With its fast speeds and high coverage density, 5G promises to power several emerging technologies, such as sensors and autonomous cars, smart cities and their smart street lights, and even video cameras. However, just like any other emerging technology, 5G will require a growth period and is still limited in scale.
Currently, 5G is only operating in select cities, including Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta as well as in fixed-use cases within homes through offerings such as Verizon’s 5G home network. The fact that 5G is only in major cities within the United States impacts the availability of fast cellular service in the future. According to Cisco’s Global VNI Forecast, 5G will only account for 3 percent of wireless connections by 2022. Its scope is finite for the foreseeable future and will inevitably leave consumers relying on currently available broadband systems, such as Wi-Fi and 4G.
With the advancement of additional 5G devices, we are well underway in developing the next 5G Defense, Personal Space Defender. As electronics and technology expand for the next electronic devices, satellite broadband will be another option of wireless connection. In the next decade, 5G wireless will drive economic growth for decades to come, but we need a comprehensive strategy for securing an effective 5G defense that will enable economic growth and effectively reduce the health risks that accompany this technology.