TOKYO - Self-driving cars, remote robotic surgery, autonomous weapons - all that and much more is set to be delivered via the 5G wireless network, which promises to transform our lives and add trillions of dollars to the global economy every year.
While the rollout of 5G is already underway in South Korea and select United States cities, the most dramatic changes are still some years away. Many will come with risks and painful disruptions.INTERNET OF THINGS The Internet of Things refers to all the machines and devices linked through the Internet, and its enormous growth is likely imminent as 5G comes online. There are expected to be 125 billion devices linked by 2030, up from 11 billion last year, according analysts at DBS Group Research.
But while test cars are already on the roads in some cities, the commercial introduction of these vehicles - essentially large, mobile computers processing enormous amounts of data in real time - won't be possible without the speed and capacity of fully deployed 5G networks. That's one vision of the future of healthcare, in which rapid advances in data transmission, robotics and AI change the quality of care and the way it is delivered.
IN THE OFFICE Office work will get a lot smarter. Advances in AI and machine learning made possible by 5G networks means fewer white collar workers will be engaged in repetitive tasks, even cognitive ones such as accounting and data processing.