5G has come to stay. Its characteristics make it specially useful in certain areas, such as sanitary or industrial. Being a technology that allows the exchange of a large number of data and most importantly in real time, we can use it to help in a surgery on the other side of the Atlantic, extinguish fires using drones, and even for remote control robots inside a factory.
We are talking about collaborative robots and consequently about a more than remarkable reduction in occupational hazards. If a worker can control the arm of a robot from another room, we prevent the employee from harming himself manipulating or moving merchandise. In addition, we reduce production times and therefore, we increase productivity. To achieve this, it is only necessary to train workers in this new technology or create new job positions.
The World Economic Forum, in fact, estimates that, in three years, 133 million workplaces will be created thanks to robotization. This is known as Industry 4.0 and it is closely related to the Internet of Things; a world of ‘things’ connected through a 5G network: sensors in the fridge that indicate if a product is finished, cars that are capable of transporting passengers without a driver, smart cities where the car itself tells the owner where there is a free parking spot and even sensors in our body that inform of possible health problems in real time.
In 2025, Spain will be completely 5G
According to the 2019 Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), Spain is 30% prepared for 5G network and several pilot tests have already been carried out. Meanwhile, the European average is 14%. It is expected that the total implementation of the network will arrive in 2025. By then, communication will be more fluid and without delays or intermittences, specifically 100 times faster than current wireless systems.
Ready for Industry 4.0
We enter the era of Industry 4.0 and must be prepared. 5G is a door to new possibilities and therefore, companies must work to incorporate modern technologies in their production processes and achieve a complete digital transformation. This is precisely what was discussed during IOTSWC19. You can check more information about the talk and the rest of the congress here.