The announcement of the creation of 5G technology by the South Koreans in 2013 generated enormous expectation in the world about the benefits that this new broadband would bring. wider and much faster - could offer people and companies. After all, it's all about speedy data transmission, uploading and downloading, between 10 to 20 times higher than current 4G, This drastically reduces response latency. In addition, the 5G network promises a more stable signal connection and wider coverage by making better use of the radio spectrum, allowing more devices to be connected at the same time.
It's worth pointing out that it's not just about connection speed, more powerful smartphones or an uninterrupted internet signal. 5G technology promises something more: super-communication between companies and between ‘things’ (IoT)., This speeds up data processing and transmission, enabling real-time analysis, This would enable the deployment of autonomous vehicles, drones, security systems, health services and connected industrial parks around the world, working in synergy. In addition to huge range of new services that we haven't even dreamed could exist.
It is therefore possible to predict that a countless new businesses will be generated by this digital revolution. However, there are important challenges to overcome if this hyperconnected world is to become a reality.
5G technology operates with a different wave spectrum, called mmWave (Milimiter Wave), in the 24GHZ to 95GHZ range. The advantage of this is absurdly higher transmission speed than those with lower frequencies, as well as generating a simultaneous connection capacity of around 1 million devices per km2.
Stones in the path
Going against the grain, the disadvantage is that it is difficult to travel long distances with integrity, as well as crossing high-density physical barriers. In short, the 5G signal does not travel well and does not pass through buildings or even wooded parks.
To get around this, various technologies are being applied:
- Small cell networks: An extensive, dispersed transmission infrastructure, with 5G signal relays to bypass obstacles and guarantee signal dispersibility.
- Massive MIMOs (Multiple Input Multiple Output): adapting the structure of existing 4G towers by making massive use of MIMOs - bases with hundreds of ports that exponentially increase the connectivity capacity of antennas;
- Beamforming: Targeted signal distribution to a location or even a specific user;
- Full Duplex: New reciprocity technology that allows high-speed data transmission/reception exchanges, eliminating interference on the transmission line.
These are all 5G connectivity and signal availability features, but they require a high investment.
On the edge, the solution
The answer to effective 5G availability is to combine connectivity resources and edge computing. The challenges of implementing the new technology would be eased by efficient edge computing, which would take data processing to the end of the chain. Thus bringing generation closer to processing, eliminates the need for transmission over long distances and the need for connectivity infrastructure is therefore reduced. This is because the amount of data traveling over long distances is reduced: only what is essential makes its way to the data center or to the cloud.
Thus, when we think of 5G applied to IoT, for example, we envision a low-latency ecosystem, where companies and equipment talk to each other at a speed never experienced before. Real-time machines revealing a whole new world of possibilities.
In this sense, sectors such as transportation, health, public services, manufacturing and agribusiness will be immensely impacted - and enhanced - by the new technology. However, for this Fourth Industrial Revolution to take hold, stakeholders must work in cooperation, aware of and aligned with the enormous economic and social potential of 5G.
Economic and social value of 5G
While 5G in Brazil is taking its first steps towards becoming a reality - the terms of the auction of bandwidth spectrum, scheduled to take place by the end of 2020, were only announced in June - the edge computing is already an established technology with proven advantages:
- Greater resilience: Distributing data processing reduces the risk of network overloads and system inoperability. In addition, analysis can be monitored and any problems detected before they compromise the entire operation.
- Lower latency: As the data is analyzed at the edge, transmission speeds up and the necessary responses become more immediate.
- Greater availability: With physical and dedicated data centers, the dependence on communication with free servers in the cloud is reduced, ensuring that demands are met in full.
- Phased Implementation: Because it is modular and scalable, the edge computing allows you to optimize investments and expenses through gradual implementation.
This whole repertoire of advantages is proving to be instrumental in consolidating 5G. It's a partnership that will allow us to bring closer a revolution that is only foreseen for the future and that places the well-being of those at the edge of the ecosystem at its center: the human being.
