For intelligent industry phenomena, 5G holds the edge

While the 5G and edge are still evolving, their ability to optimize service performance and experience will create real socio-economic value in the days to come

By Monika Gupta

Let’s imagine the future…

A critical surgery is being successfully conducted by doctors … only that it is being guided ‘virtually’ and ‘remotely’ in real-time from thousands of kilometers away. Or two ‘connected’ cars averting a fatal collision in only milliseconds due to their ability to ‘self communicate via sensors. Or people being able to download a two-hour movie, which took 26 hours on 3G and 6 minutes on 4G, in 3.6 seconds flat…

This doesn’t look too far away as we are already experiencing a paradigm shift in digital advancement. And the COVID pandemic has clearly revealed the importance and value of technology and the need for ubiquitous connectivity everywhere.

From health and wellbeing to transport and everything ‘smart,’ the connectivity afforded by 5G is all set to revolutionize the world. With the capability to connect one million devices within one kilometer, or a whopping 30 billion devices to the internet of things (IoT) by 2022, nothing seems to be beyond 5G’s reach.

5G and edge… complementing and creating business value together

In discussing 5G technology, let us remember that 5G is incomplete without edge computing. While 5G increases connectivity speed, edge reduces response times – or latency – by creating faster, efficient, and intelligent systems by bringing compute capabilities into the network closer to the data source. Mobile edge computing, with 5G connectivity, will transform how we add value to our data and the insights we derive in real-time, thereby unlocking new possibilities for digital business.

Complementing 5G and mobile edge compute with cloud technology gives customers (both enterprises and consumers) the flexibility of distributing workloads and computing resources based on the response times needed for the particular service or application, as well as creating distributed computing architecture.

In terms of relevance, 5G will contribute to industrial advances in three significant ways.

• Enable faster, effective inspections through predictive intelligence
• Enhance operational effectiveness
• Improve workplace and worker safety

For a long, mobile connectivity was seen and developed only from a consumer perspective. But once data became available and internet browsing became widespread – enabling the means for communicating over voice extensively – it opened new platforms for mobile broadband. The high progression in mobile communications resulted in a huge new wave in communications!

Mobile edge computing, with 5G connectivity, will transform how we add value to our data in real time, thereby unlocking new possibilities for digital business.

As 5G and edge are new technologies, enterprises have to understand the functional breadth and depth in its adoption and in managing the entire value chain.

But the industry didn’t adopt 5G in parallel, for the reason that industry requirements were different. Businesses want fast and secure, industry-proven, and reliable networks, as well as technology that is well suited to these needs. Going ahead, 5G and edge promise to fulfill these expectations. It will be at the core of this data-driven transformation, spurring the next wave of digital transformation in enterprise business.

The impetus to intelligent industry… in applications Land use cases

5G and edge networks will be a significant growth driver in intelligent automation – connected cars, ADAS and infotainment, smart factories, smart grids, smart cities, and more. As organizations seek to leverage capabilities in data, digital and industrial technologies, it will enable network equipment providers and enterprises to implement 5G and edge technologies at scale. This will also mean enabling companies’ products, assets, and processes to unlock innovation and efficiencies within their business.

Given its capability to drive digitization and automation in Industry 4.0, the combined prowess of 5G and edge will optimize service performance and experience. Based on that, one can understand their usage across immersive technology, cognitive intelligence, image recognition, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), massive IoT, autonomous mobility, etc. – with the possibility of being delivered at scale and cost-effectively through a multipurpose and highly flexible network.

With COVID pushing enterprises to adapt and evolve, enterprises across sectors have been pushed to accelerate their digital transformation. Their focus is to digitize key industrial parts of their businesses and use embedded software, data, and new-generation wireless connectivity in the business. 5G and edge could provide new approaches to technology, design, data, and communication to tackle the problems in business and society, especially as we look at unleashing human energy through technology for an inclusive and sustainable future.

Future challenges in 5G and edge … and prospects

As 5G and edge are new technologies, enterprises have to understand the functional breadth and depth in its adoption and in managing the entire value chain, right from their use cases to business applications to enterprise architecture to public or private 5G networks.

The universal penetration of technology and accessibility to data will pose challenges for security. Regulation, content moderation, and privacy protection will challenge the business models of BigTech. Computing will get faster, more intelligent, and require more optimized energy from green networks. This will require drawing up a roadmap on 5G and edge adoption in terms of use case assessment, business cases, as well as designing a rollout strategy across their operations.

The ROI market for 5G technology was valued at USD2 billion in 2020 and projected to reach USD320.1 billion by 2026, according to Allied Market Research. But generating tangible ROI for the industry will depend upon successful transition to 5G, full-spectrum support to public and private CSPs, and successful lifecycle management such as quality analytics and deployment tools. Businesses should know the right time to adopt 5G to enable them to compete better, improve operations, and create new products and services.

Given its capability to drive digitization and automation in Industry 4.0, the combined prowess of 5G and edge will optimize service performance and experience.

5G and the edge are still evolving. While countries across North America, Europe, and Asia have started their commercial deployment, India’s premier CSPs have indicated their preparedness to launch 5G services in 2021, which could usher in a new age of digital transformation in the country. As the device ecosystem develops further, we will see the industry moving from pilots and trials to higher adoption – with expected mass adoption from 2023 or 2025.

In this scenario, 5G and edge clearly appear to be the pathway for creating real socio-economic value in Industry 4.0.

Gupta is Vice President, Global 5G Engineering Lead, Capgemini.