The US wireless industry received a major shot in the arm last week when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced* it would make additional spectrum available for the development of 5G.
5G, which is the latest evolution of wireless technology, provides faster speeds, lower latency (or lag time), and more capacity.
And it all boils down to near-real-time communications.
The lifeblood
I like to think of spectrum as the lifeblood of the wireless industry. The amount of 5G spectrum being released into the market represents an infusion greater than the equivalent of all other flexible use bands combined.
All that spectrum will allow for the fast deployment of 5G networks. It will help the US maintain its 5G leadership in the world. And, what I think is most important, it will spark a new wave of innovation from all fields, not just the wireless industry.
Let me share an example from the healthcare industry.
Remote surgery real time
A few weeks ago, while attending a dinner during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, I met Dr. Antonio de Lacy, a Spanish surgeon and professor whose c.v.lists advancements in laparoscopic surgery, among others.
For the past five years Dr. de Lacy has been looking for a way to perform telemedicine in the true sense of the word: in real time, without transmission delays.
He finally found it in 5G. The fact that 5G is not commercially available did not stop Dr. de Lacy from exploring its application to surgery and then proving** its potential value to the healthcare field.
He did that just a couple of days after our dinner. Sitting in a remote location and using a 5G video connection, Dr. de Lacy was able to assist a doctor performing surgery at a distant operating room.
Telemedicine is not new but the use of 5G for assisted surgery is.
With 5G’s high speed and very low lag time there is virtually no delay between the moment the operating surgeon makes an incision, the time when the remote specialized surgeon (Dr. de Lacy in this case) sees the incision on a video screen, and when the operating surgeon receives the specialist’s advice.
Add to that the higher video resolution and higher download speeds provided by 5G and you’ll begin to realize the potential that Dr. de Lacy envisioned, not just to provide expert guidance to surgeons operating in remote locations but even to paramedics who can deliver treatment on the way to the hospital.
The magic of 5G
That’s the magic of 5G. What’s so important is not of the technology itself but what it enables people like Dr. Lacy to do.
5G will make visionaries’ dreams possible and will stir a new wave of innovation that is hard to quantify.
Once again we’re at the cusp of major change.
I’m incredibly excited to see America make a commitment to this promising technology and look forward to the wave of innovation it will surely bring about.
Ralph
[*] https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-takes-steps-make-millimeter-wave-spectrum-available-5g
[**] https://healthmanagement.org/c/icu/issuearticle/5g-opens-the-future-of-telesurgery
