As at the end of 2021, 79 countries have started conducting 5G trials or have commercialized it. This is not surprising considering that by the end of 2032, 5G macro infrastructure markets is expected to expand seven times larger. Moreover, a modern business may no longer be as you know it. You may need to adapt and adopt it to stay ahead of your competition. In essence, you need to know how 5G roll out in 2022 can affect your business.
Description of 5G
Earlier generations of wireless technology include mobile phones (1G), texting (2G), smartphones (3G), and streaming (4G). The next generation is 5G. Rather than replacing earlier generations, it will end up consolidating and amplifying their benefits. Furthermore, it will create thriving opportunities for associated technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and the cloud.
Although wireless carriers such as Verizon and AT&T currently offer access to 5G networks, the networks are not the top band frequencies called millimeter wave (mmWave). Consequently, the true benefits of 5G are not yet felt. Possibly, later in the year, as more 5G compliant devices and applications are rolled out, the higher frequencies will take full effect.
Features of 5G Network
With the fifth generation of mobile networks, you unlock the door to more advanced technologies.
Increased connection speed and reliability
5G has even faster download speeds. Interestingly, 5G speed is estimated to be close to 20 times faster than 4G. That is to say, your small business will be able to do more in less time and with fewer resources.
More so, the connection will be a more stable connection and have less lag or latency.
Benefits of 5G Network For Your Business
Greater business efficiency
First, the lower lag time for your computer or mobile work translates to an improved experience with your devices. Moreover, 5G is capable of supporting simultaneous bandwidth demands. This means that the activities of an application will not slow down the performance of another that needs to consume bandwidth.
Thus, your software-as-a-service (SaaS) products will become more effective. More so, virtually everything will operate faster. Besides, 5G provides a better mobile experience with greater efficiency.
Better workflow
The improved features of 5G will help your business perform complex tasks quickly and with fewer interruptions. After all, with an increased user-end network speed of over 1Gbps, you can improve your daily working habits. For example, file sharing and communication capabilities become easier and faster.
Better remote work
More so, with remote work being a necessity in a covid 19 pandemic-hit world, businesses may not be able to do without instant and reliable connections. This means that 5G network can help you make effortless conference calls with consistent speeds across distances.
More opportunities for investment
Indeed, you can take it a step further and take advantage of the multiple opportunities of 5G. First, you can identify key drivers for growth. Second, you then invest in delivering the best product or service with the aid of 5G networks.
Increased connectivity of devices
Ultimately, 5G will allow you to connect more devices. It will end up enhancing IoT devices. In turn, it will become possible to replace manual processes with technology. Surely, this will improve business processes such as inventory management, supply chain management, and quality control.
Smaller businesses can level up
Think about it. With better mobility, connectivity, and wireless performance, small businesses can improve productivity. Likewise, the associated benefits of 5G can help them reduce costs. In turn, this gives small businesses a better field to compete with larger companies.
Better prospects and customer engagements
Think about it. With 5G, you can not only improve store and shipping operations, but you can also create new customer experiences. For example, you can create photo-realistic virtual try-ons.
Similarly, not only can 5G network help you deliver virtual exhibitions efficiently, it can also improve customer experience. For instance, you can more easily implement technologies that help your customers in their shopping and check-out processes. Meanwhile, you can collect more data during the process.
Improved marketing & advertising
Furthermore, the greater bandwidth that 5G offers can help businesses in marketing. For example, online content creation and consumption will be more seamless.
Likewise, 5G will provide new opportunities for advertisers. You may find more of interactive placements, and AR/VR experiences than the usual static display ads.
Risks of 5G
True, with 5G, the network will become faster and broader. As a result, businesses can use the increased connectivity to improve their businesses. However, cybercriminals could have a greater medium to operate.
Possible increased vulnerability
Likely, your network may end up generating increased entry points for attack. This is because, with 5G, the network ends up hosting millions of devices. More so, with the associated growth of IoT, the network-to-device and device-to-device connections increase the potential damage of any breach.
Implementing Security Measures
Again, knowing how 5G roll out in 2022 can affect your business may not be enough. You should take proper steps to prepare cybersecurity strategies to protect your network from cybercriminals. This includes building your own layer of security. For example, you can begin by erecting firewalls, setting up VPN, intrusion detection systems (IDS), intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and malware scanning and removal.
Zero trust and authentication tools are recommended for businesses looking to secure their network. Authentication software requires users to enter multiple pieces of information – often including a one-time code that can’t be reused – as an additional barrier to entry.
In addition, you can implement zero-trust models in your network. These models reviews and approves all log-in attempts before granting users access to the right information.
Thus, it goes without saying that if you want to implement 5G in your network, you can incorporate an automated cybersecurity system. As a result, threats can be detected and mitigated automatically.
Although security experts need to implement security measures to protect private networks, they should not compromise or disrupt the speed and efficiency of 5G networks.
Conclusion
Currently, in the technological eco-space, a business must either evolve in tune with emerging technologies or begin to die. Therefore, you should not only know how 5G roll out in 2022 can affect your business. You should proactively seek ways to maximize the opportunities therein. After all, you cannot really afford to be left out.
