4 Things all Government Agencies Should Know About 5G
Wireless communications are on the cusp of the 5G revolution, which is widely touted as a boon for government, businesses, and consumers alike. As with any major shift, the move to 5G communications will create both opportunities and challenges for the government and its use of both fixed and mobile wireless networks.
In Government Agencies & 5G, we address some of the most important points that agencies should understand about 5G and its impact on their organizations. Here are four things you can learn more about in the whitepaper:
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What makes 5G so different from its predecessors. The fifth generation of cellular communications, 5G is expected to change the game for many wireless services. It will be much faster—most projections put it at about 10 times faster—than current 4G service. This new generation of wireless leverages a wider range of frequencies and more carriers moving data with less latency, delivering stronger signals and better coverage both in remote areas and dense, cluttered settings. Finally, 5G will enable better and faster service across more devices and applications.
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How 5G supports our increasingly interconnected world. It will greatly expand and enhance the Internet of Things (IoT), adding processing power and greater autonomy to devices at the edge of the network. Among other things, 5G also supports self-driving cars, wearable devices, and medical services (i.e., remote surgery tools). It will allow for better quality of surveillance video from drones and other sources, as well as faster downloads of everything. For example, sending someone a video could be as quick as sending a text message while a full movie may be downloaded in seconds versus minutes.
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When 5G will be ready for prime time. The 3rd Generation Partnership Project, a global group that sets wireless standards, approved the first 5G standard in December 2017 and has been developing subsequent standards since. Wireless carriers are moving ahead with plans for 5G networks and devices, which are beginning to appear. Verizon has rolled out 5G service in 70 cities and AT&T already has 5G in more than 38 cities. At present, T-Mobile has the most coverage, with over 141 cities having its 5G services. There are also a large number of 5G smartphones, laptops and tablets entering the marketplace.
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How 5G will benefit government agencies. 5G promises to connect millions of devices and improved latencies (the time it takes for data to go from original source to destination) of as low as one millisecond—60 to 120 times faster than average 4G performance. Those new features can enhance smart city applications such as public transit, crowd control, traffic management, parking meter location, street light energy savings, storm water overflow detection and any number of other services that employ IoT. It will also help critical applications that require quick response, such as driverless car operations—which could improve traffic flows—quicker analysis of video surveillance footage by law enforcement to track criminal suspects; clearer drone feeds of wildfires for faster firefighting response; or quicker delivery of EMS services.
Ready, Set, Go
As the commercial sector prepares for the launch of 5G networks and devices, government agencies can lead the way by rolling out the technology and then providing new or improved services to its citizens. And while IT modernization is a never-ending challenge for agencies that are dealing with overwhelming workloads, limited budgets, and legacy systems, they don’t have to go it alone.
Having helped organizations choose the right mobile solutions for 25 years, we can help guide public sector organizations in making smart decisions to evolve their mobile strategies and transform how citizens interact with government.
To learn more, read the full Government Agencies & 5G whitepaper.
