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What is 5G Business Internet and how can it help my business?
Author: Satta Sarmah Hightower
The pace of wireless technology evolution is extraordinary, with more than 100 years passing since the discovery of radio waves late in the 1880s, which ultimately led to the creation of the telegraph and today’s mobile phones. Today, wireless connectivity is at the heart of how we communicate daily; advancements from 2G and 3G cellular networks – first to enable things such as text and multimedia messages, video calls, and mobile internet access—to 4G connectivity that greatly expanded these capabilities.
While 4G connectivity offers solid performance for a range of devices and applications, 5G—or fifth-generation wireless technology—is set to transform connectivity as we know it. So, what is 5G Business Internet, fixed wireless internet, and what relevance do they hold for your business? Here’s what a small business owner should know about the coming of 5G.
4G vs. 5G: What’s the difference?
5G networks use low, mid, and high-band radio frequencies to transport data across networks, and in the mid to high band frequencies can significantly increase throughput and performance, allowing for a broader range of use cases. 5G network performance can result in higher speeds, greater capacity, lower latency (the time it takes for information to travel between two endpoints and back) and lower jitter (the variation in time it takes for data to travel across the network) compared with 4G networks but there are tradeoffs. The mid and high frequency bands have lower propagation characteristics so the radio waves don’t travel as far. Both 4G and 5G networks can also form the basis for fixed wireless internet.
What is fixed wireless internet, and how does it help your business?
In addition to its performance, fixed wireless internet could improve internet access in areas with a previously poor connection, and studies show that broadband access can affect economic growth, job opportunities, and quality of life in rural communities.
What is fixed wireless internet?
With fixed wireless internet (provided by Verizon as LTE Business Internet and 5G Business Internet), a wireless point to point signal travels from the nearest 4G LTE or 5G cell phone tower directly to a receiver/router. For 5G that uses high band (i.e., millimeter wave spectrum), a receiver/antenna is attached to a building that communicates internally to a router that is usually then connected to a local access network (LAN).
This approach bypasses many constraints that can hamper a local broadband vendor attempting to build out a network in sparsely populated or geographically dispersed areas. Verizon’s 4G LTE network has nationwide coverage and where 5G is available, 5G fixed wireless (provided by Verizon as 5G Business Internet), can provide faster connectivity with lower latency.
Building better businesses with 5G Business Internet
Now that you’ve answered the “what is fixed wireless internet?” question, how can we use it as well as 5G to help support customers? Customers now demand responsive and near-real time service. They’re used to getting their packages delivered in one or two days or receiving a response to a customer service question the same day—if not in minutes.
5G Business Internet can help small businesses meet these rising expectations by accelerating the flow of information and improving the performance of applications that businesses depend on to do their everyday work. For example, a business that relies on a virtual contact center can have a faster connection to customers. A restaurant that uses inventory management software can upload information with virtually no delay to place timely orders to avoid running out of ingredients. 5G Business Internet means businesses that use mobile payment solutions such as digital wallets can process transactions faster, local coffee shops and co-working facilities can provide reliable wireless connectivity, and retailers can implement wayfinding and beacon technologies to direct customers to items in-store using their smartphones.
5G can present many opportunities for businesses. We now live in a digital world, and the pace at which information flows will only continue to increase. With 5G Business Internet, companies can help make themselves more competitive in this digital environment, deliver more responsive service and provide the best customer experience possible today and well into the future.