The fifth generation of wireless technology — commonly referred to as 5G — has the potential to not only enhance education but also revitalize cities such as Syracuse that could use an economic boost.

Last week in Las Vegas, at the Consumer Electronics Show, companies showcased the future of 5G.

This new generation of technology is worth investing in. It could transform the city of Syracuse.

“4G is basically a continuation from 3G in terms of improvement in data rate, latency and quality of service. Although 5G continues this trend, the biggest change is with the new technologies that come in such as the Internet of Things, smart cities and next-gen cloud computing, all of which depend on the development of 5G,” said Amir Esmailpour, an assistant professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of New Haven.

The city of Syracuse can benefit from the installation of 5G in two ways — education and public infrastructure.

Susie Teuscher | Digital Design Editor

As schools spend more of their budgets on information technology infrastructure in order to keep up with other schools, 5G also promises to bring the Internet of Things into campuses.

The Internet of Things is a growing network of physical objects that feature internet connectivity. 5G enables the use of this with the increase in device capacity and network density. This has the potential to change the role of teachers in the classroom by reducing the administrative burden and allowing them to concentrate on the students. 5G would allow for automatic attendance and an ability to have real-time feedback on students’ progress with a live analysis of notes.

As classes utilize more and more online tools and more students decide to take online classes, the prospect of using augmented reality and virtual reality as an educational tool becomes more tangible with 5G.

“The capacity of 5G would allow students to use Augmented Reality simultaneously in educational scenarios, such as for conducting experiments anywhere, and at any time,” said Carlos Caicedo, an associate professor at the School of Information Studies.

The city of Syracuse can also benefit from the installation of 5G infrastructure. It’s estimated that network providers will invest $275 billion over the next decade to install the 5G network. Although the upfront cost to speed up the process of the installation in a city like Syracuse could potentially be high, the city could see a boost in its economy as a result.

 

Susie Teuscher | Digital Design Editor

5G could transform the city into a smart city. The dramatic increase in bandwidth and network performance would allow a city like Syracuse to install infrastructure like smart parking meters, autonomous vehicles and dynamic lighting systems. This investment would enable not only better living conditions for citizens, but would also result in dramatic savings for the city.

David Molta, an associate professor of computer networking and information systems management at the iSchool, said it will take a while for us to see all of the technologies made possible by the 5G infrastructure. It is still important for educators and city planners alike to begin thinking about the benefits that 5G could have on a city like Syracuse.

An investment in 5G is an investment worth making.

Santiago Hernandez is a finance major. His column runs biweekly. He can be reached at sherna06@syr.edu.

Published on January 16, 2019 at 10:48 pm