5G technology promises higher data speeds, ultra-low latency, and greater connectivity. You’re likely excited about it, but you should know a few things before using it for your business.
5G won’t reach its full potential until after at least a few years. Investing in it and expecting it to perform as a fully developed technology could result in you losing more money than you’re gaining.
Keep these in mind when considering 5G for your business.
1. 5G Requires New Equipment
Unfortunately, you need new equipment to use 5G. The technology utilizes radiofrequency spectrums higher than those used in 4G. If you haven’t upgraded, your current hardware just doesn’t have the means to use 5G because it’s an entirely different technology.
It’s unlikely most businesses can afford a complete transition to 5G. The good news is that you don’t have to. It probably wouldn’t be a sound investment either way, at least not until the 5G becomes more developed. Instead of a total cutover to 5G, think about how you can overlay it onto your existing equipment.
2. Interference Problems
Wireless devices use radiofrequency waves to communicate with each other. However, they need to filter out unwanted signals. Otherwise, radars would show false targets, and calls on your smartphone would be heavily distorted or just wouldn’t properly connect. That’s what radio frequency (RF) filters are for. They isolate specific signals and attenuate the rest.
However, RF filters aren’t perfect. They can accept signals at frequencies adjacent to the ones they’re supposed to receive.
Fortunately, 4G and 5G operate in entirely separate bands, so you don’t have to worry about them interfering with each other. You may experience signal interference if you plan to use Wi-Fi 6E, though, as it and 5G operate in 6 GHz bands.
Keep potential interference problems in mind when formulating a 5G implementation plan. You may need to upgrade your equipment with high-performance, thermal-resistant RF filters. These would help separate 5G and Wi-Fi 6E frequencies and improve performance.
3. Set Expectations with Management
4G’s real-world maximum speed, meaning its maximum speed outside lab testing, is usually around 100Mbps. 5G is expected to reach speeds of up to 10 Gbps. That’s a hundred times faster than 4G.
Don’t take these numbers at face value, though. Signal interference is likely to inhibit data speeds and coverage, bumping that 10 Gbps down quite a bit in practice.
5G is still quite a bit faster, though. Real-world speed tests have shown it consistently reaches speeds of 100 Mbps, and it can reach up to 300 Mbps.
Set expectations with your management team before implementing 5G to ensure you’re setting realistic goals for your business.
4. Set Customer Expectations
Similar to how your management team may have unrealistic expectations, your customers may be the same. It will take time for 5G to be fully implemented, and improvements in the technology will likely be incremental.
Let your customers know what they should and shouldn’t expect. You risk damaging your brand reputation if you hype up your product or service’s greatly improved speeds only for your customers to find it lacking.
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