Even if you don’t know exactly what it is, you’ve surely heard of something called ‘5G’. 5G connectivity will be the fifth generation of communication networks, and will progressively replace the current 4G network. Currently, we already live in a hyper-connected environment and in cities designed under smart city models specially built to make life easier for people, respect the environment, and in general, to evolve towards more efficient cities in every way. But 5G connectivity opens the doors to a new world where we can go much further.
Normally starting in urban environments, this new generation of wireless connectivity allows the deployment of an immense network of sensors and interconnected communication nodes that will be able to satisfy new needs, for example, improvement in road safety. But before we get to that point, let’s go in parts.
What are the advantages of 5G connectivity?
- More speed: Technological revolution and speed go hand in hand. With 5G connectivity you can navigate up to 10 times faster than with current 4G networks. This will not change our lives in terms of the level of service to which we are accustomed when we surf the internet from our Smart Phone, but it represents a differential change for the operation of services in which immediacy is critical.
- Less latency time: Latency refers to the response time of the network, which will allow us to connect practically in real time, without waiting.
- More devices connected at the same time: Have you ever been to a massive concert or a sporting event and have run out of coverage? These limitations are normal with the 4G network but we will forget about them with the 5G.
But this new technology goes far beyond being able to connect many mobile phones at the same time; Any electronic device may be connected, for example, vehicles, urban equipment, industrial robots, or any device that we have at home.
5G will improve the mobility of cities. How?
Increasing security in cities is one of the potential applications of this new hyper-connected era. In this sense, from Metalesa it seems essential to know current and future technological trends, since, like any other business that has traditionally been disconnected from digital technology, the deployment of the 5G network will radically transform the way we understand mobility, urban or interurban, enabling a new world of possibilities for improvement in Road Safety. Undoubtedly, this 5G technology will be a turning point in the user experience and in the services provided by a company like ours.
Reduction in the number of accidents
As we have already mentioned, 5G will considerably reduce the response time of any wirelessly connected technological device, which facilitates better and more efficient traffic management and safety at the wheel.
For example, a car will be able to detect pedestrians or cyclists from a distance, thanks to wireless technology that will allow it to communicate with sensors located at key points in cities: traffic lights, streetlights, urban parapets, bollards, acoustic screens, cyclopedestrian railings, etc … The fully autonomous car is closer than we think.
Just as cars will communicate with street furniture, city traffic itself will benefit from being able to adapt the circulation of areas with higher traffic density to other less congested areas.
5G connectivity will enable greater dynamism and increase efficiency in infrastructure management both in cities and on roads, contributing beneficially to a sustainable commitment. There are no limits to imagine how digital technology can be implemented on parapets, transitions or imposts, and of course on any element of railway equipment.
Great capacities for data processing
The goodness of 5G technology will be leveraged on the ability to deploy a data processing infrastructure that allows transforming a growing volume of data into useful information for decision-making and city management, in such a way that it offers an effective service to the citizen.
We have been talking about Smart Cities for decades, and although we are increasingly living in a more hyper-connected environment, we still have a long way to go to become a 100% autonomous society free of dangers. Be that as it may, citizens also have our share of responsibility, although technology is making our lives easier and safer every time.
From Metalesa we want to mark a change in society and help develop products for the Smart Cities of the future.
And you, how do you imagine the city of the future?