Home appliances aren’t the hottest subject, nor are they something that conjures up images of glitz and pizazz. However, with 5G technology on the horizon, your home will get a serious makeover making the smart home of your dreams, a reality. Smart homes already exist to an extent, but with the power of 5G your appliances will become even smarter and work more efficiently in ways you never thought possible. Let’s review how 5G will work in your home.
You may be wondering what’s so special about 5G. 5G is the fifth generation in wireless technology and is much faster than the 4G you use today. Your 4G devices can reach peak speeds of around 1 Mbps, whereas 5G can reach up to 20 Gbps. In addition, 5G provides a one-millisecond latency, faster than the blink of an eye. For example, think of trying to download a full-movie onto your phone. On a 4G network, that may take upwards of 10 minutes, but on 5G you can download an entire movie in less than a second.
High speeds and ultra-low latency are a lot of what’s got people excited about 5G, another lesser discussed detail is the better network capacity you’ll see. Meaning, your wireless network will be able to handle more devices connected to it, without the sacrifice in service. For example, you’re at home with five other people and they’re all using the network for high-data driven activities, such as streaming, downloading or gaming. You’ll likely notice a lag in performance, something is buffering longer than it should, or you’re experiencing super slow download speeds for an image or video. With 5G, this won’t be a problem because the networks will be more efficient, and you can have multiple devices all connected to the same network using as much data as they want, with no interruption.
5G technology is poised to revolutionize the way you live at home because of the improved network capacity, low latency and high speeds- delivering a streamlined and better-connected experience across all of your devices.
5G will benefit your home in a number of ways:
- Improved Security Systems
- The improved latency will help to improve home security systems where milliseconds count. You’ll be able to see what’s going on inside and outside your home in real-time with a crystal-clear picture. Smarter motion sensors will identify residents, visitors and potential burglars and notify authorities- making your home safer.
- Smarter Lighting
- Lighting that adjusts based on time of day, people in the room or activities happening in the room.
- Better Irrigation Systems
- Imagine having a sprinkler system that knows the weather and can plan a watering schedule accordingly or being able to analyze the ground’s moisture level and adjust without you.
- Better Thermostats
- We already can monitor home temperatures from apps on our phone, but 5G would power smarter thermostats that can self-regulate based on time of day, outside temperature, homeowners usual patterns such as coming and going, etc.
- Smart Appliances
- There is a world of appliances just waiting for 5G technology to power it. All of your home appliances could connect with each other and work harmoniously without you lifting a finger. For example, a smart coffee maker that immediately kicks on and starts brewing your favorite cup of coffee as soon as you walk into the kitchen. Perhaps programming your oven to turn on and start pre-heating for dinner as soon as you get home from work?
Most of the smart devices you’ve got connected in your home are done through protocols like Zigbee and Z-Wave. 5G will make them look snail-like in comparison and will essentially replace any existing protocols if you have currently in your home.
In order for 5G to be a dominant presence in your home, you’ll need to upgrade all of your wireless devices for 5G capable devices. Because of the way 5G works, manufacturers will need to update their products with chips and antennas that are able to access the 5G networks. So just because you get 5G coverage in your area, doesn’t mean your Amazon Alexa will automatically be connected to 5G- same goes for your phone. Anything and everything that is connected to the internet will need to be upgraded to a 5G capable device in order to connect to 5G networks. That’s not to say you’ll experience less-than-stellar service on your 4G networks. You’ll see a performance boost as 5G rolls out in your area so while you may not be connected to 5G, you’ll still see faster speeds.
It’s going to take years for 5G to rollout across the U.S., especially in the rural parts of the country where internet access is already a pain point. Regardless of when 5G comes to your neighborhood and 5G powered smart appliances become the norm- it’s going to change the way you live at home for the better.