5G visionaries make a head start on the internet of things

There will be 50 billion everyday objects connected to the internet by 2020 Photo: (c) John Rensten

By Dr John-Paul Rooney, Patent attorney at Withers & Rogers

With the 5G mobile network set to launch in 2020, the UK’s brightest minds are poised to drive innovation, championing new hardware and technologies that will transform the way we live.

By the time of 5G’s inception, it is estimated that there will be up to 100 billion internet-ready devices on the planet. So, while you’ll be glad to hear that internet speeds will dramatically increase, with the capability to download a movie in less than a second, this really is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what it will enable.

Anyone who’s read a newspaper in the last six months will no doubt have come across the concept of ‘the internet of things’, this idea of machine-to-machine communication has the potential to completely overhaul the way we use technology. At present, the radio spectrum through which we communicate is extremely congested; 5G will increase the number of and broaden the available channels, allowing a larger number to operate simultaneously, with higher bandwidths, and with reliably lower-latency. And all of this with reduced power consumption.

This capability will allow large numbers of low-power inanimate objects equipped with sensors to ‘talk to’ other internet-ready devices, reliably and without significant delay. For example, driverless cars will be brought to reality on a commercially useful scale, and will be able to receive driving instructions, and a steady stream of real-time data about traffic volumes and the movement of other vehicles. In this way, cars of the future will be able to calculate the safest, fastest route. These smart cars could also more effectively detect and report faults in the vehicle and, to save the owner time, book a service at the nearest garage and drive there independently.

One of the most exciting areas of application is healthcare. In effect, personal hardware devices which monitor information such as blood glucose and heart rate could transfer data about patients’ vital signs remotely, passing it to a doctor and alerting them if an individual’s condition has worsened. This technology could help to increase the amount of out-patient care that can be delivered, thereby reducing the need for overnight hospital stays and freeing up beds. Furthermore, ambulances on the way to an emergency could access patient medical records and pull up real-time data on their current condition before arriving at the scene, allowing more immediately effective treatment.

Even though 5G has not yet been fully defined, the promise of a faster, more reliable network is mobilising engineers around the world. The combination of a lack of constraints and the promise of high monetary rewards available for those whose technologies take off, has acted as a catalyst in promoting further research and development. While there are opportunities for those developing hardware and the algorithms that will support the low power and reliability requirements of the internet of things, data security is another area which will need to be greatly advanced for the 5G network to thrive.
With more devices connected to the internet, and these devices collecting personal data such as medical information and location, security will be of central importance. Devices holding sensitive information are vulnerable to attack and it is likely that 5G capabilities will herald the creation of data vaults; Fort Knox-style storage facilities protected from cyber and physical attack.
It is vital that companies creating these new technologies obtain patents to protect their intellectual property at an early stage. Doing so will enable the sale and licensing of products which add functionality to, or are enabled by, the 5G network. Some businesses may choose to adopt a dual patent strategy, the first protecting their primary market which is not 5G related, and the second strategy protecting their more speculative innovation that could form part of the new 5G standard.
While the criteria for the standard is still unknown, the creation of the first truly global mobile network represents a huge opportunity for innovators. Taking action to create new technology now, and protecting that technology with patents could create new products and services for companies to sell, create jobs, and open up export markets. Whether or not all of these innovations are used by the 5G network, the current surge in research and development is going to be hugely beneficial for Britain’s technology industry.