There is little doubt in anyone’s mind that the emergence of 5G is likely to be a revolutionary event in our continued development as a technological and interconnected global society. 5G networks, indeed, offer incredible promise to connect people and things through intelligent networks and applications—and will generate an absolutely incredible amount of data. So, with that in mind, let’s examine how 5G is likely to impact fiber optic cabling and what type of infrastructure must be in place to support this new technology.
5G Will Be a Game Changer
As 5G moves to replace 4G, the majority of our existing telecommunication technology and supporting infrastructure is likely going to need to be updated and/or replaced. 5G, ultimately, expedites communication processes and for the technology to work optimally and efficiently, fiber optic cabling is needed—and we mean we’re going to need A LOT of it.
Why? Because to realize all that 5G has the potential to offer, a dense, fiber-rich network infrastructure will be needed to deliver the key performance indicators, which are higher data rates, longer battery life, ultra-high reliability, lower latency, and more connected devices.
Why 5G Matters
This technology is truly going to enable the vision of a connected society—and its impact will be felt across every industry. And 5G does come equipped with the ability of realizing new economic opportunity.
5G will:
Create smart buildings, communities, and cities that have the potential of providing more efficient services to citizens, increase economic cross-sector collaboration, and encourage innovation that we have never seen before.
Enable virtual medicine in healthcare to enhance preventative care effectiveness and the delivery of better services—including robotic surgery.
Transform transportation through the extreme introduction of autonomous vehicles, which will in turn, improve traffic flow, increase safety, and make parking that much easier.
Generate wide and all-encompassing sea change in the quality and quantity of connectivity in our businesses and homes, support precision operations, and improve remote management of machines and assets.
Optical Fiber is the Preferred Medium for Wireless Networks
At the end of the day, for the promise of 5G to be delivered, the technology is going to need fiber optic cabling so existing networks are not overloaded via increasingly powerful smartphones as well as an influx of mobile users accessing more data and content at all times and in all places.
Therefore, if you are considering pursuing a new structured cabling project at your company, it would be in your best interest to future proof your network to enable the easy adoption of 5G when the time is right.
Presently, when most companies install a structured cabling network, they include additional fiber optic cables intended to be used in the future—as these are necessary when upgrading to 5G. If this is not implemented, and the network lacks fiber optics necessary for 5G expansion…then you will need new cables to be installed at a later date.
Our advice, get it done now.
Prepare for 5G—Ensure You Have Adequate Fiber Optic Cabling
The team at Connectivity is passionate about future proofing, and trust us when we say you will want to be prepared for 5G. Reach out to our team today to discuss upgrading your existing network or to schedule consultation to ensure your facility has a comprehensive plan to confirm you are prepared for whatever comes in the future.
Contact us now. We are eager to work with you.