Advanced Communications: Reducing Emissions, Powering Hybrid Work
When the pandemic arrived, there was concern about how the mass exodus to remote work would impact the pace of developing advanced communications. Would 5G rollout stall out? Would telecom companies even be able to continue functioning? There were many questions, with few corresponding answers.
As with most concerns around the pandemic, discovering answers would take time. And few of the concerns around communications technology came to fruition. Instead, the increased demand for advanced communications pushed developments faster. The ongoing embrace of hybrid work by both companies and their employees requires that wireless technology continues to move forward. Here are three emerging results of communications technology and hybrid work:
Expansion of Wireless: When it comes to fixed wireless access, wireless users have now eclipsed wired users. In addition, the adoption of 5G has increased traffic by three times that of 4G. In the next decade, you should expect to see mobile networks carrying the bulk of traffic to and from the internet.
As 5G continues to grow and evolve, companies will see it equipping broader application in the area of internet of things (IoT), introducing new opportunities for streamlining and productivity improvements through advanced communications. Experts expect that this will be delivered through an expansive multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) plus ultra-wideband mobile services for optimized macro capacity and coverage. The use of MIMO and ultra-wideband technologies through 5G deployment have introduced incredible improvements in user experience – up to 10 times better.
Technical Difficulties: There has been a lot of excitement around what’s possible with 5G, but there are still some potential gating factors. One is the availability of hardware, but also methods for apportioning the key 6GHz frequency range, which is at the center of the 5G industry and a growing pursuit of WiFi 6/6E.
Many communication services providers have plans to launch WiFi 6/6E by the end of 2022, offering better support for users and use cases. For many of these providers, 6GHz was considered to be critical for their strategy.
Reducing CO2e Emissions: Businesses and industries benefit from 5G connectivity, equipping hybrid work and consistent network access, but there is also big potential for reducing CO2e emissions. A recent report published by Ericsson, entitled “Connectivity and Climate Change,” showed that 5G can make a significant difference through implementation across transport, power, manufacturing, and buildings with improvements equal to removing over 35 million gas-powered cars from the road.
Policymakers and regulators have an important role to play in supporting the expansion of 5G for advanced communications that power hybrid work and reduce emissions across the globe. What began as a set of concerns when the pandemic hit has transitioned to expanding opportunity for mobile connectivity.
To learn more about setting your company up for ongoing hybrid work and the advanced communications necessary to keep your employees and business partners connected, contact us at ITBroker.com.