By Henry Brown
Technology advances at such a pace that it’s hard to keep with the latest releases. One service that hasn’t gone under the radar, for more than one reason, is 5G. Fifth-generation wireless connectivity is coming to businesses worldwide, and if you believe the hype, your company must invest.
You’re a shrewd entrepreneur, so you know not to buy into everything written about 5G. However, you’re not a tech expert, which means you aren’t entirely sure whether it’s a suitable feature of your SME.
To figure out whether the costs should be within your budget, you should continue reading.
Availability
Firstly, it has to be available in your city, and the bad news is that it isn’t in many areas around the United States. As you’d expect, the likes of California and New York have it, yet some big states and hubs are omitted from the list without any rhyme or reason. Therefore, it’s vital to check whether your region is 5G-compatible and if it isn’t when it’s expected to arrive. A word of warning: don’t treat the gossip as gospel as local authorities are notorious for dragging their feet.
Costs
On the face of it, the costs are high. As well as mobile devices valued at $1,000 and more, you must invest in a network plan, as well as specialist equipment and technology. The good news is the former will save money and boost your business’s earning power. The reason is down to RF machine learning. Using radio frequencies, this type of algorithm doesn’t require time-consuming manual input; rather it learns optimized models directly from data. As a result, you can eliminate wastage and put insights into action in real-time. While the upfront fees are high, you can offset them through the new and efficient solutions 5G provides.
Download speeds
Several of the business-centric elements are still in progress due to the fact 5G is a very new service. So, at the moment, it’s better to focus on how it will impact your customers and users, and affect your company indirectly. The most evident feature is the download speed, which is faster than anything else available on the market. If your business revolves around uploading, downloading, and streaming, it’s a no-brainer. Also, reliability is high, so you’ll get peace of mind. From a corporate perspective, 5G is a wise investment if your servers and devices are connected and share data.
The future
5G is here to stay. You may not think this is a valid reason to purchase it now, but it’s savvier to get in on the ground floor. After all, if you’re inevitably going to use the tech later down the line, it’s worth introducing yourself and employees to the service and understanding the strengths and weaknesses. Plus, remember that 5G technology will only improve, which is another reason to budget for it now and not later.
If it’s available, cuts costs, and helps you share data, it’s a sound investment.
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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.
