How 5G will transform Australia

5G is here, or coming, to your smartphone and mobile internet, but what does that mean, especially if you’re in business?

The fifth generation mobile network features new technologies and standards with the capacity to greatly improve data speeds, responsiveness (lower latency) and connectivity, all with greater reliability and resilience.

Put simply, the way you currently use your phone can be faster and better.

You can stream shows, sporting events and games faster, without constant buffering, browse at the speed of thought and even download a flight’s worth of movies, or crucial documents, in minutes. Download speeds are dramatically faster than currently available. And when you’re in a crowd, say at the football, it means you’ll no longer struggle for bandwidth to stay connected.

There are also bigger and broader tech possibilities: from Internet of Things connectivity to augmented reality, and mobile virtual reality. 5G will be crucial to how autonomous vehicles communicate with each other and read live map and traffic data.

Imagine a wearable fitness device monitoring your health in real time, and alerting doctors if an emergency occurs. Or swarms of drones on search and rescue missions, bushfire assessments and traffic monitoring, all communicating wirelessly with each other and ground base stations over 5G networks.

Even banking will be transformed. Imagine being able to walk into a bank, scan your face/finger and immediately withdraw or deposit your money and walk straight out – all thanks to 5G.

Australia’s major telcos have begun the 5G roll-out with Telstra and Optus leading the way. You’ll already find 5G networks in all the capital cities and major regional cities along the eastern seaboard.

Samsung offers a wide range of 5G smartphone options ranging from flagships Galaxy S10+ 5G and Galaxy Note10+ 5G to the Galaxy A90 5G.

Using 5G on Samsung’s Galaxy S10 5G will give you the ability to make 4K video calls for work to clients and colleagues, or family and friends with minimal lag, on the 6.7 inch Infinity-O screen. The Galaxy S10 5G has six pro-grade cameras, including a 16MP Ultra Wide lens with 123-degree field of vision, so if visual story-telling is an essential part of how your work and live, the S10 is the tool you need.

One of the reasons Telstra is moving quickly to roll out 5G as the telco has seen mobile network traffic soar. But that’s also created issues for productivity. A recent report commissioned by Samsung Electronics Australia found that 68% of Australian businesses feel that their operations are constrained by current network performance, and 60% of businesses feel there is a need for 5G services to meet business needs above current 4G connectivity.

What it means for business

Samsung Electronics Australia, in partnership with Tech Research Asia (TRA), recently released a research report and whitepaper exploring how 5G networks, devices and services can support Australian businesses.

The 5G for Business in Australia surveyed 813 technology decision makers from a cross-section of industries earlier this year to understand how businesses are considering the implications of 5G and their readiness to adopt.

The report reveals that almost a quarter (24%) of Australian businesses in Australia intend to adopt 5G services for business in the coming 18 months, with almost 80% set to adopt 5G related mobility services within the next three years.

Samsung Electronics Australia’s Head of Enterprise and Government, IT and Mobile, Danny Mandrides, said 5G is both a trigger and an engine in transforming the way Australians live and work, and how businesses operate in an increasingly mobile-driven economy.

“Now more than ever before Australian businesses are telling us that they demand the bandwidth, stability, and opportunities that 5G will bring,” he said.

TRA founder Tim Dillon said Australian businesses are at the global forefront when it comes to exploring new territories and capabilities associated with 5G, and that will herald rapid change in how people bolster their business operations and strategy with 5G powered services.

“There is naturally a degree of intrigue, interest, excitement, and keenness from businesses to understand how they should be thinking about what the future may bring, which is why it’s critical they build their understanding of 5G and develop a plan that can be actioned to deliver solid outcomes and avoid potential pitfalls or redundant investments,” he said.

Beyond speed, business leaders saw opportunity in areas such as edge computing, multi-device connectivity, low network latency and network slicing. Organisations see 5G enhancing their current and future operations in areas including customer engagement, data access and management, supporting cloud services consumption and facilitation of intelligent workplaces.

Samsung’s Danny Mandrides Samsung said those insights will help shape how his company’s 5G enabled products, solutions, and partnerships can provide value and enrich business operations in the next stage of our mobile economy.

Multiple possibilities

Samsung is already at the forefront of new ways 5G can enhance business in several collaborations with industry.

One project involves a major Australian bank trialling 5G branch connectivity linked to smartphones and Samsung’s DeX solution, ensuring seamless connectivity and information access for its mobile customer service and banking employees in order to improve customer service and engagement in consumer banking.

Another potentially life-saving idea involves an Australian AI company that’s created 5G connected drones to undertake aerial surveillance of areas under bushfire threat to improve safety for those on the ground and help protect assets. The drones are equipped with AI to identify issues and assets on the ground in real-time to assist emergency service and fire crews.

The Samsung collaboration is also looking at manufacturing to see how 5G can deliver cost reductions and efficiencies via more intelligent workstyles. A production site is connecting multiple device sensors, combined with AI analytics, to a smart device dashboard app that provides real-time information on manufacturing performance and quality to reduce defects and materials costs.

The 5G for Business in Australia report reveals that while the initial 5G solutions implemented by businesses will focus on bandwidth-centric approaches, innovative companies will seek to quickly develop and integrate higher value-added solutions such as slicing and edge computing. These solutions present the opportunity to implement IoT, AI-supported decision-making tools, predictive analytics and real-time data.

Nonetheless, knowledge and understanding of 5G remains an issue. The report found that half (50%) of Australian businesses feel they require additional information to understand exactly why 5G is a better solution than 4G. Businesses also anticipate some challenges during the adoption of 5G services, specifically around pricing, device availability and network coverage.

A 5G checklist for business

To address the issues, the 5G for Business in Australia report developed a six-point checklist of factors for businesses to consider to inform their approach to the adoption of 5G technology.

Businesses should: