gearing up for 5g
By Jennifer Baird
A common thread running through this year’s COVID-19 pandemic has been our increased use of and reliance on new technology, for working, learning and socialising.
Digital technologies such as video calling have been a saving grace for those trying to work from home, study or keep in touch with loved ones during lockdown. Conferences and festivals have moved online, and tourist attractions have made their content available for people to explore at home.
We have all had to adapt quickly to this new way of living and working, but being forced to suddenly embrace smart technologies may be no bad thing. It’s preparing us for something even more powerful on the horizon, 5G, a massive breakthrough that will revolutionise the experience of all of us.
What is 5G?
5G is the newest and most advanced global wireless technology standard. It uses ultra-high-frequency radio waves to increase the speed of connection and will allow communications up to 250 times faster than its predecessor 4G and be far more reliable.
Muhammad Imran, Professor of Communications Systems at Glasgow, is clear about the benefits that 5G will bring. “Connectivity is vital at the present time,” he says, “and 5G will take that one step further in future. It has immense potential, for example, to extend the connectivity from human-to-human to human-to-machines and machine-to-machine. It will also transform many aspects of our lives such as education, healthcare, shopping, governance and security.”
What can we expect?
With an exponential increase in upload and download speeds, 5G will vastly improve our online experience and phone communications. Latency, the small but perceptible delay when we click, speak or listen, will be virtually eradicated, allowing instantaneous online conversation, web browsing and gaming. Remote surgery will be made possible and driverless cars with vehicle-to-vehicle safety communications will become commonplace, allowing accidents to be predicted and avoided. Immersive virtual reality experiences will allow a user to feel physically present in a digitally created environment. It’s the first time, in short, that “the network will be faster than your mind,” according to mobile communications strategist Ulf Ewaldsson.
5G also has major implications for the improvement of healthcare diagnostics and monitoring. For example, doctors will be able to check remotely whether their patients are taking medication correctly. It will be the driving force behind the “Internet of Things”, which is the connection of many different smart devices and sensors to the internet such as streetlights, doorbells, fridges, vending machines and central heating systems. The greater capacity of 5G means that many thousands of these devices will be able to transmit and receive data simultaneously, even within a small area, making our cities smarter.
The excitement generated by the advent of 5G means that many are becoming impatient for its rollout. In the UK and worldwide, 5G coverage has so far become a reality for a limited few, in major urban areas, and others around the world are still keenly awaiting its arrival as city infrastructure is changed to accommodate it. This will take a few more years, but ultra-fast and highly reliable communications will soon be a way of life for billions.
“Since 5G will be so critical to our future lives,” says Professor Imran, “it is essential that we ensure digital inclusiveness for all. Rich and poor, urban and rural. This will reduce the digital divide, create opportunities and ensure that a level playing field is created for all citizens.”
This article was first published June 2020.
Our campus is getting smarter
At Glasgow, we are embracing new technology and making 5G a reality for the University community. Professor Imran is proud that the University is one of the leading developers of 5G technology both in Scotland and worldwide. Our 5G centre at the James Watt School of Engineering contains an experimental network which is being trialled and deliberately broken in order to learn from it, by both researchers and commercial companies.
Some of the innovative applications that these groundbreaking smart technologies will have on campus include
• teaching and learning: using special virtual reality glasses, students will be able to watch operations or visit “clean rooms” remotely, changing their perspective individually
• crowd management: live messages will be relayed to students moving around campus to tell them where they can avoid congested pathways or staircases
• building management: estate managers will be able to see remotely which areas on campus are being utilised more than others, where energy efficiency is low, and make instant adjustments
• smart parking: live alerts will tell drivers where there are free spaces on campus, suggesting diversions and alternatives to their usual parking spots
• site tours to remote locations: an instructor can talk to students remotely, relaying information through their smart glasses, while walking them through a location
• tourism on campus: visitors wearing virtual reality glasses can have information instantly superimposed on their view, for example, historic images of the building they are passing.