Relevance: GS-3: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.

Key Phrases: Internet of Things (IoT), 5G technology, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Big Data, Intelligent Automation, higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds, ultra-low or almost zero latency, higher bandwidth, longer distances, financial liability.

Why in News?

• 5G technology offers huge potential to advance industries across streaming, communications, advanced robotics and manufacturing as emerging technologies such as IoT, AI and AR/VR.

Context:

• We saw a new era of communication emerging in late 90s in the Indian ecosystem with the advent of the internet. Over the years, disruptive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Big Data, and Intelligent Automation, amongst others, have further played a pivotal role in transforming the way the businesses as well as humans communicate and collaborate.
• Today, we are at the cusp of a yet a new phase in digital revolution that is powered by Internet-of-Things (IoT), an evolutionary technology is ushering in a fresh wave of connectivity across ecosystems, creating a massive network of billions of people around the world through the internet. What makes IoT truly remarkable is the fact that it makes machines communicate and share information without the need for any form of human interaction.
• With a massive growth in the IoT market, there has been a rising demand for developing network transformation technologies to support it and 5G tops the list. Interestingly, the advent of 5G is being hailed as yet another game changer, and a number of businesses are asking how 5G will power the IoT solutions and what is the reality, what is the hype?

Understanding 5G and its Benefits

• Let us first understand what exactly 5G technology is. Simply put, 5G is the 5th generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything together including machines, objects, and devices, transferring large amounts of data at very high speed.
• Some of the key benefits it brings to the table include higher multi-Gbps peak data speeds that leads to faster data transfers, ultra-low or almost zero latency in all connections, superior reliability of internet network as well as massive network capacity. Further, it also ensures increased connectivity at higher bandwidths and a more uniform user experience to more users by offering multiple device support.
• The 5G technology offers huge potential to advance industries across streaming, communications, advanced robotics and manufacturing as emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, AR/VR, and much more.

Advent of 5G Wireless Technology in India

• Acknowledging the potential positive impact of 5G technology on India’s employment and overall economic growth, during the Union Budget 2022, the Indian Finance Minister announced the government’s plan to commence the auction process for telecom spectrum in 2022, which will facilitate private players to roll out 5G services before March 2023. 5G’s advantages of higher bandwidth and higher capacity promises to be a game-changer in meeting these user demands and offering enhanced customer experiences.

Application of 5G IoT

• IoT powered by 5G promises to help improve agility, innovations, and productivity across different sectors and industries and provide a platform enabling emergent technologies such as the IoT to become a vital part of our economy and daily life. This will also encourage growing number of start-ups in the country to develop innumerable innovations in the IoT solutions and services space for the benefit of the citizens, industry, and even the social/community sector of the country.
• Therefore, we can see the transformative changes that 5G-backed IoT devices and solutions can bring with healthcare in areas of remote and virtual care, telemedicine, etc. In agriculture, it can further improve automation processes with the use of drones, sensor-based pest control techniques, and so on. It would be integral for enabling deeper implementation of smart homes and smart cities as well as in complementing clean energy technologies. Autonomous vehicles, enhanced customer experience within retail through AR/VR powered by 5G IoT devices, are some of the other sectors that would be immensely benefitted through this technology.

Challenges in implementing 5G

• To begin with, there are complexities involved in integration of 5G due to its shortcoming of inability to carry data over longer distances. What this would require is changes to be made within the core architecture of the communication system including augmenting 5G to the existing infrastructure.
• There is also an element of financial liability on the consumers to carry the costs of upgrading to the latest cellular technology in order to transition from 4G to 5G. Further, the government is facing delays in the process of allocating spectrums due to lack of capital resources with some of the telecom companies to carry out the transition.
• While we are looking at reducing the digital gap between rural and urban population in the country, there is a strong possibility of 5G enhancing it instead in the short term.
• In addition to these concerns, unlike the existing 3G and 4G which are distributive services, 5G would be a niche service that would get intensified over a comparatively longer period and would be concentrated to particular sectors that require low-latency and high-speed networks.

Navigating the 5G landscape

• While the country’s private telecom players have already began carrying out trials for use cases across different industries for 5G and are in strategizing on how to set up a seamless integration of 5G networks especially in the remote and rural parts of the country, it is not as simple as it sounds.
• Before technology developers, solutions providers, telecom industry, and businesses across sectors and industries deep-dive into the hype surrounding this next-gen mobile network technology, it is imperative for them to have a clear roadmap that includes identifying the end-users, the roadblocks and various data risks involved in the migration, pricing structure, existing networks and operators, and so on.

Way Forward:

• Having said that, 5G would usher in a new era of connectivity where remote actions would be seen happening real-time. From surgical operations being done from across the world real-time with the help of precision instrumentation or controlling the machinery in a factory, or automated driverless vehicles, we foresee a future with smart cities and smart industries that promise a safer, cleaner, enhanced way of living.

Source: The Hindu BL

Mains Question:

Q. “5G technology build a future with smart cities and smart industries that promise a safer, cleaner, enhanced way of living..” Critically analyse the statement. (250 words).