Everything that Matters in Your 5G Deployment Now and in the Future

It’s official: 5G is now scaling faster than any previous generation of mobile technology, according to Ericsson’s June 2022 Mobility Report.

Older generations of this cellular technology are beginning to slow and decline as 5G steps up to offer significantly higher bandwidths, nearly delay-free connections and improved security mechanisms.

Nearly one-quarter of the world’s population has access to 5G coverage today; by 2027, three-quarters of the world is predicted to have access, according to the report. This time of change puts many organizations in limbo: While the future clearly points to 5G, it’s not ubiquitous yet.

Full 5G adoption will likely require an investment in new hardware that’s more expensive (for now) than the hardware that supports previous generations, such as 4G. Why? Because the products now need to operate at a higher performance level to support 5G technology. In the future, as 5G becomes more pervasive, however, it’s likely that hardware prices will drop.

In addition, deploying 5G-enabled hardware today doesn’t automatically guarantee access to a 5G network. The technology also has to be available in your area (unless you’re establishing your own private 5G network).

Invest in 5G Now or Later?

Given the current status of 5G, how do you know when the time is right to invest in 5G hardware? In our opinion, it comes down to your application. Not all applications will require 5G—especially those that have low data rates.To determine whether 5G technology is the right fit for you, it’s important to consider how you plan to use it. Mission-critical, high-performance applications that call for high speed, low latency and large capacity will benefit from 5G the most.