The world is on the edge of a technological revolution, and 5G is leading the transformation. As these new networks become increasingly available, they’ll enable various other technologies to reach their full potential. Consumer electronics, in particular, could see tremendous changes with wider 5G access.
Many early experiences with 5G have been unremarkable, and this is because these networks are still largely inaccessible. Millimeter-wave 5G networks, the most promising iteration, are few and far between and require extensive infrastructure before they can deliver their best results. As of 2020, there were just 10 million 5G connections. But adoption is growing.
As 5G access expands, it’ll revolutionize consumer electronics. Here are five ways how.
1. Making Smart Homes Smarter
Perhaps the most-publicized benefit of 5G is its speed, enabling download speeds of up to 1 gigabit a second. Considering how the average download speed now is just above 50 Mbps, that’s a considerable improvement. With such an impressive speed increase, smart home devices will process far more data, far faster.
These remarkable speeds will let consumer IoT appliances benefit from lightning-fast cloud computing, enabling new, more advanced features. Security systems could use machine learning to learn users’ behaviors and detect when something is off. Smart thermostats could adjust in real-time to people’s body temperature. Smart homes would become altogether smarter.
2. Hosting More IoT Devices at Once
5G can also host more devices in one area, letting people use more IoT devices without sacrificing speed. These extensive IoT networks are what enable hospitals to locate items and people quickly. Soon, consumers can enjoy the same level of connectivity. With more devices on the same network, users could create house-wide interconnected IoT systems.
A smart speaker could wake them up in the morning, then prompt an IoT coffee maker to begin brewing. When they start their connected car, their smart garage door could open before automatically locking behind them and turning on the alarm system. This level of connectivity is only possible with significant bandwidth, like 5G provides.
3. Eliminating Disruptions
Most internet speeds today have yet to catch up with internet-reliant services. Slow speeds and inconsistent service hold streaming, video calling, and online gaming back. But 5G could remove these disruptions. As 5G networks become standard, lag and dropped connections could become a thing of the past.
With this kind of consistency, these services could reach their full potential. People could video chat across countries in high definition, making it feel like they are in the same room. Users could stream not just videos but interactive media like games and virtual reality without lag.
4. Enabling Hyper-Personalization
When 5G networks spread, IoT adoption will follow. People will have more devices than ever in their homes, which provides companies with more consumer data. With this information about how people go about their lives, businesses can offer hyper-personalized products and services.
Research shows that 91% of people today prefer to shop with brands that can offer more personalization. Since 5G can provide brands with more meaningful, individualized data, it can let them do just that. People could get services tailored to their exact needs and wants in-the-moment.
5. Bringing Smart Tech to New Places
While IoT devices are common today, they’re mostly confined to the home. 5G will start to change that since it provides high speeds and reliability without needing a Wi-Fi network. These faster, more reliable cellular networks will make it possible to take smart tech outside the home.
5G will enable entire smart cities where everything from street lights to billboards to cars is interconnected. People could experience all of the convenience of a smart home anywhere they go. Advances in edge computing could even push these technologies to enable things like self-driving cars.
5G Can Forever Change Consumer Tech
Consumer electronics have seen some remarkable advances in the past few years. As 5G networks become more widely accessible, they’ll enable a whole new wave of improvements. Smart home tech and the way we use it could change forever.
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