5G has been an extremely hot topic on everyone’s lips for a while now. With the promise of ground-breaking speeds and faster response times, everyone wants to know how 5G will affect their business. For example, manufactures can use 5G to increase precision and control for machinery, as well as drastically decreasing download time for live data and hazard detection. But what about 5G digital signage? Will there be much impact?
In this blog we discuss how 5G could impact your digital signage project.
What is 5G Technology?
5G technology is often referred to as “the new generation of wireless technology“. It is the latest addition to mobile technology, following 3G and 4G. Each development of the technology has lead to drastic improvements regarding what we can do on the go. With 5G comes blisteringly fast upload and download speeds. Not only does this mean it’s easier to watch a high-resolution video, but devices can also talk to each other and download data much faster.
Another highlighted benefit of 5G is its wider use of the radio spectrum. Not only does this mean more people can use the mobile internet at once, it reduces the risk of bottle-necking. As a result, 5G is more likely to maintain its fast speeds.
In the future, experts believe 5G speeds could reach 10Gbit/s. To put it another way, 4G has a maximum speed of around 100Mbps. Therefore, this could mean that 5G has the potential to be 9900% faster (99 times faster).
5G Digital Signage
So 5G sounds great, but how will this impact your digital signage projects in the future? 5G digital signage involves connecting your digital signage network to 5G.
Digital signage itself has evolved in the last few years with most users switching to cloud-based software solutions. This has allowed whole digital signage networks to be controlled from one central dashboard. A cloud-based solution will mean that all of your media players, screens, and content will rely on an internet connection. The better the connection the faster your content can download, the smoother your streams and the faster live data can be captured and displayed. With 5G brings an ocean of possibilities for digital signage. But what can we expect to see from the technology?
5G Digital Signage Brings Better IoT Connectivity
Advances in smart technology have seen a huge increase in IoT devices. As devices become smarter and have more data to offer, more organisations are seeing the advantages of adopting IoT technologies. Thanks to staggering low latency times of 5G, IoT devices are able to operate at higher levels of effectiveness and efficiency. This is more true in situations where real-time network performance is paramount such as pinpoint remote surgeries, or self-driving cars. For digital signage, this increased connectivity with IoT is hugely beneficial. With 5G numerous IoT devices can be connected and transfer data back to the screen. For example, the speed at which live data can be deployed to a digital dashboard will increase drastically.
Faster Content Distribution
For users who place a high value on keeping content updated in real-time, 5G could be game-changing. With the majority of digital signage projects now using the internet and the cloud, internet speeds can be paramount regarding a project’s success. Your internet speed will determine how quickly your media player can download/stream content and display it on screen. In some cases, internet connections can be slow. This causes the time it takes for the media player to download content to increase and can even hinder how long it takes for support teams to remotely solve issues.
4G connection has been used in digital signage projects frequently with a high level of success. However, in times when many people are also using their own 4G connection around the screens, it may slow down how fast the screen can download new content. If you’ve ever been to a concert or sporting event you’ll notice at half time when everyone is on their phones it can be challenging to get online. However, with 5G’s faster speeds and more extensive use of radio waves, this is likely to be an issue of the past. With a 5G connection, your screens should be able to quickly download new content no matter how high the frequency is of 5G.
Higher Quality Content
Some digital signage users have shied away from using high-quality content such as 4K videos or live streams. The reason for this is sometimes because the users are worried about their download speeds. For example, if a user wants to stream 4K video to their screens, their internet connection needs to be fast and consistent. If the speed drops the quality may buffer, pixilate, or crash. Could 5G’s faster speeds help?
The increase of download speeds is likely to bring a trend of higher quality content. It is thought with a 5G connection users will be able to download entire 4K movies in seconds. High-quality streaming should be no issue either. Through a 5G connection, the user should be able to stream great quality video to their screens without having to worry about buffering or loss of quality. This suggests it is more likely we’ll see higher quality content as a top digital signage trend to look out for.
If you have any questions related to 5G Digital Signage, speak to an expert today. Call our friendly team on 02380 981110 or Email info@troudigital.com for a no-obligation consultation. Alternatively, click the button below.
