How CIOs and digital leaders can reap the benefits of 5G

With 5G being rolled out at pace across the UK, businesses are busy preparing themselves for the deployment of the next-generation wireless technology.

5G, if you hadn’t guessed, is an upgrade from the current 4G mobile network and is expected to provide ultra-high speeds, more capacity and low latency.

Significantly faster network speeds will prove to be a major perk in the enterprise world, especially when enabling edge computing, pulling more data at lower latency from IoT networks, enabling industry 4.0 use cases, and, of course, improvements for remote working.

CIOs and digital leaders will no doubt be searching for ways 5G connectivity can improve their organisations. Here are some of the potential benefits of 5G.

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Digital transformation

Digital transformation is still a huge focus for organisations today, with the race to deploy the latest technologies and innovative ideas at the forefront of many businesses’ strategies.

Becoming a digital business means modernising the teams, strategy and processes, and linking these to the latest and greatest technologies to enable that modernisation.

It’s hoped that 5G networks will further bolster businesses that are considering adopting technologies like IoT and the cloud, helped along by faster and more reliable speeds free from wired networks.

With the industry 4.0 revolution already underway, 5G is also touted to boost real-time predictive maintenance, smarter automation, and even whole new business models.

Vodafone is one UK network provider that’s put 5G at the forefront of its strategy across the UK, where it has switched on 5G in seven cities already.

“Getting our network ready for 5G has shaped how we think about digital transformation, giving us unique insight into how technology will change our lives for the better,” Scott Petty, CTO at Vodafone UK said in an article on CIO UK.

“A world with internet speeds that are up to four times faster than 4G will spark a new wave of innovation, enabling smart homes and offices, driverless cars, remote surgery and more. We’re likely to see the pace of technological change increase even further.

“As we head toward a 5G world, businesses need to be ready to move fast, and become more agile than ever before.”

The new network will enable organisations to embark on new data initiatives on a wider scale, with the ability to transmit huge amounts of data at faster speeds, unencumbered by having to rely on the UK’s notoriously spotty Wi-Fi coverage or wired connections on-site.

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Customer experience

The high speeds expected with 5G will enable organisations to communicate with customers easier, offering a quicker response time, as well as delivering content to them quicker.

In a world where “omnichannel” is increasingly the focus of retail operations, for example, a seamless, fast connectivity experience should help bridge the gap between the customer, apps, and in-store technologies.

Although 5G is not expected to be fully deployed across Britain until 2023 at the earliest, CIOs can begin preparing their organisations now, briefing leadership on the transformative potential of the technology and early opportunities for investment in the network – ultimately with a view to improving the entire digital journey.