2/15/2019
Profiled article
Part 1:
A. Shah, “The Critical Need for 5G Cellular Service,” February 2019. [Online] ASME. Available at: https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/technology-and-society/we-need-5g-cellular-service [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019].
Part 2:
A. Shah, “Why We Need 5G Cellular Service,” February 2019. [Online] ASME. Available at: < a href=”https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/technology-and-society/need-5g-cellular-service-part-2″>https://www.asme.org/engineering-topics/articles/technology-and-society/need-5g-cellular-service-part-2 [Accessed 14 Feb. 2019].
About the article author
Agam Shah is an Associate Editor for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a Senior Reporter for S&P Global. His stories at ASME have covered topics including artificial intelligence, blockchain, emerging technologies, finance, manufacturing, regulation, security, transportation and robotics.
Summary
According to Shah, researchers at the VTT Technical Research Institute in Espoo, Finland are looking into ways that cars can share real-time sensor data through a 5G cellular data transmission system. This data sharing would enable cars, especially autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, to relay information to each other about road conditions to reduce the likelihood of collisions and improve overall road safety. This type of technology is especially needed in Northern regions such as Lapland because the snow that occurs in these regions from October to May can make travel conditions extremely dangerous. While 5G technology is still relatively new, it has the capacity “to be 40 times faster and suffer shorter lag times than the current 4G standard.” It also has a better ability to transmit images and videos over long distances. Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles can use this shared sensor and image information to better inform their navigation systems.
Response
While we are still a long way away from a total 5G network and the wide use of fully autonomous vehicles, this research being done in Lapland shows the capacity for 5G data sharing to be an important factor in saving human lives. Another important aspect of the availability of a 5G network is its impact on economically disadvantaged communities, especially in the Northern Arctic region. Since many of these areas lack internet connectivity, the availability of 5G will enable these communities to have better connectivity through smartphones and better access to remote healthcare. Some consideration should be given to ensure that these communities have access to these technologies, especially those with the potential to improve safety conditions.
Related Links
For more info on the ability of 5G to improve road safety
For more info on the impact of 5G on disadvantaged communities