5G Connectivity for IoT: What to Know and How to Prepare

5G connectivity for IoT promises powerful, high-speed, low-latency coverage to deliver large data transmission at high velocity. With the potential to transform businesses across all industry verticals, many are wondering what all the hype about 5G means for their business and how they should prepare for the transition.  

The Difference Between 4G and 5G

Cellular generations from 2G to 4G were generally two-dimensional — voice and data. In each generation, the speed of data was improved, though it was really consumer-oriented and focused on powering personal phones and devices. The 5G standard goes well beyond just data for a personal smartphone.

It’s multidimensional and impacts not just one’s personal life with their phone, but also their business life. While 4G enables someone to power a business, 5G allows them to run the entire operation wirelessly, with new technologies like AI-enabled video surveillance and other powerful capabilities due to its low latency.

Layers of Spectrum and 5G Rollout

The 5G world is broken up into three different spectrum layers. As you move up the spectrum chain, you get a higher capacity. The three layers are:

1. Low-band or coverage layer: frequencies below 1 GHz used to roll out substantial 5G coverage as quickly as possible. Low-band’s wide-area coverage enables building out the base for IoT solutions as well as 5G innovations like supply chain logistics and more.
2. Mid-band or capacity layer: between 1 GHz and 6 GHz. These are used to strike a balance between coverage and capacity. The bulk of 5G use cases will operate in this mid-band layer.
3. High-band or high-capacity layer: millimeter-wave (mmWave) frequency bands. This is a very specialized 5G offering which is especially helpful in urban areas and busy venues, such as stadiums.

The higher capacity bands come at a price of propagation; they require a higher density of towers. The mid-band layer is an important piece of 5G, and previously there were not enough spectrum licenses for it in the United States to build out. Because the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released licenses for carrier bidding, we can expect to see carriers roll out some mid-band spectrum in the next 12 to 18 months.  

Preparing for 5G Connectivity for IoT

The best thing that IoT connectivity customers and partners should do to prepare for 5G is become educated on how the three layers of 5G spectrum work. Connecting with the network operators and enablers will help customers understand how 5G is being rolled out in their area. A trusted IoT connectivity expert can help explain the technology, its capabilities, and how it can affect business operations utilizing IoT solutions.

Harnessing the Power of 5G and IoT

Nearly every industry can expect to be impacted by 5G, and some transformations are already taking place. 5G connectivity for IoT will power innovation while being the new standard that supports Massive and Critical IoT communications. KORE helps companies unlock the potential of 5G through network migrations, compatibility analysis, and Connectivity as a Service (CaaS).

Watch the full Quickfire Interview with James Weaver, Director of Product Marketing at Cradlepoint, to learn how to prepare customers for the transition to 5G and why to consider wireless wide-area networks with 5G.