There has long been talk of the innovative and long-awaited 5G. Since the technology was finally introduced, talk has turned to its advantages and functions. Below we list the special features of 5G and the effects on smart home technology.
First, let’s understand the difference between 4G and 5G
With 5G, it is not just about the speed. Yes, it is faster – much, much faster. With speeds up to 100 gigabits/second, it is going to be 100 times faster than 4G. But beyond the speed, it is also smarter and more efficient. 5G offers reduced latencies and higher operating frequencies, which makes it more reliable and allows more devices to be supported together.
So, how does this impact your smart home?
A smart home (especially future ones) is a small ecosystem of lots of different interconnected devices (with smartphones, laptops, and a few smart home devices, a family could easily have over 10 devices connected to the Internet continuously). They are continually communicating with each other, to the cloud, and to our other controlling devices or hubs – 5G will make managing these separate connections easier and faster. Let's delve in more detail –
A Faster and More Responsive Network
The 5G speed will naturally make many activities and devices, which require heavy streaming or downloading, much easier. Here streaming video or virtual/augmented reality content come to mind instantly. Beyond making 4K content readily available, 5G will also be a game-changer for devices like security cameras and video monitoring solutions, which must stream high-quality video to be effective.
No lags
The current Internet connectivity can at times be a tad inconsistent, especially when there are lots of devices connected to one connection or when there is too much congestion in the network. 5G's low latency assures extremely fast response times (1-2 seconds compared to 10-20 seconds of current broadband), which will make your smart home tech more seamless. Notifications, alerts, connections between devices, etc. will occur in real-time. For security systems, every second can make a difference!
Consolidated Setup
Not all smart home devices connect together – or with the Internet – in a similar fashion. Some such as hubs like Alexa, smart TVs or security systems must connect to the cloud and be online continuously, some just need an intermittent connection to the Internet, others connect with hubs through Bluetooth or their separate WiFi bridge routers – making your home a mess of multiple networking standards! A 5G network could make set-up easier to consolidate and manage. For a homeowner, this could make the smart home more straightforward and accessible.
Ultimately, not only will 5G make the current crop of devices work with optimum efficiency and speed, it will unshackle product development of future smart home tech. Ultimately, the promise of 5G is about making our smart home more intelligent and accessible.
