The widespread adoption of 5G is impacting more than just connectivity and cell phone signals – it’s also having a massive effect on commercial buildings and the businesses they house. But is your commercial building prepared for the transition?
What is 5G and What is the Impact on Commercial Real Estate?
5G is the fifth-generation cellular wireless network technology and it’s expected to significantly change the way people live and work. It will be faster and able to handle more connected devices than the existing 4G LTE network, improvements that will enable a wave of new kinds of tech products. 5G networks began rolling out in the United States and around the world in 2018 and are still in their early days, but experts say the potential is huge.
As traditional broadband usage has dropped in recent years, keeping tenants connected through a cellular signal has become more important than ever for those who want to stay competitive in the commercial real estate industry. With the 5G rollout on the horizon, it is poised to become a disruptive threat to traditional Wi-Fi and wired internet systems, as well as a key force behind the rise of smart cities, meaning connectivity is going to become more integral to daily life than ever before.
Furthermore, 5G will give the term “smart building” new meaning. Buildings will be safer thanks to enhanced surveillance camera capabilities. Because everything in a building will be connected to the Internet, data on thermostats, lights, HVAC, occupancy and more will be monitored and fine-tuned 24/7. As a result, tenants could see significant savings on utilities, which is an advantageous selling point.
5G Requires a Boost in Tech Infrastructure
In order to keep up with the unprecedented data streaming and wireless capacities that 5G has to offer, buildings need to supply the necessary hardware. 5G needs cables, WiFi, satellites, sensors, and a ton of other digital tools to work at full throttle. That means that buildings interested in harnessing the latent powers of 5G need to undergo a technological makeover.
As the industry stands today, many commercial properties aren’t ready to fully adopt 5G LTE. Most property owners are still in the early stages of mapping out strategies to manage their own properties with 5G inside their building and their own 5G network. The first step for property owners is to evaluate current infrastructure and technology components. A significant amount of fixed cost has already been deployed for those buildings that already have good, modern fiber, distributed antenna systems and back-up power already in place.
When looking at newer developments, commercial buildings are being designed with the very best of 5G in mind. Newer buildings are being stocked with the cutting-edge of tech infrastructures so that they’ll be ready to take on 5G’s maximized potentials.
The Switch Will Be Gradual
Once your building is stocked full of all the required hardware features and is ready to take on all that 5G has to offer, businesses need to prepare to make the transition over from 4G.
Contrary to popular belief, 4G and 5G are compatible and can be used in tangent. In the past, a new generation of wireless has completely taken over the previous version – but that’s not the case here. The switch to 5G is a quantum leap into the future of technology. Thankfully, the world of tech is able to transition smoothly without too much of a crunch.
For the time being, 5G can be used in tangent with 4G as the system slowly improves to perfect the new module of connection.
All Businesses Benefit from Employing 5G
5G isn’t exclusively for global business giants. It’s for everyone.
Smaller businesses shouldn’t feel like they’re cut out of the 5G network or like it doesn’t offer anything for them. Contrarily, everyone can reap the benefits of 5G. It’s superior speed, data transmission, and streaming capacities can enhance anyone’s experience of using the internet.
The experts are saying that 5G is going to provide a competitive advantage for small businesses all around the world as they’ll gain the cutting-edge tech tools that have been confined to the bigger companies around the globe.
Don’t hit ‘snooze’ on 5G. Businesses who take initiative to get a head start on preparing for 5G will be at the forefront of tech’s latest boom.
