The inseparable link between intelligent automation and 5G
Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2024 5:16 am
Just thirty years after Windows 95 shipped on twenty-one 1.44MB floppy disks, the average person transmits 4GB of data per day, and Huawei predicts that data usage will increase 30-fold by 2025. To handle this explosive amount of data, telecom infrastructure leaders are preparing their networks for 5G and relying heavily on intelligent automation to keep them running.
What is 5G and how do speeds compare to other technologies?
Companies and innovators have been spreading hype about the god-given benefits of 5G. But despite its ubiquity, many consumers are still confused, wondering exactly how much faster 5G is than the technologies used today.
The “G” in 5G stands for “generation,” and it’s the crowning glory in a long line of technologies that have worked together to universalize the smartphone activities we take for granted. A quick look back:
1G: Brick-sized devices were limited to 2.4Kbps. Early cell phones transmitted only voice signals and operated on technology more akin to radio than the internet-enabled devices we know today.
2G: 2G bid farewell to analog signals and was the first foray into digital. Its 40 Kbps allowed for clearer voice transmission and ushered in the era of fast text and photo messaging.
3G: With a cruising speed of 7.2 Mbps, cellular technology can now carry more interesting data packets, such as photos and websites, which are better able to mimic the PC experience. 3G is still the most widely used worldwide, covering 87% of populated areas .
4G: On average, 4G devices reach speeds of 20 to 40 Mbps, which exceeds 3G speeds. 4G devices download Avengers: Endgame at lightning speeds and in vivid detail. This is also the speed that powers Zoom meetings and real-time connectivity for first responders. However, mobile speeds are still far behind wired networks.
5G promises speeds of around 10Gbps , or 100 times faster than 4G, which is a far cry from the 2.4Kbps of early mobile phones. 5G is expected to streamline automated tasks in unprecedented ways, from factories to self-driving cars.
How do 5G and automation go hand in hand?
Intelligent automation in the telecom industry will play such a significant role in the 5G rollout that one thought leader noted that “tomorrow’s network operations center will communication email list consist of just a man and a dog.” Networks will operate autonomously, scouring infinitely large data sets to adjust network capacity based on real-time information. While there are only 7.7 billion people on the planet, Huawei also predicts that there will be 100 billion connections worldwide by 2025—a colossal amount that no human could handle through manual activity.
With its big promise, 5G is poised to be a game-changer for businesses and consumers in everything from sporting events to operating rooms. We’re entering an era of “ ubiquitous sensing ,” where cell phones won’t be the only devices begging for airwaves, but previously silent devices will join the digital revolution. Oil rigs, washing machines, and even salt shakers are signing online, and communications service providers (CSPs) are turning to automation to keep up with skyrocketing demand. Even cows will get an IP address, with Huawei also predicting 1 billion connected cows in digital cornfields by 2025. 5G will deliver a level of computing power to crunch data and solve the traveling salesman problems that have baffled mathematicians for years.

Automation is the backbone of what makes this all possible. With an increasing number of devices transmitting astronomical digital volume, CSPs are using automation to allocate system resources to support real-time usage, allowing them to fully support this brave new world.
What is 5G and how do speeds compare to other technologies?
Companies and innovators have been spreading hype about the god-given benefits of 5G. But despite its ubiquity, many consumers are still confused, wondering exactly how much faster 5G is than the technologies used today.
The “G” in 5G stands for “generation,” and it’s the crowning glory in a long line of technologies that have worked together to universalize the smartphone activities we take for granted. A quick look back:
1G: Brick-sized devices were limited to 2.4Kbps. Early cell phones transmitted only voice signals and operated on technology more akin to radio than the internet-enabled devices we know today.
2G: 2G bid farewell to analog signals and was the first foray into digital. Its 40 Kbps allowed for clearer voice transmission and ushered in the era of fast text and photo messaging.
3G: With a cruising speed of 7.2 Mbps, cellular technology can now carry more interesting data packets, such as photos and websites, which are better able to mimic the PC experience. 3G is still the most widely used worldwide, covering 87% of populated areas .
4G: On average, 4G devices reach speeds of 20 to 40 Mbps, which exceeds 3G speeds. 4G devices download Avengers: Endgame at lightning speeds and in vivid detail. This is also the speed that powers Zoom meetings and real-time connectivity for first responders. However, mobile speeds are still far behind wired networks.
5G promises speeds of around 10Gbps , or 100 times faster than 4G, which is a far cry from the 2.4Kbps of early mobile phones. 5G is expected to streamline automated tasks in unprecedented ways, from factories to self-driving cars.
How do 5G and automation go hand in hand?
Intelligent automation in the telecom industry will play such a significant role in the 5G rollout that one thought leader noted that “tomorrow’s network operations center will communication email list consist of just a man and a dog.” Networks will operate autonomously, scouring infinitely large data sets to adjust network capacity based on real-time information. While there are only 7.7 billion people on the planet, Huawei also predicts that there will be 100 billion connections worldwide by 2025—a colossal amount that no human could handle through manual activity.
With its big promise, 5G is poised to be a game-changer for businesses and consumers in everything from sporting events to operating rooms. We’re entering an era of “ ubiquitous sensing ,” where cell phones won’t be the only devices begging for airwaves, but previously silent devices will join the digital revolution. Oil rigs, washing machines, and even salt shakers are signing online, and communications service providers (CSPs) are turning to automation to keep up with skyrocketing demand. Even cows will get an IP address, with Huawei also predicting 1 billion connected cows in digital cornfields by 2025. 5G will deliver a level of computing power to crunch data and solve the traveling salesman problems that have baffled mathematicians for years.

Automation is the backbone of what makes this all possible. With an increasing number of devices transmitting astronomical digital volume, CSPs are using automation to allocate system resources to support real-time usage, allowing them to fully support this brave new world.