5G helps unlock business value and further drives enterprises on the path of transformation that started with 4G. This change will be driven by enhanced latency, reliability, bandwidth, capacity, and efficiency, all of which are the hallmarks of 5G. The promise of fibre-fast speeds allows enterprises to think out-of-the-box and identify opportunities for business growth driven by technology innovation, building better inter-system synergies and delivering immersive customer experiences.

It's important that we do not see 5G purely from the prism of extremely high internet speed but think of it as an agent of change that will fuel the evolution of enterprise network architecture.

78% of businesses believe 5G will help unlock new business opportunities and 77% think it will result in productivity gains. The question is why? The answer lies in the capabilities of 5G.

5G Capabilities that Drive Digital Transformation

Enterprise businesses are typically technologically advanced, and their systems and processes keep in step with business growth. Here are some 5G capabilities that have the potential to transform the way enterprise organizations function, and also their products and services:

High Speed: This 5th generation mobile network can deliver speeds between 10 to 20 Gbps, which makes it around 100 times faster than 4G technology. Faster data transfer ensures real-time data sharing that is the bedrock of intelligent systems, which accelerate results-oriented decision making.

Bigger Capacity: 5G can handle extremely high traffic demands, meaning huge amounts of data can be transferred seamlessly, without network connectivity issues. This enables the delivery of bleeding-edge user experiences; it also allows enterprises to leverage next-gen deployment models and make available powerful services.

Higher Density: The rise of IoT and increased reliance across enterprise businesses on connected devices means there is tremendous burden on traditional networks, which simply cannot handle the sheer number of devices working concurrently. 5G has the potential to empower an estimated 1 million devices per square kilometre. Data can be transferred at the same time with the same network, doing away with the need for multiple networks.

Low Latency: The defining capability of 5G is its low latency coupled with high reliability. This is of critical importance in applications where every second counts, zero lag is of paramount importance, and which demand consistent availability of network services.

The Benefits of 5G

The benefits of underpinning services and solutions with the power of 5G are many and varied. And, if truth be told, we have just got started on making optimum use of 5G in an enterprise scenario.

From the manufacturing perspective, 5G can leverage real time machine data that can help manufacturers optimize production workflows. The key here is improved and real time data that improves productivity, efficiency and reduces wastage of resources – personnel, material, time and money.

It also impacts supply chain management as manufacturers get more visibility into the different aspects of their supply chain, and are able to monitor and control the supply chain better with Big Data intelligence. 5G can also enhance the reliability of IoT, wherein manufacturing systems can talk to one another, thus enabling automation, and driving the remote control of huge industrial spaces. Over a period of time, we are going to see more trust in the reliability of IoT, courtesy 5G.

5G also facilitates better customer experiences. Again, it’s the fast connectivity that allows enterprises to build immersive applications that can help them connect better with their customers. We are talking about getting in front of customers, when they want a business’s services most. Think about making use of the metaverse to sell products, AR empowered retail applications, and much more.

Healthcare is another domain wherein 5G can make its mark and started doing so. The pandemic put a lot of pressure on existing medical systems and a realization that traditional approach to healthcare won’t be enough. We saw an uptick in telemedicine, but it was rife with problems because of unreliable speed and connectivity issues. The robustness of telehealth is an outcome of faster internet speeds, availability, and capacity. Three qualities that 5G can bring to healthcare. Information can be sent and received quickly and connected medical systems can ensure the right advice and treatment options are made available on the fly and remotely.

This is just the start.

Advanced procedures like robotic surgery which demand extremely low latency can now be popularly leveraged for across-the-globe surgeries. A doctor sitting out of Malaysia can conduct surgeries for patients in the United States. The key pillar of successful robotic surgery is not just the technological capability of the surgical systems but also clearer video resolution, video streaming and information transfer. Everything should happen in real-time, without lag. 5G is making this possible and large hospitals can now offer their services across the globe, without having a large footprint in the form of infrastructure and staff.

Educational institutes can also benefit from 5G wherein their teachers can provide academic services remotely. We have seen online learning pick up steam during the pandemic, and one of the biggest complaints was inconsistent speeds and resource availability, which together impacted the learning process. With 5G and the advantage of reliable and fast speeds, fostering ideal teacher-student connect becomes easy.

Another area where 5G is set to offer huge dividends is autonomous driving. One of the features of 5G architecture is network slicing wherein, a single wireless network can be divided into different network levels. Each level is used for a specific function. This hugely benefits automated driving, because you have just one data highway to pass information to onboard systems, whether safety related, infotainment or any other.

Again, it would be wise to repeat that we have just begun scratching the surface of 5G, and how its capabilities will drive improvements across sectors, in the enterprise space. As the sectoral penetration of 5G improves, its applicability will increase, and we will find enterprises using this technology in newer and more innovative ways.

5G Demands Robust Support

No technology exists in isolation, and this is true for 5G as well. You need robust 5G backhaul to connect the wired network to the mobile network. Whether it is manufacturing, healthcare, education or any other industry, a stable network backhaul is critical for managing the huge amounts of traffic and the bandwidth support that is needed across devices.

With ethernet backhaul you benefit from a standard backhaul solution for 5G that delivers wide area coverage and much needed flexibility and reliability when it comes to point-to-point and point-to-multipoint services. If enterprises want to benefit from 5G they cannot ignore the nature of backhaul that will support their reliance on 5G. Not doing so will be immensely counterproductive.

TM Global - A 5G Network Enabler Focusing on Nation Building

TM Global seeks to leverage the immense potential of 5G to facilitate digital transformation and fuel Malaysia’s growth across diverse sectors. The company aims to become a trusted wholesale infrastructure provider and 5G enabler by fuelling Malaysia’s digital blueprint enabled through continuous support for JENDELA and MYDIGITAL. It also seeks to provide extensive coverage for 4G and 5G deployment in Malaysia and expand nationwide broadband coverage. By the end of 2022, we have revitalise the domestic content and IP services ecosystem with total of 62 TMiX nodes deployed, each facility specifically designed to be closer to the customer for better user experience. This has the capacity to increase peering and interconnect across Malaysia and strengthen the internet ecosystem in the country.