How 5G can benefit us

5G or fifth-generation has become a standard for telecommunications networks across the world with Bangladesh’s two leading mobile operators Robi and Grameenphone lunching the state-of-art cellular network services commercially for first time in the country on Monday.

As Bangladesh just stepped into the 5G era, this is used widely in various countries. According to US wireless association CTIA, 76 per cent of mobile users enjoy a 5G availability, which refers to how often 5G-capable cellphones connect to a 5G network, while the figure goes as high as 90 per cent and 91 per cent for China and South Korea.

Despite 5G technology is met with skepticism, industry insiders often stressed 5G network because of it immense benefits to the end users. Let’s talk about some significant aspects of 5G.

It is the speed. 5G, according to IBM, can delivers Internet speeds up to ten times faster than 4G and 3G, enabling large file downloads or cloud backups in under a second instead of minutes or hours. It reaches 20 gigabits per second (Gbps), with average downloads of 432 Mbps(Mbps).

Latency is the delay between sending and receiving data signals. 5G results in low latency as low as 1 millisecond (ms) compared to around 30–50 ms in 4G, enabling real-time responsiveness. This benefits online gaming, autonomous vehicles like self-driving, advanced healthcare like remote surgery, AR/VR experiences, and industrial automation, ensuring faster decisions, safer operations, and seamless business interactions like faster payments.

5G can create and boost economies for Internet of Things (IoT), with one specification being a large-scale simultaneous connectivity. A white paper titled ‘Driving 5G Opportunities with IoT Early Adopters’ published by South Korean tech giant Samsung in 2020 said, “5G has several differentiators from legacy networks that can create positive economics for IoT. The first differentiator is the increase in device density – or the number of connections it supports in an area. The support of 1 million 5G connections within a square kilometer establishes the foundation for the positive economics for next-generation IoT.” Compared to 5G, connectivity in 4G allows up around 100,000 devices per square kilometre.

Unlike other networks, 5G ensures high reliability. According to Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson, “5G is most secure mobile network ever, with security built-in as part of the standardisation process to ensure higher reliability and availability.” Thus, 5G can enable widespread digitisation, automation, and interconnection of machines, robots, and transportation systems, ushering in a new era of network security.

Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzz in technological world. 5G and AI are complement to each other when it comes to transform industries and daily life. With ultra-low latency (1 ms) and high speeds up to 20 Gbps, 5G enables AI applications to process real-time data from IoT devices, driverless vehicles, and smart factories efficiently. AI can enhance 5G networks, thus, improving traffic management, and resource allocation, while 5G allows AI-driven services like AR/VR, telemedicine, medicare and smart cities to function seamlessly.

In another take, Bangladesh must maximise the use of 5G in RMG sector, which brings huge export earnings boosting the economy. A proper application of 5G can revolutionise manufacturing by enabling real-time monitoring, automation, and IoT integration in RMG sector factories. With low latency (1 ms) and high-speed connectivity, 5G supports smart machinery, predictive maintenance, and efficient supply chains, boosting productivity and reducing downtime.