So you’ve heard about the up-and-coming 5G network, and all of the new technological advances it will action, but what are the immediate benefits the new 5G network will bring? Well, in our latest article, we break-down the top five most beneficial attributes that 5G will have to offer!

With the launch of the new 5G network, we will experience a higher spectral efficiency rate, meaning 5G can push through more data at twice the rate compared to current networks. This is due to more bits per Hz, and advanced antennas being placed in strategic locations to increase the bandwidth efficiency and overall speed.

The launch of standalone 5G is set to lower latency to just 1 millisecond. As lower latency generates faster responses from the networks, the consistency of speeds will also improve – enhancing mission-critical applications such as those run by the emergency services, in-vehicle applications, drones, sensors and industrial automation.

With millions of devices demanding a connection all at once, the current networks can sometimes struggle to transfer data efficiently and quickly in high density locations such as stadiums. 5G will be able to support up to one million connected devices per 38 square miles though, dramatically increasing cellular’s connection density capabilities.

Network traffic is consistently increasing as we connect more and more things – and this is only going to accelerate in the future. 5G will handle this by delivering massive broadband that delivers gigabytes of bandwidth on demand, allowing users to experience more data consuming applications (such as VR and robotics) at faster speeds. Highly connected infrastructures, fully automated systems and everyday connected devices in larger numbers will have the ability to function without disruption, as the increased 5G bandwidth will have the capacity to enable more advanced applications as well.

Although organisations and consumers crave faster connectivity, the network must also prove it is cost and resource effective. With a predicted 100x increase of network efficiency, thanks to better processing techniques, 5G is set to reduce overall energy consumption. As network resources can be equally divided and shared amongst users, the total cost of running 5G in your home or place of business will also be reduced.

It’s hard not to get excited about the significant advancements 5G will offer, but it’s also important to remember that the full impact of these benefits are still some years away. While networks are busy launching their first editions of 5G, these are what are called “non-standalone” versions meaning they rely on LTE infrastructure to prop them up. Full, standalone 5G won’t be launched and functioning for several years yet, so it’s crucial that organisations continue to invest in LTE today.

LTE Advanced Pro is already introducing many of the benefits of 5G and is where companies should be looking to make their investment, as this will pave their way to 5G later. Other things companies should be thinking about today is updating their security infrastructure, and thinking about where they can leverage edge, or “fog”, computing effectively. As the number of connected things an organisation has increases, and with these the volume of data accelerates, it is inevitable that these two areas will need additional investment and future proofing.