As 5G rollout continues in full swing, already covering a bulk of the global populace, the timing seemingly could not have been better. Following an abrupt shift towards work-from-home over the course of the pandemic, which challenged various long held notions regarding the nature of work and the workplace, we could very well be witnessing the last hurrah of the physical office space.
The only cynics and naysayers are those who’ve failed to grasp the remarkable capabilities of this new standard, which is expected to be at least 100 times faster than 4G. With the capacity to handle over 1 million devices per square kilometer, and substantially low droppages, coupled with one-tenth the latency of legacy 4G networks, networking and communications will never be the same again.
While prices still remain prohibitively expensive, users and enthusiasts can keep an eye on the iSelect Compare 5G plans page to see the latest updates and pricing trends.
Virtual, Extended & Mixed Realities
What was once, and still is restricted to the realm of science fiction, increasingly looks like the next playground for humanity. No matter what your thoughts are on Facebook’s up-and-coming metaverse, or the innumerable blockchain-based play-to-earn games, this technology has undergone monumental evolutions in recent years, and for the first time, we have the infrastructure to make it feasible.
Imagine heading to a meeting where all attendees are 3D holograms from across the world, or an immersive extended reality experience where there is little time delay between real and virtual worlds. All of this remains possible with 5G, ending the need for physical workplaces, daily commutes, and the extensive overheads altogether, for a vast majority of knowledge workers, and information jobs.
Network Slicing
One of the most powerful characteristics of 5G is the ability to create multiple networks on the same physical infrastructure. Imagine slicing the network into multiple tracks for different devices, applications, or devices to ensure high reliability for certain critical use cases, such as board meetings, multi-user collaborations, and more.
This helps address one of the biggest challenges and concerns that people have long had with fully remote teams and organizations. As network slicing becomes more mainstream, we are likely to see more and more companies double-down on remote work, and distributed teams going forward.
Real-Time Collaboration
While there is nothing new about this, real-time collaboration within distributed teams located 1,000s of miles aways will receive a renewed impetus with the low-latency that comes with 5G. This goes beyond just meetings, or shared virtual whiteboards, to even real-time collaboration while coding, animations, storyboard editing, something that has always been a hassle thus far.
It’s still difficult to imagine the potential real world implications and use cases of such low latencies, but whatever it is, it will likely supercharge productivity, and drive monumental levels of efficiencies for organizations.
Reduced Inequalities
So far the capabilities showcased with limited trial runs of 5G show massive potential and opportunities for individuals located in the global south.
While the borders and other barriers continue to foster inequalities all over the world, with rising remote work and opportunities, talented individuals located in India, Philippines, or Indonesia, will soon have just as many opportunities as their Western counterparts.
This will likely cause substantial upheavals in labor markets all over the world, driving a wedge into prevailing wage rates, but the end result will be the democratization of economic opportunities for all.
Final Words
These are undeniably exciting times for the global economy, and even more so for tech enthusiasts the world over. It will be interesting to see the type of innovations, and disruptions that 5G will drive in the coming years, especially as it becomes affordable and accessible to the masses.
While monumental changes are expected across sectors, from gaming to healthcare, and manufacturing to education, the real impact will be felt on global workplaces, especially as the ball has already started rolling in this direction.
