How 5G Will Power Up The Hybrid Workplace?

Significantly higher internet speeds and enhanced connectivity will transform how teams can collaborate online

- Pranita Bhosale

Frozen video meetings could soon be a thing of the past as the ongoing rollout of high-speed 5G internet across various countries promises to make online working easier and more efficient than ever. With connections up to 100 times faster than 4G and near-zero latency – or lag in network response time – 5G internet enables super-fast uploads and downloads. This makes real-time applications such as high-definition video conferences and online editing of data-intensive files significantly smoother – and without current issues around dropped connections.

What’s more, once 5G networks are fully rolled out, employees will no longer be tied to a Wi-Fi router to work online. Such developments will underpin hybrid working as more companies permit employees to log on from outside the office two to three days a week.

“The hybrid office is all about collaboration across the different digital and physical spaces that people can work from,” said Akshay Thakur, Head of Technology Consulting, EMEA & APAC at JLL Technologies. “5G internet will bring better connectivity to all these places – whether that’s the home office, on transport or out in the field – enabling people to truly work from anywhere.”

SAFE AT WORK

Where video calls may currently stutter on home WiFi networks when someone streams a film, the high bandwidth of 5G supports many devices simultaneously processing internet-intensive applications. Meanwhile, its network slicing capabilities allows high-priority tasks to have dedicated bandwidth.

It will also add an extra layer of security to remotely accessing data. Although many organisations already use virtual private networks (VPN), data access is often tiered to protect sensitive information. 5G network slicing would enable service providers to offer a private segment of bandwidth accessible only by an organisation.