Internet of Things

How 5G Will Transform IoT

February 18, 2024

Introduction

The advent of 5G networks represents a seismic shift for the Internet of Things (IoT). As I connect more devices and sensors to the internet, the speed, bandwidth, and latency improvements of 5G will enable transformative new IoT applications.

In this article, I will provide an in-depth look at how 5G will impact three key areas of IoT:

Enhanced Mobile Broadband
Massive Machine-Type Communications
Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications

For each area, I will explain how 5G will act as a catalyst, discuss relevant use cases, and highlight real-world examples of IoT transformation. By the end, it will be clear how 5G is integral to unlocking the full potential of the Internet of Things.

Enhanced Mobile Broadband

The most straightforward benefit 5G provides IoT is enhanced mobile broadband. 5G delivers substantially higher data speeds and capacity compared to 4G LTE networks.

Specifically, 5G offers peak download speeds up to 20 Gbps, versus 1 Gbps on 4G. It also enables up to 1 million device connections per square kilometer, a major improvement over 4G.

This enhanced connectivity allows me to attach more sensors to objects and stream much higher volumes of telemetry data back to applications and analytics platforms.

Use Cases

Here are some examples of IoT use cases enhanced by 5G’s higher bandwidth:

Connected vehicles: 5G enables vehicles to stream multiple high-definition video feeds for object detection and autonomous driving algorithms. Lower latency also helps with collision avoidance.
Smart factories: High-resolution cameras and sensors can monitor machinery and transmit performance data to optimize manufacturing in real-time.
Smart cities: Thousands of video cameras can stream footage to improve public safety and traffic management.
Remote patient monitoring: Wearable medical devices can track vital signs and beam HD video for telehealth applications.
AR/VR experiences: 5G provides the fast, reliable connectivity needed for immersive augmented and virtual reality.

Real-World Impact

Higher 5G throughput is already changing IoT applications:

General Motors uses 5G to stream video from cameras around self-driving vehicles. The increased bandwidth enables faster AI processing to navigate safely.
BMW leverages 5G to collect gigabytes of sensor data from test vehicles and track vehicle health and driving dynamics in real time.
Japanese railway company East Japan Railway has deployed 5G to monitor its Shinkansen bullet trains. Onboard sensors collect telemetry data to improve maintenance and safety.

As these examples demonstrate, 5G’s enhanced mobile broadband opens the floodgates for advanced, high-bandwidth IoT implementations across industries.

Massive Machine-Type Communications

In addition to higher throughputs, 5G also enables massive machine-type communications (mMTC). This refers to the ability to connect an extremely high density of devices within a geographic area.

While 4G LTE can handle up to 100,000 devices per square kilometer, 5G theoretically supports up to 1 million devices. This is ideal for large-scale IoT and sensor networks.

Use Cases

Scenarios where 5G’s mMTC capabilities will prove valuable include:

Smart factories with tens of thousands of sensors monitoring equipment and assembly lines.
Smart farms with soil sensors in fields providing data to inform irrigation, fertilizer, and pesticide use.
Utilities managing smart grids comprised of millions of endpoints like meters and electric vehicle chargers.
Supply chain/logistics tracking location and condition of high volumes of packages, containers, and assets.
Environmental monitoring with distributed sensor networks collecting air/water quality, seismic, weather, and other environmental data.

Real-World Impact

Here are some real-world examples applying 5G’s ability to connect massive IoT scale:

Korea Telecom aims to deploy over 1 million 5G sensors to monitor infrastructure like dams, roads, and bridges across the country.
Miami-Dade County, FL is piloting 5G to monitor flooding and water quality with a high concentration of sensors.
Port of Hamburg in Germany plans to use 5G and IoT sensors to streamline logistics operations and track cargo.
Oulu, Finland has deployed thousands of 5G-enabled environmental sensors to monitor air quality, traffic, weather conditions, and crowds.

These initiatives demonstrate how 5G is critical for rolling out city-scale IoT deployments. Without 5G, many ambitious smart city applications are simply not feasible.

Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications

In industrial domains like manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare, IoT systems often demand ultra-reliable, low-latency connectivity.

Latency refers to the time it takes devices to communicate with each other or the cloud. 5G introduces two key improvements:

Reduced latency – Down to 1 millisecond versus about 50 ms on 4G
Reliability – 5G guarantees 99.999% reliability for mission-critical connections

This performance enables real-time control and automation.

Use Cases

Ultra-reliable, low-latency 5G will unlock new IoT applications:

Industrial automation – 5G can support closed-loop control and deterministic communication for time-sensitive processes.
Autonomous vehicles – Improve reaction times for collision avoidance, navigation, and fleet coordination.
Remote surgery – Facilitate robotic surgery with a surgeon controlling instruments over a remote 5G connection.
AR/VR – Motion tracking and scene rendering benefit from faster updates.

Real-World Impact

5G’s low-latency capabilities will disrupt these industries:

General Motors plans to use 5G to connect robots in its autonomous factories. Precise control over such automation requires 5G’s speed and reliability.
BMW is testing using 5G to coordinate fleets of logistics drones. Low latency allows real-time communication with drones for package delivery and inventory management.
China Unicom deployed 5G to enable remote control over cranes in a shipyard, improving efficiency and safety.
Verizon partnered with Disney to experiment with how 5G can stream AR/VR experiences. Low latency reduces motion sickness by matching device movements.

Clearly, 5G will be mandatory for emerging industrial and transportation use cases requiring quick system response times.

Conclusion

In summary, 5G networks represent a huge opportunity to accelerate IoT innovation and drive digital transformation:

Higher bandwidth expands possibilities for streaming telemetry and media from connected devices.
Massive connection density unlocks ambitious smart city and sensor network rollouts.
Reduced latency enables real-time automation and control for industrial applications.

With each new 5G rollout, we will see increasingly intelligent, responsive, and transformative IoT use cases emerge across every industry. The combination of 5G and IoT promises to reshape our homes, cities, environment, economy and society itself.