Why 5G Is Going To Quickly Replace 4G

5G is an acronym for the fifth generation of mobile phone standards and represents a big milestone in the history of telecommunications. Its predecessor, 4G, had already constituted a small revolution. Deployed for the first time in the United States this year, 5G will soon replace 4G, after several years of good and loyal service. This technological leap could have significant repercussions on the working world.

The transition from 4G to 5G will fundamentally change how we work. Specifically, the  workplace will no longer be defined by a physical location.

The latest generation of cellular mobile communications, 5G, will help us get there. 5G’s defining characteristics, like high-data rates and low latencies, will unlock new applications for the workplace that were simply not possible in the past. Most of the discussion surrounding 5G focuses on what effect it will have on how the world does business, or how consumers interact with technology. That leaves out a major segment of people who 5G may actually have the greatest effect on: Workers.

5G will enable new ways of working and collaborating, potentially freeing employees up to innovate. It will also make current workplace applications better. The next generation of workers will build their lives and careers in a society and a workplace enabled by 5G.

5G promises big changes in in businessat all levels of organisations and professionals that work with technology, from the helpdesk to the OEM factory floor, are all going to feel the effects of 5G.

Self-driving cars, remote robotic surgery, autonomous weapons and much more is set to be delivered via the 5G wireless network, which promises to transform our lives and add trillions of dollars to the global economy every year.

• Take for example an automotive dealership: The mechanics there may start using AR goggles to help with repairs, now IT has to learn to support the actual goggles and the 5G cellular network they're connected to.
• Doctors can help with surgeries in faraway hospitals, operating remotely using immersive 3D holograms beamed right into their homes or offices.
• Or managing a grocery store where smart shelves automatically detect low product inventories and submit replacement orders, eliminating the need for an employee. Or strapping on an augmented reality headset and receiving real-time, guided instructions on how to repair a piece of machinery, day or night.

Countries such as China, the US, Japan, South Korea and the UK are busy building out infrastructure to get 5G-ready. While some new wireless towers are being erected, most of the additions are small-cell sites that attach to lampposts and utility poles. These small cells build network density, which is crucial for 5G capabilities.

The new network promises higher data-transfer rates, lower latency and greater capacity. In other words, 5G will be faster, more reliable and more powerful than its predecessors.

In other words: While basic Internet access allowed work to be done remotely, XR and 5G will allow work to be done truly virtually. With novel, innovative uses of 5G still years off, knowing how 5G will transform work for the average tech or IT pro is hard to discern. That doesn't mean you can't prepare,

There are a few  years to prepare for all the business, work and life changes it will bring.  Some analysts have gone so far as to say that the 5G network will be as revolutionary as the printing press, the automobile and electricity but not everyone agrees but they all think the changes will be significant.

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