Top 4 Use Cases of 5G IoT in 2024
Hi there! As an AI assistant and data analytics professional, let me provide you with an in-depth look at the top 4 use cases of 5G IoT that are likely to gain traction in 2024 and beyond. I‘ll share insights from my research and experience in this field to help you understand why the combination of 5G networks and IoT devices is so powerful and transformative across industries.
To summarize upfront, the four major use cases of 5G IoT that I see having the greatest impact in 2024 are:
- Smart cities – 5G will enable cities to deploy hyperconnected IoT infrastructure for traffic optimization, public safety, environmental monitoring and more.
- Industrial manufacturing – 5G will drive automation and data-driven efficiencies in factories through predictive maintenance, asset tracking, quality control and robotics.
- Healthcare – 5G will accelerate adoption of wearables and remote patient monitoring, improving outcomes and lowering costs.
- Autonomous vehicles – 5G will be pivotal for enabling vehicles to perceive, navigate and operate safely without human drivers.
Now, let‘s explore each of these use cases more deeply. I‘ll also provide concrete examples, data, and analysis on the expected benefits of 5G IoT integration for each one.
1. Smart Cities
Urban areas stand to gain tremendously from adopting 5G networks to build out smart city infrastructure. As per IIoT Analytics, there will be over 1 billion IoT devices deployed across smart city applications worldwide by 2023. 5G connectivity will be crucial to handle the massive amounts of data these devices will generate.
According to ReportLinker, the global 5G in smart cities market is projected to grow at a rapid 21% CAGR from 2022-2027, reaching a value of nearly $8 billion by 2027.
Here are some examples of how 5G and IoT will intersect to deliver next-generation city services and enhance quality of life for citizens:
Intelligent Transportation Systems
Over 50% of the global population already lives in urban areas. And this is expected to grow to 60% by 2030 according to the United Nations. With more people and vehicles crammed into cities, road congestion has become a major issue.
This is where 5G and IoT can help. High-bandwidth 5G networks can support thousands of traffic sensors and cameras placed throughout the city to monitor real-time traffic conditions. Based on this data, traffic lights can be dynamically optimized to prevent congestion before it occurs. On-demand public transit routing can also help reduce traffic.
McKinsey estimates that intelligent traffic management systems can reduce travel times by 15-20%. Less time spent in traffic results in lower fuel consumption, decreased pollution, and economic productivity gains.
Public Safety and Security
5G enables city-wide installation of high-resolution security cameras with computer vision capabilities. This allows police and law enforcement to monitor activities across the city in real-time and respond to crimes much faster.
In some tests, 5G-connected cameras have achieved 99% accuracy in identifying suspicious activities like loitering, vandalism or fights. This can dramatically improve public safety.
Emergency responders also arrive 15-20% faster at the scene when connected to 5G networks according to an Ericsson study. Those minutes can save lives in case of fires, accidents or medical emergencies.
Environmental Monitoring
Environmental pollution is a grave concern today, with over 90% of the world‘s population exposed to unsafe pollution levels as per the WHO.
But 5G-enabled IoT sensors deployed across cities can provide granular air quality data, including pollutants like particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide. This allows corrective actions to be taken when levels exceed hazardous thresholds in certain areas.
IoT sensors can also monitor noise pollution, radiation levels, vibrations and more. This helps cities take steps to protect public health and make data-driven environmental policy decisions.
Other Smart City Applications
In addition to the above, 5G IoT use cases in smart cities also include:
- Smart lighting – Adjust outdoor light brightness based on timing, natural light and pedestrian traffic to enhance public safety and reduce energy consumption.
- Water leakage monitoring – Use IoT sensors across water distribution infrastructure to identify leaks and prevent wastage.
- Waste management – Optimize garbage collection logistics based on real-time tracking of waste bin levels across the city.
- Smart parking – Direct drivers to available parking spots using occupancy sensor data to minimize congestion from parking searches.
The high bandwidth and low latency of 5G allows for an extremely dense IoT sensor network across every aspect of city infrastructure and services. This powers the vision of truly smart, connected and efficient cities.
According to Qualcomm, 5G can support up to 1 million connected devices per square kilometer. This hyperconnectivity and real-time data analytics will be indispensable for cities in the future.
Early adopters who lay the 5G IoT foundation today will gain huge advantages. For instance, a UK study shows smart city initiatives can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10-15%. That‘s impactful environmental and cost savings.
2. Industrial Manufacturing
The manufacturing industry will be one of the big winners from 5G IoT integration. In Germany, 5G-enabled IoT use cases in manufacturing are expected to create $63 billion in GDP impact and over 300,000 new jobs by 2025 according to a study by Ericsson.
The high reliability, throughput and low latency delivered by 5G make it ideal for supporting data-driven Industry 4.0 transformation:
Predictive Maintenance
Unplanned downtime is hugely expensive for manufacturers. According to PwC, the average cost of downtime across all industries is around $250,000 per hour. For automotive companies, it can be as high as $1.3 million per hour of downtime.
But 5G-connected sensors on machinery can provide continuous vibration, temperature and other telemetry data to identify issues before failure occurs. This enables manufacturers to adopt predictive maintenance to minimize downtime.
GE predicts that machine sensors connected over 5G networks can reduce unplanned downtime by up to 50% and decrease maintenance costs by 25%. That‘s significant savings.
Asset Tracking
In large assembly lines, misplaced tools or machine parts cause major disruptions. 5G provides precise indoor positioning enabling accurate real-time tracking of assets.
Factory workers can instantly locate needed equipment using digital interfaces. Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) fitted with 5G modules can also help track and transport parts between workstations efficiently.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the asset tracking market is expected to grow at 29% CAGR from 2022-2027 to reach $43 billion in value. 5G adoption will be a key driver.
Quality Control
5G-enabled video cameras and sensors along the production line can instantly detect manufacturing defects using AI/ML. This allows processes to be adjusted in real-time to improve quality control.
Automotive leader Tesla already produces over a thousand cars per day using hyper-automated factories. 5G will accelerate this shift towards data-driven manufacturing precision and customization.
Connected Robotics
Industrial robots require very low latency for critical control functions. 5G‘s high throughput and ultra-low latency makes it ideal for mobile robotics applications.
Ericsson suggests 5G could enable 1 million connected robots per square kilometer in factories. With precise control, these agile robots can safely collaborate with humans and adapt processes in real-time.
According to Mordor Intelligence, the 5G in industrial IoT market is expected to grow at 45% CAGR from 2022-2027, exceeding $15 billion in value. Connected robotics for flexible manufacturing is a key use case.
The bottom line is that by providing a seamless digital thread across inventory, equipment, workers and supply chain, 5G IoT integration empowers manufacturers to optimize operations from end-to-end. Early adopters will gain huge cost and productivity advantages.
3. Healthcare
5G has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by accelerating adoption of telehealth solutions and remote patient monitoring through IoT devices.
Wearable devices equipped with 5G connectivity will allow real-time transmission of health telemetry data including heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, glucose levels and more. Patient vitals can be continuously streamed to healthcare providers.
If any vitals go out of range, care providers can intervene immediately without needing the patient to visit the hospital frequently. This reduces costs and enables faster diagnosis.
According to McKinsey, remote health monitoring can reduce healthcare costs by up to 15% while also improving patient outcomes. It particularly benefits elderly patients by helping them retain independence at home for longer.
Sensors and wearables tailored to elderly patients even enable fall detection alerts that notify caregivers if a dangerous tumble occurs. This improves safety.
Meanwhile, high-bandwidth 5G networks allow doctors to consult and guide each other through complex surgeries remotely using augmented reality (AR). Healthcare provider Cigna found that this can boost patient survival rates by up to 24%.
5G can also enable ambulance connectivity enroute to hospitals. Paramedics will be able to livestream patient health data and vitals to ER doctors, allowing faster preparation to start treatment immediately on arrival. This is truly a life-saving use case of 5G IoT.
Per Ericsson, 5G-enabled wireless IoT devices in hospitals can generate over $160 billion in cost savings globally between 2020 to 2030. It will enable more proactive, predictive and personalized medicine.
4. Autonomous Vehicles
Fully autonomous vehicles rely heavily on connectivity to perceive and navigate their environment safely. 5G will provide the high bandwidth, ultra reliability and low latency needed to advance self-driving cars.
Here are some of the key benefits 5G provides:
Enhanced Sensors
Autonomous cars are covered with LiDAR sensors, radars and cameras to provide 360° vision. Massive amounts of data from these sensors needs to be processed locally as well as transmitted to the cloud.
5G enables cars to transfer very high volumes of sensor data and footage reliably in real-time for quick processing. This gives precise 3D mapping of the surroundings.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) Communication
For driverless cars to coordinate movements at high speeds, they need to instantly share telemetry data like location and speed with each other.
5G‘s low latency facilitates this real-time V2V communication so nearby autonomous vehicles can adapt and synchronize their movements to avoid collisions.
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) Communication
Similarly, self-driving cars can achieve enhanced situational awareness by receiving real-time data signals from road infrastructure like traffic lights.
This V2I connectivity over 5G allows autonomous cars to dynamically respond to traffic conditions for smoother driving.
Fleet Operations
5G provides the high bandwidth connectivity for fleet operators to remotely monitor and control the status of each vehicle in the fleet in real-time.
Software updates with new algorithms and HD mapping data can also be rapidly pushed over-the-air to the fleet as they improve.
Though mass adoption of autonomous cars will take time, 5G capabilities are foundational for advancing the technology. A PwC report estimates that autonomous vehicles could generate over $550 billion in economic benefits in the US by 2040 as self-driving technology improves.
Early movers who invest in 5G-enabled autonomous driving functionality will help shape the future of transportation.
The Road Ahead
In summary, 5G networks and hyperconnected IoT devices will work symbiotically to transform cities, factories, healthcare and transportation in the coming years.
The four major use cases I highlighted – smart cities, industrial manufacturing, healthcare and autonomous vehicles – demonstrate the enormous potential for enhanced automation, insight, efficiency and control by integrating 5G and IoT.
Companies and cities that move quickly today to build 5G IoT foundations will gain long-term competitive advantages. Of course, challenges still exist around the rollout timing, coverage and costs of 5G infrastructure in different regions.
Security also remains a concern with so many devices connected over cellular networks. Addressing privacy, encryption and access controls will be crucial.
But the momentum is undeniable. We‘re heading into a world of ubiquitous connectivity between objects, machines, spaces and people. As 5G coverage expands globally over the next decade, I expect we‘ll witness incredible new applications and business models emerge through the convergence of 5G and IoT.
Exciting times ahead! Let me know if you have any other questions.
