Standards work on “5G” technology began in late 2015, and the first commercial networks probably won’t launch until 2020 at the earliest. But it’s not too early to begin pondering what 5G could mean for verticals such as health care, manufacturing, smart cities and automotive.
One reason is because some of these industries make technological decisions several years out. Automakers, for example, will need to decide in the next year or two whether to equip their 2021 models with LTE-Advanced Pro or add support for 5G, too. Another reason is because understanding 5G’s capabilities today – even at a high level – enables businesses and governments to start developing applications that can take advantage of the technology’s high speeds, low latency and other key features.