Five Ways for the 5G Internet of Things to Change the World

　 　　◎ reporter Liu Xia

　　The progress of technology is usually to make our life better!

　　From 4G to 5G, it is not only a faster Internet access, but also an information revolution that changes society. 5G is inherently more efficient than 4 G. Therefore, the 5G era will be an intelligent era with high speed and Internet of Everything, which will not only revolutionize communication technology and industrial services, but also subvert social management, energy production and human lifestyle. As the saying goes, "4G changes life and 5G changes society".

　　In a recent report, Forbes biweekly website listed five ways that the 5G Internet of Things has an impact on the world, including better energy management and smarter government services, reducing all kinds of waste including food, and better managing and utilizing ecological resources such as forests.

　　Better energy management and smarter government services

　　Intelligent energy management has always been considered as one of the key advantages of smart cities. For example, owners can use the Internet of Things powered by 5G to save energy when buildings are unoccupied. By networking monitoring equipment, energy companies can balance the consumption demand of enterprises and consumers with the output of renewable energy such as wind energy and solar energy. At the same time, public utilities can minimize the demand for electricity from fossil fuel power stations, and finally plan a future energy model that is almost carbon-free and move towards this goal.

　　Governments are also planning to use the 5G Internet of Things to provide core services efficiently and economically, such as monitoring key infrastructure, improving energy efficiency, managing road traffic and strengthening public safety. A report released last year by Deloitte’s Center for Insight into Government Affairs shows that transportation companies are working with port departments and government agencies to test the capabilities of 5G-enabled networks in automating cargo handling, guiding ship traffic and managing port energy use.

　　Reduce vehicle emissions

　　Although many governments have made plans to gradually replace fuel vehicles with electric vehicles, there are many things that can be done to reduce emissions.

　　Vehicles connected with 5G can transmit the vehicle status data, such as whether the brake pads become too thin due to wear and need to be replaced, to the manufacturer through on-board sensors. By combining these data with usage pattern data, manufacturers can adjust and optimize the performance and fuel efficiency of automobiles through in-flight software. In the future, sensors will communicate with sensors in other cars and infrastructure through 5G. This technology, called Cellular Vehicle Connected to Everything (Cv2x), will help pave the way for fully automatic vehicles. Even now, anonymous 5G data collected by T-Mobile network can highlight slow-moving traffic areas in real time, so that connected cars can get advice on the best route, keep moving, save fuel and reduce emissions.

　　Car-calling and carpooling applications popular in the 4G era are expected to use 5G to develop a new cutting-edge cloud-based computing infrastructure. This low-delay connection can be used for intelligent driving assistance and improve safety by providing drivers with constantly updated information about road and traffic conditions. At the same time, artificial intelligence personal assistants can improve passengers’ car experience through information services and streaming video.

　　Save resources and reduce waste

　　According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, American households waste about 900 billion gallons of water every year due to leakage, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of nearly 11 million households. Smart water sensors connected to the Internet of Things supporting 5G can not only detect leakage, but also detect water pollution. The scale of 5G means that people can deploy larger and more sensitive sensor networks to save and optimize water for enterprises and public organizations. Sensors can combine weather data with soil and crop status data to optimize agricultural water use and the use of fertilizers and pesticides, helping farmers to better allocate resources, work more efficiently and reduce the impact on the environment.

　　Waste of food will also waste the energy and water needed to produce food. Connecting with 5G agricultural technology can not only reduce food waste on farms, but also track every link of food from factories to consumers by using 5G smart labels, so as to meet market demand while ensuring food quality. For example, the vegetables are labeled with the harvest time and date, and the labels are updated according to the actual storage temperature after they arrive at the store, so as to provide consumers with a more accurate expiration date.

　　Emergency and humanitarian assistance

　　The Internet of Things driven by 5G will use sensors in areas vulnerable to floods or wildfires to transmit early warning data, thus saving lives and protecting property and the environment. In case of fire, 5G can not only improve the communication between firefighters and other institutions, but also the augmented reality tools driven by 5G (such as smart helmet masks) can let firefighters see the situation in the fire center and cut off smoke and flames. In addition, the video analysis data transmitted through the 5G network will reveal the heat level released by burning materials and the chemical composition of gas, providing firefighters with unprecedented detailed information.

　　In addition, when natural disasters occur, or in areas where conflicts occur in the world, people can use the rapid installation of drones to provide additional 5G connections for emergency communication, so that citizens and response teams in conflict and disaster areas can resume contact and humanitarian assistance can be deployed more effectively.

　　Protect natural habitats

　　Forests have played a great role in protecting the environment and making people’s lives healthier and happier. In addition to protecting the forest and its native wildlife from fire, the sensor of Internet of Things can also monitor the health status of trees and give an alarm to the danger of pollution, disease or water shortage.

　　In addition, 5G can also better utilize, develop and manage forest resources, and provide users with good smart tourism services. Sherwood Forest Country Park in England is a vivid example. Sherwood Forest Park is world-famous, and the story of the legendary chivalrous Robin Hood takes place here, attracting tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world every year.

　　The UK plans to conceive Sherwood Forest as the world’s first 5G "connected forest" and allocate about 5 million pounds for this purpose, focusing on exploring the potential of 5G applications in protecting forests and their environment, and enhancing the tourist experience in the surrounding areas of forests. The plan will be completed in 2021. In terms of tourism experience, the legendary image of Robin Hood will be turned into reality in Sherwood Forest Visitor Center through 3D/4D virtual reality experience. In the protection of scenic spots, the most advanced digital technologies such as testing unmanned aerial vehicles and robots will be used to help investigate and monitor the health of forests and minimize the impact on the environment.