Today, we hear about self-driving cars, and many people wonder what the roadblocks are to making this futuristic technology a reality. For the completely autonomous vehicle future to become a reality, many various advancements in vehicle technology, network speed, data throughput, and machine learning must all come together.

Due to the drastically reduced latency, 5G networks will be a huge enabler for autonomous vehicles, since vehicles will be able to reply 10-100 times faster than on existing cellular networks.

A vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication network is the ultimate goal. Vehicles will be able to respond to objects and changes in their environment practically instantly as a result of this. In order to stop or shift directions in reaction to road signs, dangers, and individuals crossing the street, a vehicle must be able to transmit and receive data in milliseconds.

Let’s look at the differences between 4G and 5G latency: Assume a car going at 30 mph has to receive a signal in order to avoid colliding with an item. A automobile would go roughly 4 feet or 1.2 metres at current 4G latency of around 100 milliseconds. The car would have only gone 5 inches or 12 centimetres with 5G latency of roughly 10 milliseconds. The difference is enormous and might mean the difference between life and death.

Wireless flexibility, lower prices, and the viability of applications that are not achievable with present wireless technology are the main advantages of 5G in the industrial automation arena.
Today, industrial automation is widely used, and you’ve probably seen demonstrations of synchronised robotics in factories and supply chain applications. Wi-Fi does not provide the range, mobility, or quality of service required for industrial control, and today’s cellular technology has too high a latency for these applications. Industrial automation applications can go completely wireless with 5G, allowing for more efficient smart factories.

AR and VR applications will be significantly more engaging and interactive thanks to 5G’s low latency. A technician wearing 5G AR goggles, for example, may view an overlay of a machine that would identify parts, provide maintenance instructions, or show portions that are not safe to touch in industrial settings. There will be several opportunities for highly responsive industrial applications that support complex activities.

In corporate settings, AR meetings can be held in which two people appear to be sitting in the same room, transforming monotonous phone or 2D video conferences into more interactive 3D gatherings.

Many cities around the world are now implementing intelligent transportation systems (ITS), with plans to enable connected vehicle technology in the future. Aspects of these systems are reasonably simple to implement utilising existing communications systems that allow smart traffic management to alleviate traffic congestion and route emergency vehicles.

Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) bidirectional communications will be enabled by connected vehicle technologies to improve safety across transportation networks. Sensors are now being installed in every intersection in smart cities to detect movement and trigger connected and autonomous vehicles to react as needed.

The communications backbone for connected vehicle technology may be brought in now, far before 5G is fully deployed, significantly boosting pedestrian and vehicle safety.

Drones now have a diverse and expanding set of applications beyond consumer filming and photography. Utilities, for example, are now utilising drones to inspect equipment. Drone delivery of goods is being considered by logistics and retail organisations. The trend will continue, and with 5G, we will be able to push the boundaries of today’s drones, particularly in terms of range and interaction.

Drones are currently restricted to line of sight and controller distance. You won’t be able to see where the drone is heading or keep control if you can’t see it or it’s out of range. However, with 5G, you’ll be able to put on goggles and “see” beyond present boundaries with minimal latency and high definition video. The reach of controllers will also be extended by 5G beyond a few kilometres or miles. These advancements will have ramifications for search and rescue, border security, surveillance, drone delivery services, and other applications.

Consumers will be able to enjoy high-quality, immersive experiences at real-time speeds thanks to higher bandwidth applications such as 4K and, in the future, 8K streaming, or 360 degree video. You will have control over the angle you wish to take as a viewer. In a video car race, for example, you can look around to see who is next to or behind you.

Businesses will be able to store more data in the cloud and access it as if it were stored locally over fast, low-latency 5G. This eliminates the need for costly on-site servers. You don’t need a fast laptop to render information locally; instead, you render it in the cloud and have it streamed to you. It’ll be just like home, but you’ll be able to use your phone for high end apps.