Covering Disruptive Technology Powering Business in The Digital Age

Written by: Izzat Najmi, Journalist, AOPG.

Wireless communication has come a long way since the first-ever transmission in 1895 by Guglielmo Marconi, who sent Morse code wirelessly across a distance of 3.4 kilometres using radio waves. The next big breakthrough came in 1973, when the first-ever mobile phones—known as 0G mobile phones—were invented, thus laying the foundations for wireless communications as we know it today.

Then came the other Gs, each better, more powerful and more useful than its predecessor. The first-generation mobile network—1G—was severely limited by today’s standard, but it gave a sort of preview of what wireless communication could be, which is, at the moment, 5G and its peak speed of 20Gbps. Integrated with the Internet of Things (IoT), automation and Extended Reality (XR). Qualcomm claims that 5G can do even more than what we are already seeing today.

5G Opening the Horizon

Allow me to illustrate this picture: With the power of 5G, companies are able to collect data from the physical world in real-time, allowing them to make lightning-fast decisions that give them a competitive edge. This is like having the ability to see through walls and predict the future.

Now, pair that “power” with edge computing and the data collected can be processed right at the source – making response times even faster and systems more efficient than ever before. It is like the Flash meets Batman, with a dash of Iron Man.

The magic of 5G does not just stop there. With seamless connectivity between devices, businesses can reduce their need for expensive hardware, saving time and money while still enjoying the same level of service as traditional networks. This will enable you to transform your IT investments into gold, making operations more efficient and cost-effective than ever before.

Edge computing also provides a cost-effective way to enhance customer services and accelerate business operations by moving real-time decision-making processes to the edge. This approach leads to a significant increase in speed and flexibility. With an edge strategy in place, companies can launch new products and services quickly without worrying about the high costs associated with cloud capacity and storage space. By offloading such tasks, companies can optimise their cloud resources for more important needs.

Additionally, an edge computing strategy can also cut costs where traditional solutions are either too costly, inefficient by comparison or both. In other words, edge computing enables enterprises to become more agile, responsive and competitive in the market.

The Mixed Bag That Is 5G: The Good Meets the Bad

The advantages of 5G, though, are being felt worldwide. With near-zero lag, 5G is allowing real-time decision-making that is revolutionising entire systems of autonomous vehicles, telesurgery and even smart factories with automated robots. The possibilities are endless, and the technology is already being implemented to improve everything from repetitive and dangerous tasks to critical medical procedures, all with minimal delay.

But for all these benefits, there remains a critical issue—security. Put simply, can 5G thwart threats?

According to Sandeep Bhargava, Global Head of Solutions and Services at Rackspace Technology, the implementation of 5G and increased use of IoT technologies have greatly expanded organisations’ attack surfaces—meaning, there are now more vectors to exploit and more networks to breach.

“In technical terms, this [expanded attack surface] is due to the virtualisation of network functions that were hardware-based in 4G, but simply just means that cybercriminals have more targets to exploit on the network,” explained Sandeep.

Edge processing also uses separate servers and storage systems that may be less protected than ones that are in enterprise locations or centralised cloud data centres, making them ripe targets for threat actors.

To respond according, Sandeep recommends that businesses invest in best-in-class managed security services. These are critical given the evolving threat landscape as they assist companies to anticipate vulnerabilities across multiple IoT ecosystems and stay ahead of attackers.

“These services also ensure proper authentication protocols are established before allowing access into company systems from outside sources, such as mobile phones or computers via secure connections like virtual private networks (VPNs),” Sandeep added.

Hurdles To Overcome

5G, Sandeep notes, is not a magic bullet. With some IoT devices still running on LTE and the costs of 5G consumption for some organisations being prohibitive, integrating these two sets of devices can be a real headache.

Moreover, as data networks like 5G become faster, the temptation to adopt an edge computing strategy grows stronger. However, decision-makers need to be aware of the implications of adopting edge computing to their overall tech strategy. To this end, it is essential to assess the size and importance of each type of organisational data and its time sensitivity. Otherwise, organisations risk incurring costly cloud processing or unacceptable latency, depending on the specific use case.

To implement an effective edge computing strategy, businesses need to carefully consider data storage levels and locations. They must also maintain security measures to prevent poorly implemented or maintained code on edge devices from being hijacked by threat actors.

These challenges may seem daunting, but they also present an opportunity for business decision-makers to identify the business case for edge computing. By conducting initial discovery workstreams, organisations can define their functional and non-functional requirements and ensure that their edge computing strategy’s ultimate success is underpinned by these very requirements.

Ultimately, edge computing should be viewed as a philosophy rather than just a technology solution. By considering the pros and cons of implementing an effective, tailored edge strategy that aligns with their business goals, organisations can determine whether edge computing is the best path forward. They may also find that other impediments to growth can be resolved through other means.

Nevertheless, as exciting as the potential of 5G is, widespread adoption continues to be a work in progress. While developed nations are starting to enjoy the benefits of 5G, there are still many developing countries being left behind.

If it is any consolation, advancements in technology continue to bring down the cost of 5G infrastructure, and it can ultimately lead to a more equitable distribution of this revolutionary technology. Only then, can it be truly super.

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