Preparing for 5G

Wireless connectivity is now essential to business operations. For many employees, mobile devices have become the primary means of accessing the enterprise data center and cloud-based resources. 5G networks promise to accommodate this increasing demand by offering greater capacity expanded coverage and significantly faster speeds than are possible with existing wireless infrastructure.

With 5G, you’ll be able to send and receive information with virtually no latency. There will be just one millisecond of delay between the time you push “send” to the time the message is received. That doesn't include the time it takes to get to the server, but it will be extremely fast.

The average human reaction time is about 150 to 300 times slower so it will seem instantaneous. But the real benefit will come with the Internet of Things (IoT). All those smart devices connected to the Internet — thermostats, refrigerators, self driving cars and more—will be able to send and receive data in real-time. This may sound like science fiction, but it’s already here. The first 5G mobile hotspot was launched at the end of 2018, and carriers are rolling out 5G infrastructure at a rapid pace.

Understanding 5G Frequency Ranges

5G utilizes three different frequency ranges. The low-band frequency, around 600MHz, is essentially what is used today for 4G. It allows for long distances, so a single cell tower can cover many square miles. 5G will be sharing the already crowded low-band frequency range with 4G but it will offer somewhat faster service.

The mid-band spectrum, between 1GHz and 6Ghz, covers smaller distances but offers much faster speeds. In the U.S., the mid-band spectrum will be available in large metro areas where cell towers can be deployed closer together. However, The highest possible mid-band speeds are five or six times faster than 4G.

The high-band frequency, also called millimeter wave or mmWave, provides extremely fast speeds, but the cell antennas have to be placed less than a mile apart. As a result, mmWave 5G will only be available in dense urban areas and large public venues. Also, the high-frequency waves can’t pass through walls or glass very well and the weather becomes an issue. But mmWave offers real-world speeds in the 1Gbps to 3Gbps range, which is up to 80 times faster than 4G.

How Businesses Should Prepare for 5G

Faster speeds allow more data to be sent and received, and it needs to be stored somewhere. Companies will need to scale their storage systems to keep up. More data also means that more security will be needed. More devices will be talking with one another and you need to be able to monitor and control this exchange. Hackers are going to try to get their hands on all that information.

The good news is that the increased speed will allow companies to better monitor equipment and receive more frequent updates. Organizations will be able to use all this data to better understand their business and respond to issues faster. New applications will be developed that utilize 5G to enable competitive advantages.

Enconnex can help organizations update their data centers to take full advantage of this technology. We can assist with data center infrastructure to support new servers and storage, and containment and cooling systems to handle the added heat load. It won't happen overnight. 5G networks are still being built out and very few 5G devices are available. But now’s the time to start preparing for 5G, and Enconnex is here to help.