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5G brings better connectivity but also business opportunity

Much is said about how 5G will change how we connect to the internet, how we use the internet and even how 5G will change the world.

But aside from faster internet speeds and lower latency, what sort of value will 5G also brings with it value for businesses. While we can look at some potential solutions, there are many more that we can’t even dream up yet.

One of the promises of 5G is to bring connectivity to more people or at least that’s the view of chief technology officer at In2IT Technologies, Vishal Barapatre.

“While our major cities are well-connected currently, much of the country lacks connectivity, particularly the rural areas. These areas are also where the farms and mines are located, and these businesses would benefit immensely from connected technology,” says Barapatre.

The internet is a wonderful tool and it’s often said that connectivity brings opportunity and we can’t deny that. Over the years we’ve seen firsthand how internet connectivity gives folks the ability to reach a massive market.

Locally, in areas where internet connectivity is either poor or non-existent then, 5G could help to bring the unconnected, online.

While speed and latency improvements are great, 5G also allows for more capacity on a network. This is especially important when you consider the Internet of Things and its application in instances such as farms and mines.

Bringing connectivity to a rural area only for it to be bogged down by myriad sensors and analytical systems is counter intuitive but 5G brings capacity along for the ride.

This is particularly important when you consider how many mission critical applications are eyeing the benefits of 5G.

“Widespread deployment of 5G can help to improve health, safety and security in previously disconnected and underserved areas and bring the benefits of technology to all,” adds Barapatre.

Along with applications in a rural setting, 5G and IoT can be used in urban areas as well in solutions such as smart cars, smart cities and more.

What businesses should be doing now is looking at whether 5G (and other related technologies) offers the business something that may improve processes, workflow, connectivity or even create new products.

But as always we have to throw a spanner in the works and state that 5G is still far off from being widely available in South Africa.

While the likes of Vodacom, MTN and rain have launched 5G networks, coverage of these deployments is minimal at best and plans for expansion are vague.

Spectrum is still the great leveller for all 5G conversations though moves are being made in that area.

With that having been said, 5G is on a train headed straight for South Africa and if you aren’t ready to explore the possibilities, you might just miss your shot.

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]

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