5G & Geospatial Data

With the transition to 5G many things will change. The fifth generation mobile network will not only lead to advancements in virtual and augmented reality, and artificial intelligence, it will make our cities and workplaces much more efficient and interconnected. 5G will facilitate the acceleration of technology towards a digital ecosystem that will combine data, the Cloud, virtualization, augmentation, automation, and artificial intelligence. 

These technologies will be able to derive insight from data that has been generated by billions of connected devices. The increased connectivity, the lower latency, and the leap forward in bandwidth size will provide a platform to help businesses innovate and create revenue where there has never been before. Not only is geospatial data key to the success of automated machinery, it is an agent of connecting our cities and individuals. But geospatial technology doesn’t just enable 5G, 5G also affects geospatial data. 

How Spatial Data Affects 5G

Geospatial data doesn’t just make 5G happen, the two are extremely interconnected. Location information needs to as accurate as possible to enable effective design of cities and facilitate automation. 5G’s higher frequencies, which carry large amount of data, have short ranges impacted by small obstructions. Their signal can even be blocked by the palm of the hand. Geospatial data is fundamental to making sure that this is not a problem. 

For one, 5G will also require a denser telecom network, with towers selectively placed. Advanced spatial analytics are also crucial to the planning of a technological infrastructure. A new report said that the most cost-effective and simple way to adopt 5G in the UK is to create something called a Digital Twin, which will improve high-resolution geospatial data integrated into a range of other information types served through a planning tool. Street furniture, vegetation, and weather all play a significant role in this.

How 5G Affects Geospatial Data

While 5G promises higher capacity, reliability, lower latency, and improved coverage, bringing greater accuracy will require telecom stations to be synchronized within nanoseconds of each other. This position is expected to improve sub-meter accuracy and support 3D location estimates. Self-driving cars, smart transportation systems, and intelligent traffic design will become more widespread. 

Since 5G will usher in new technologies that will impact not just the mobile network but our whole lives, influencing traditional concepts is also important. Location will become even more pivotal, and the value of location services for the advertising, marketing, transportation, and retail industries will increase. 

The Future & Its Competition

It is no surprise then that 5G is leading to a lot of competition in the field. As companies race to set up the geospatial technology to facilitate the higher frequencies of 5G, political contentions have arisen. For example, Huawei, the leading Chinese tech company, has been setting up the vast majority of 5G networks in the United Kingdom. Six out of seven cities with live Vodafone 5G networks have been set up by Huawei according to the site MoneyPug, which is used to find mobile phone deals,. If the company doesn’t participate in running them, the UK will fall behind in their 5G capabilities. 

None of this pleases the United States government, which has banned Huawei due to concerns that the company allows Beijing to listen to user’s conversations and spy on high level officials and companies. The pressure on the UK from the United States government is real, and this will cause political issues as Huawei continues to nearly dominate the market of 5G technology. 

Much rides on this new technology, and it seems that the geospatial data has become a currency of power. Those who will be able to set up efficient 5G networks will get to take part in the trillions of dollars that are expected to be added to the global economy as a result of a fifth generation mobile network. 

While we may not know how the competition will play out, it is fairly certain that the one who comes out on top of 5G will be very successful. As the political divide affects technological advances, the will to obstruct 5G networks set up by Chinese companies will become ever present. Without 5G technology will not advance as quickly, and without geospatial data there is no 5G.