By: Maya Acevedo
I have always been fascinated with the way things worked. The structures, processes, operations, and innovations of the modern-day world provided me with a curiosity that could not be quelled. Throughout my life, I have always loved finding the answers to my never-ending questions. Technology was no exception. I would watch the annual keynote presentation that Apple hosted, astonished by how they could constantly find more innovative ways to grow their products year after year. That feeling was what I experienced while sitting in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center for the Hallene Lecture, listening to Ron Marquardt who is the Vice President of Advanced Technologies & Innovation at T-Mobile. He spoke about a new technology that was slowly breaking into the market: 5G.
I have always been fascinated with the way things worked. The structures, processes, operations, and innovations of the modern-day world provided me with a curiosity that could not be quelled. Throughout my life, I have always loved finding the answers to my never-ending questions. Technology was no exception. I would watch the annual keynote presentation that Apple hosted, astonished by how they could constantly find more innovative ways to grow their products year after year. That feeling was what I experienced while sitting in the Alice Campbell Alumni Center for the Hallene Lecture, listening to Ron Marquardt who is the Vice President of Advanced Technologies & Innovation at T-Mobile. He spoke about a new technology that was slowly breaking into the market: 5G.
Initially, I didn’t realize the impact 5G could have or what it meant for the future of technology. I assumed that 5G was just another step up from 4G or LTE, but 5G in use is expected to be up to a hundred times faster. Initially, 5G would apply to fixed wireless access for homes and enhanced mobile broadband services. Most devices including handsets, tablets, and wireless hotspots will be able to access 5G, but new technology needs to be developed for larger widespread operations. This is when the speaker caught my attention. What could larger widespread operations entail? After the presentation, I still had an itch in my brain that I wanted to scratch. Therefore, I dug in and did some research.
An average person’s life activities would be dramatically change through 5G. A movie would take 4 seconds to download. There would be no buffering or connectivity issues when streaming your favorite show. Video calls and conferences would work seamless while having the opportunity to integrate augmented reality. When implemented, 5G will be able to provide speed, low latency, and connectivity to all the existing technology while also opening the door to new technologies that have not reached the market yet. Some of these other technological initiatives that are more possible because of 5G are artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, self-driving cars, and overall instantaneous communication. For example, virtual and augmented reality, through 5G, can be accessible to everyone. Imagine a contractor or electrician putting on a pair of smart glasses to be able to label each part of the system he is working with. They could instantaneously identify and fix the problem without the need for a second opinion or expert knowledge on that specific system. A repair that would usually take a day could take a couple of hours.
I learned while reading a Forbes article titled What You Should Know About 5G Technology And What The Future Holds that not only does technology paired with 5G has the potential to affect physical operations, but it has the potential to fully connect our world virtually. This also creates potential risks in cybersecurity and personal privacy. One of the reasons that 5G has yet to be completely implemented even though introduced in 2017 is because of regulations. 5G has an immense capacity for innovation, with an even greater capacity for error. Connecting the entire world or large systems of important data means that errors or complications can have a catastrophic effect on society. One hacker could bring down the entire banking industry, releasing billions of private information to the public and ruining the lives of entire countries.
Overall, I learned that 5G is new disruptive technology that has an immense capacity to change the way we live our everyday lives and how technology develops from now on. It will revolutionize the technology industry by making it possible to introduce new products and systems. 5G can connect or divide future society depending on the way it is implemented, making it disruptive in nature.
After looking at some of the impacts of 5G, I felt satisfied and almost excited. I am now able to learn more about 5G with a solid background of information through my research. Not only am I able to understand more about 5G but can use this new knowledge to carry onto my next curiosity. Being able to be exposed to these emerging technologies and having the capabilities to learn about them in actual application has been my favorite part of participating in the T&M Seminar. Every week, I found myself listening to innovative companies presenting amazing advancements in their operations due to technology. I encourage anyone who develops a curiosity for anything to seek it out and allow yourself to be fascinated by the variety of developments all around us in every aspect of humankind. And, possibly, discover a new passion for yourself.