What does 5G mean for web businesses?

18/03/2020

5G is the next generation of mobile internet for smart devices. Although it is currently only available in select cities, handsets and networks, it will soon become the norm for users of mobile data.

This new technology will make it possible for data to be uploaded and downloaded up to 20 times faster than even existing 4G networks. From a web perspective, it means it may become possible to deliver richer experiences without reducing overall usability and causing long page load times.

One immediate use of 5G speeds will be to allow users to enjoy higher definition video content on smart devices. This could make the embedding of 4K video content possible on your website so that you can communicate in a more immersive way with your users and keep them on your website for longer. Similarly, it will also be possible to deliver higher resolution images, maximising clarity and sharpness without degrading the overall user experience, which would be a particular boon for ecommerce websites.

One of the most anticipated benefits of 5G is the ability for more devices to be connected with less latency, thus reducing the likelihood of lags or buffering. This has implications for all aspects of digital technology, for example in industry, by allowing factories to become increasingly autonomous, in the automotive industry, to enable cars to receive information quicker to help avoid collisions or traffic, and even in the medical world to enable remote surgery to take place without patients' stats being delayed.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality also have the potential to grow immensely with the emergence of 5G. These technologies use a fair amount of data, but also need to load quickly to provide a good user experience. For this reason, 5G is perfect for implementing VR or AR into your website. You could use augmented reality to view an object in 3D in your own space, such as seeing how different coffee tables could look in your living room, or using VR  to venture into completely different places using a headset.

5G brings so many possibilities with it that will no doubt improve user experience of websites and smart technology. Although we may still be a little while off from 5G customers being the norm, it won't be long until 5G is being harnessed to its full potential to further propel us into the technological age.