Technology developers must be constantly aware of the needs and solutions demanded by the markets and society as a whole. Indeed, without an active and up‑to‑date professional community working on development, the roll-out of 5G would be incomplete and uneven.

Keenly aware of this demand for monitoring the most innovative areas of work in order to maximise 5G connectivity, the Polytechnic University of Madrid and Samsung Spain’s community of developers have come together to prepare a report – pioneering for the country – looking into the applications and most promising and strategic services related to 5G technology.

An assessment of 5G technology looking to the future

This whitepaper, prepared by Madrid’s Polytechnic and Samsung Dev Spain, with support from the country’s National 5G Observatory, is very useful in assessing the status of the technology before final deployment of Release 16, an update that improves all key aspects of 5G, including coverage, capacity, latency, mobility and energy efficiency.

It also analyses the extent to which 5G connectivity is developing in key sectors, with the aim of producing a positive impact, both in the country’s economic output and society more generally. And, last but not least, the study investigates whether or not there are still areas of application to be identified and exploited, which will allow us to paint a realistic picture before ‘predicting’ key sectors of 5G application in the future.

Anticipating the coming connectivity revolution

The way we understand the concept of ‘connectivity’ will change slightly in a very short space of time. Not just as we start to use more efficient 5G networks, capable of moving larger amounts of data much more quickly, but the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) will be transformational for many sectors, as this report clearly states.

Transport, healthcare, leisure and entertainment, energy and smart cities, industry and technology will be the areas that see the most benefit. The report summarises various pilot projects that are currently being carried out across Europe, separated by sector.

Although the most cited are often transport, automotive and entertainment, sectors such as healthcare will be forever changed by 5G and wearable tech – smart clothing and accessories that constantly monitor the wearer’s vital signs and evaluate their health status. Remotely operated robots and machinery, as well as real-time 360º video monitoring, will also be tremendously transformative for agriculture and industry 4.0, two key verticals also discussed in the whitepaper.

Preparing 5G for the demands of society

Despite the fact the report makes an accurate diagnosis, its conclusions clearly prove that it remains too early to fully understand the true impact of 5G. Particularly because, as the various stages of network development and connectivity phases are completed, new demands and opportunities will naturally arise along the way.

But this shouldn’t be an obstacle to embracing the development of this technology moving forward, shortening deadlines and taking advantage of all these new opportunities, whenever they arise. By working in coordination with suppliers and customers, neutral operators like lyntia are contributing to the deployment of 5G connectivity in accordance with Release 16, positively influencing all these key vertical developments that can improve the world and transform society as we know it.