Indoor 5G connectivity emerging

By: J. David Chapman/January 7, 2021

Are you tired of Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms? Currently we are using them to slow the spread of the virus and keep people safe while still performing work. My guess is that after the pandemic, we will still use these platforms. However, instead of using them out of necessity, they will be used to increase efficiency and lower costs. It is pretty impressive how people have adapted to virtual meetings. Companies have invested a lot of resources to allow employees the ability to use these platforms. Travel and conference budgets will likely take some time to return to pre-pandemic levels. Technology will continue to shape how people work in the future. In order to maximize the impact of this technology, the bandwidth will need to increase with the use of the technology.

5G networks, even with their controversy, will be instrumental in improving the user experience, facilitating next-generation connectivity, and bringing unprecedented network speeds to users. 5G is being integrated into the built environment with in-building cell site installations for enterprise customers. Initial deployments are taking place in manufacturing sites, warehouses, schools, ports, commercial office spaces, and retail stores. The common thread among these places is that they are all indoor environments where large amounts of data traffic must be managed and optimized.

Without getting too technical, the efficiency and speed are accomplished by housing all the network components in one facility, preventing data from traveling through multiple routers and across large spaces. Commercial real estate owners can also now enjoy the flexibility to have specific capabilities developed that are tailored to their private network. These networks are critical to manage the massive numbers of devices being used in these indoor spaces along with advanced capabilities such as artificial intelligence, computer vision, and other emerging technologies.

Keep in mind that devices that used an average of 1.5 GB of data per month in 2017 are expected to use 9.7 GB per month by 2022. Many of the services that 5G will support will be business-critical, and thus the networks will have to have sufficient coverage, capacity, and reliability that outside-in coverage alone won’t provide. For the first time, indoor quality of service will not be an afterthought and will be integrated into the built environment improving user experience.

J. David Chapman is an associate professor of finance and real estate at the University of Central Oklahoma (jchapman7@uco.edu).