5G, the next generation of cellular network technology, should become widely available this year. The upgrades 5G provides over 4G are likely to make real-time data more practical than ever — however, the technology may also create new challenges for businesses.
Data is more critical than ever for businesses. Fortunately, new technology — like the development of IoT devices and sensors capable of real-time information collection, coupled with advanced analytics technology — has made reliance on real-time data practical.
Experts expect 5G to increase connection speeds and allow more devices to collect, send and receive data constantly. This change is likely to have significant impacts on real-time data, which has been limited in the past by the speeds and connection capacity offered by 4G.
How 5G Will Influence the Real-Time Data Market
5G speed is the next generation of cellular network technology, which started to roll out across America last year. A number of road bumps, however, including a lack of 5G- and 4G-compatible modems and necessary technology and infrastructure, prevented widespread coverage. This year, things may be different. Major providers plan to deploy 5G across most of the country, along with new technologies that will shore up some weak spots.
This technology will provide significant upgrades over 4G — higher speeds, lower latencies, support for high levels of connection density, less interference and improved network efficiency. 5G will be the fastest data network available to date, capable of providing speeds that are roughly 100 times faster than 4G.
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This new network technology also comes with the upcoming proliferation of devices driven by real-time data — like autonomous vehicles — in mind. Experts designed the network around new technology that will make connections stronger for these devices. For example, 5G centers around multi-access edge computing (MEC), which enables cloud computing at the edge of 5G networks. This shift brings real-time, low-latency network access to the network’s edge, where most end-user devices exist.
Other new technologies expected to deploy along with 5G — like massive MIMO and edge networking — will also make it more practical to connect massive amounts of devices in close proximity, without risking the strength or consistency of their connection.
This shift should mean better connections for all devices on the network, including real-time data speed, low latency and increased bandwidth.
The upgrade will make real-time data applications more practical, especially those that rely on dense fleets of sensors that may have been stymied in the past by the limited capacity of 4G, which struggled to provide connections for many devices nearby.
It will also encourage further growth and more reliance on real-time data as companies look to real-time data applications where they may not have been possible before.
5G, and the expected growth of real-time data collection, will likely encourage development and upgrades to new and existing technologies that support real-time data schemes. Companies that supply real-time analytics, real-time operating systems, big data technology and networking infrastructure are likely to benefit from the increased growth of the real-time data market. They will also likely need to plan upgrades to their products that can support the high volume of data that 5G networks can handle.
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How Businesses Can Take Advantage of 5G
5G will make it possible to scale current real-time data collection strategies even further, adding more devices without the need for wired connections or fear of interference. This change will be good news for businesses that want to scale up their real-time data strategies.
Businesses may need to upgrade their network infrastructure and technology if they want to take advantage of the vast amounts of data that 5G networks can handle.
Investing in AI analytics tools, improved networking technology or one of the popular real-time operating systems will allow businesses to build a data-collection infrastructure that can handle the high levels of simultaneous inputs and the constant stream of data that 5G makes possible.
One significant issue that 5G may pose, however, is the security of information on the network. Because more of the network’s core functions — the critical infrastructure which controls function and security — shifts to the edges, it may be easier for hackers to gain access.
This change could make connected devices less secure. Businesses may need to pay special attention to the security of their real-time 5G devices. Otherwise, they could risk the safety of their information or their networks.
How 5G Will Impact Real-Time Data
The next generation of cellular network technology is likely to have significant impacts on real-time data. The improved speeds, connection capacity and latencies that the technology offers will make large-scale applications of real-time data more practical. All of this will be good news for the real-time data market.
Businesses that work with real-time data will also benefit. However, they will need to prepare for some of the challenges that 5G may pose — including data collected at amounts that strain current networks, and the potential security issues of 5G’s distributed systems.
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