods, like biometrics and facial recognition. Thus, mobile app developers can add further layers of security in applications.

How Will 5G Impact Software and Mobile Application Development?

5G will drastically transform the capabilities of in-house and offshore software development companies. 

When our teams work on app development, the overall performance of the app is our primary focus. We evaluate the features and network requirements of the application. We have to ensure that they effectively function while also meeting the needs and expectations of users. Here are some of the use cases in applications that will get a new life with 5G:

AR/VR Industrial Processes and Gaming Applications

AR and VR apps will be significantly more immersive and interactive thanks to 5G’s reduced latency. 

In industrial applications, for example, a worker wearing AR goggles could see an overlay of a machine or system. The worker, thanks to immersive visualization of AR and negligible latency of 5G, could monitor every piece of the equipment. She/he could provide repair instructions or training to her/his peers on the premise.

In gaming, 5G can reduce latency drastically for much faster reaction time and control over your game avatars. 

Another application of extended reality technologies, like AR & VR, is in virtual business meetings. Because consistent and dependable immersion is critical in AR and VR, a sluggish or unreliable connection may be fatal. A choppy VR experience might potentially make the user physically nauseous in the worst-case scenario. 5G will help to make the experience better.

Drones in Logistics, Retail, Border security, and More

Drones are being deployed for the delivery of goods by logistics and retail organizations. The trend will continue, and with 5G, we can boost the efficiency of drones, particularly in terms of range and connectivity.

The drones today are mostly restricted to line of sight functions or controller distances. However, with 5G, the operators will be able to put on mixed reality goggles and have visibility beyond present boundaries. 5G, ofcourse, will give the added advantage of minimal latency and in high-resolution video to the operator.

5G would also prolong the reach of controllers beyond a few miles. These advancements will have ramifications for border security, surveillance, search and rescue operations, drone delivery services, and other applications.

Wearable, IoT Devices, and Connected Automobiles

What would be the catalyst for the rise of linked IoT devices? The high-speed 5G network. The massive IoT element of 5G will be a mammoth market for wearables, trackers, and sensors.

Imagine that all your gadgets, appliances, and machines you are interacting with daily get directly connected over a cellular connection, in addition to phones, tablets, and laptops that are already connected today. 

The most anticipated use case of 5G is probably the connected automobiles. By 2023, connected automobiles are expected to account for the majority of the worldwide 5G Internet of Things (IoT) endpoint market, with 19 million endpoints. The global installed base of 5G IoT endpoints is expected to increase from 3.5 million in 2020 to roughly 49 million in 2023.

Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications become more reliable with 5G

In any given location, 5G will allow significantly more devices to work smoothly; without possible delays, lost signals, and so on.

Digital Health: 5G Resolving Challenges

4G LTE technology is one of the driving forces in pushing up telehealth applications. But few challenges remain.

It is fatal for the sick and elderly to travel long distances, especially if they have to travel from a rural area to a healthcare center. We could, however, get treatment from the comfort of our own homes, thanks to the development of telehealth and remote home monitoring devices. 

Remote diagnosis and advanced imaging data can cause network congestion and slowdowns, especially for healthcare practitioners who may interact with dozens of patients every day.

Not only is the lag inconvenient for those who use it, but the poor quality may induce delays in treatment, thereby compromising long-term results. The volume of data on networks is likely to rise significantly as the use of health monitoring devices and Internet of Things (IoT) technology continues to rise. 

5G technologies can resolve these challenges. Low latency and high-speed internet can make real-time remote health monitoring seamless. With 5G network capabilities, healthcare applications can also incorporate cutting-edge AI/Ml development to provide more personalized and preventive healthcare. 

Conclusion

Mobile app development is poised to undergo a massive transformation thanks to 5G, which will relieve developers of many of their concerns regarding app performance. With 5G technology:

  1. Videos on mobile devices will load almost instantly.
  2. Video conferencing will become flawless and crisp.
  3. Apps for augmented reality will load quickly and without glitches. 
  4. Wearable devices could provide real-time health monitoring.
  5. Vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication in smart cities will become safer, faster, and more reliable.

The 5G is still in the nascent stage, and it is too early to confirm many of the promised wonders. Nonetheless, the 5G network, even in its least capacity, will be a massive step-up from current mobile internet technology.