By: Tony Ridzyowski on December 5th, 2018

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How to Prepare for 5G

Enterprise

Man holding mobile device connected to 5G network5G will be a reality sooner than most people believe, and enterprises need to be prepared to take advantage.

5G has been “just around the corner” for years — but the future is finally (nearly) here. By the end of the year, both Verizon and AT&T are planning to roll out limited 5G in a handful of test cities, including Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta, and Indianapolis. Real-world applications running on fully functioning 5G networks should begin to appear within the next few years.

In response, many large enterprises have already started to plan for 5G capabilities. However, many enterprises don’t yet understand how they can benefit from 5G — according to one survey, 62% of C-Suite executives cite lack of knowledge about benefits of 5G as the primary barrier to adopting the technology. But understanding how your enterprise can benefit from 5G is the most important step in preparing for its inevitable rollout.

 

The 5G Bandwidth Boom

5G stands to offer significant improvements as it relates to bandwidth, moving up to 10 gigabits per second per device, along with a significant reduction in latency. In some cases, network delay will be reduced down to a mere millisecond. And, perhaps most importantly, 5G will offer a capability known as “network slicing,” which has the potential to completely redefine cellular network infrastructure.

Network slicing will allow enterprises to create customized networks for specific uses, designing targeted, application-oriented networks on the fly. Large enterprises will be able to take advantage of this feature to build out their own network slices: for example, a company may be able to expand its use of IoT by creating a 5G network over which its IoT devices will communicate exclusively with each other.

Additionally, 5G’s extremely low latency will support applications that require real-time access to critical data. This will allow enterprises to glean actionable data insights from machine learning and AI technology with greater efficiency, a development that will have a significant impact for a number of industries as more and more companies begin to make use of AI.

 

Actionable Steps to Prepare for 5G

Simply waiting for carriers to roll out their 5G networks won’t be enough. Enterprises must take proactive measures to ensure that when 5G networks finally come online, they’re prepared to take advantage of all they have to offer:

  1. Examine your organization’s mission and goals and start considering what you would do if you weren’t tethered by wires, slow bandwidth, or latency. Your 5G plan should include near-term, mid-term, and long-term development goals, making room for new use cases and devices and equipment that haven’t yet been developed.
  2. Understand where your network is now with a network audit. Determine what you need to do to optimize for your 5G plan before it’s made available.
  3. Engage in discussions with providers about how they can deliver the services you anticipate needing when the time comes.

These days, it’s hard enough for enterprises to manage day-to-day service tickets, let alone prepare networks to take advantage of entirely new technologies. But make no mistake: 5G is worth it. And while preparing for it will mean some upfront investment in time and resources, the long-term payoff will have a major impact. For enterprises who recognize the importance of preparing for the advent of 5G, but don’t want to reallocate internal resources that may already be spread thin, it makes abundant sense to partner with an experienced network management expert like Turn-key Technologies (TTI).

With nearly three decades of experience designing and deploying enterprise-class networks, TTI has the know-how necessary to help organizations prepare for what’s to come. Whether your organization is seeking to leverage 5G’s superior bandwidth for IoT applications, or you’re just looking to make sure your operation has adequate coverage, TTI can provide the solutions to ensure a seamless transition into the next era of wireless connectivity.

Reach out today to learn more.