STEP CG’s Technology Blog

5Apr

By: Ed Walton 0 Comments 5G

The Power of 5G As An Innovation Engine

Big News! We’ve built a time machine in our Kentucky Innovation/Briefing Center. No DeLorean required. In fact, it looks just like one of those office meditation pods, but once we turn on the flux capacitor – powered by our country’s native spirit and 5G – we’ll be dialing up the 1970s. Local zoning ordinances and building codes prohibit the use of plutonium, so we’re leveraging what we know best.

Seriously though, we are at the start of the 5G revolution.

5G is the next step in the evolution of mobile internet connectivity, offering blazing speeds, lower latency, increased capacity, and the ability to cut a slice of bandwidth tailored however you need it – for any service, application, or endpoint.

The power of 5G as an innovation engine lies in its ability to transform industries and create new opportunities enabling a host of new applications and services that were not possible before.

5G will transform many industries, including healthcare, transportation, entertainment, and manufacturing. In healthcare, during the pandemic, we saw the power and convenience of telemedicine over a smartphone. Now imagine remote surgery.

In entertainment, 5G delivers high-quality streaming content, virtual reality experiences, and immersive gaming experiences. Soon, you may not have to leave your living room to be fully immersed in the experience pf physically being at a sporting event. The beer will be cheaper... and equally important, the line to the restroom much shorter.

With WiFi and 5G it’s not an either/or equation. It’s about embracing a hybrid infrastructure that integrates all forms of wireless connectivity. Today we’re helping customers offload their bandwidth-constrained traditional networks to achieve the best of both worlds. They get critical bandwidth back on their traditional WiFi network, while enabling new services and applications like smart lighting, facial authentication, robotics, and IP video, all of which should reside on its own segmented network from the end users.

You may have already heard the term Industry 4.0. It refers to the Fourth Industrial Revolution – characterized by the integration of advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the IoT. 5G powers Industry 4.0 and enables the seamless transfer of data, which is crucial for the success of Industry 4.0. We’re helping our customers get their AGV’s connected and working on private cellular networks of all sizes.

As the attack surface grows, security is at the forefront. We can help with a multi-tiered approach.

For end-to-end testing and evaluation of 5G enabled applications, STEP CG has opened a second Innovation/Briefing Center in Indianapolis in partnership with our friends at NineTwelve at the Advanced Innovation and Test (AIT) Lab. Together we’re developing a secure 5G environment with IoT connectivity and edge computing. And just to increase the cool factor, this is where software development takes place for the full sensor stack solution powering the fully-autonomous Indy Light Race cars – including AI, lidar, radar, onboard computing, and the communications systems for a 190+ MPH, self-driving vehicle. This isn’t your father’s DeLorean. Flux capacitor not required.

But what is required is a comprehensive understanding of 5G and all the innovation that’s possible. That’s where STEP CG can assist, helping you innovate and execute on precisely what makes sense for your business.

Engineering matters. The vendors and partners you work with should be able to provide and walk you through their large 5G and traditional network deployment reference customers. Ask to speak to some of them. We offer regular tours of our Innovation Centers and are always happy to show you our latest inventions.

And besides, where else do you get to test drive a time machine?

We look forward to welcoming you back. To the future.