The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted thousands of companies worldwide to shift from an office-based business model to a remote work from home model. In fact, Google just recently announced that nearly all of its employees would be working from home through July 2021. Analysts predict that remote work is here to stay, even after the coronavirus threat dissipates, since many companies have established work from home capabilities and workflows that didn’t exist before.
Fortunately, internet service providers and wireless carriers have started to offer much-anticipated 5G services. This couldn’t come at a better time, as our dependence upon the internet and our bandwidth usage has literally never been greater. So let’s take a look at the COVID work from home trend and the 5G impact on business and beyond.
The Role of 5G Internet for Home Use and Business in a COVID-19 World
With the concept of working at an office now just a memory for millions, we’ve come to depend upon the lifeline that is our internet connection. And really, this internet connection has never been more essential or more heavily-utilized. We’re using our internet connection for Zoom calls, emails, virtual workplace collaboration and a wide array of work-related tasks — all while housemates and family members stream TV shows and movies, browse the web and participate in virtual schooling.
It’s more than an internet connection; it’s a connection to the workplace and our world as a whole. Just consider what happens when the internet goes out. We’re left scrambling, swearing and sweating. You may even scamper next door to beg for a WiFi password — only to realize the neighbors have the same ISP, so their internet connection is dead too. Oh and that 4G phone hotspot? It’s barely enough to support two users simultaneously checking email and browsing the web.
In a traditional office environment, it’s typical to have two internet connections: a primary and a secondary or backup internet option. This redundancy not only ensures constant connectivity; it also allows greater bandwidth since you have two connections instead of just one. But with household budgets already tight and many paying $75 or more per month for a single internet connection, it’s just not financially feasible or even practical to secure a secondary internet service provider for your home office. This is where 5G is coming to the rescue!
5G technology holds three major performance advantages over 4G. These key 5G benefits are as follows:
- A higher data rate of up to 20GB per second, which is 20 times faster than 4G LTE’s maximum peak speed of 1GB per second. With 5G, content will load much faster!
- A lower latency rate of 1 ms — a timescale that’s imperceptible to humans — so users experience a shorter delay as their device requests data from a network.
- Ultimately, increased network capacity as 5G networks expand and grow.
These advantages make a 5G hotspot far more suitable for work usage when compared to 4G. Moving forward, 5G internet for business will be the far superior option, particularly for industries such as the technology sector and other companies that tend to use (and transfer) a lot of data in the course of their work.
Your Phone, 5G and the Future of Work From Home
While COVID-19 has led to delays and cancellations on an unprecedented scale, the 5G rollout hasn’t seen a major impact. Verizon was the first to begin its 5G rollout in late 2019, but it has since been joined by T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint. These companies have all started to implement their 5G rollouts in cities across the nation. And the good news is that, on average, the extra cost over a plan with unlimited 4G data is around $10 per month.
Of course, you’ll need a mobile device that’s 5G capable. But you’ll have many choices, as Apple’s iPhone 12 will come in four 5G-friendly variants. If you prefer an Android device, Samsung Galaxy’s S20 line will also be 5G-compatible, as are a range of devices from LG, Motorola and OnePlus.
With your 5G service and 5G-compatible device, you’ll have the capability of using your mobile hotspot as a secondary internet connection – perfect for creating the redundancy that’s vital for maximum workplace productivity. This is a great option for harnessing the power of 5G internet for home use too, as internet service providers are a bit behind the mobile service providers in terms of their ability to offer 5G to residential customers.
Will Your Company’s Enterprise Software and Mobile Apps Be 5G-Compatible?
If you’re a company leader, you should be considering an additional question relating to 5G: will your enterprise software and mobile apps work properly as your business and its team members make the switch to 5G internet technology? If you’re in the process of building a new enterprise software platform or mobile application, you should be creating a platform that’s 5G-friendly.
At 7T, we’re hard at work creating custom software solutions and mobile apps that can make the most of 5G technology, while offering compatibility with the still-more-widespread 4G services. 7T specializes in digital transformation through emerging technologies, as we integrate cutting-edge tech into virtually every development project that comes to our team. Whether it’s a mobile app development project, CRM or ERP development, or a Snowflake cloud project, we’re well-equipped to assist with multi-phased development projects.
7T has offices in Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Austin, but our clientele spans far beyond. If you’re ready to harness the power of the latest and most innovative technologies, contact the digital transformation experts at 7T today.
