Broadband, IoT devices, real-time visibility, drone deliveries… 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) has many business benefits.
5G, the fifth generation of mobile network technologies, offers incredible benefits to businesses. Up to 100 times faster than 4G, with capacity and speeds that match fibre internet, 5G* Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) sends a signal from a nearby LTE or 5G tower straight to a router or antenna at your premises and offers speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 1Gbps. It’s transforming how we work, how companies use digital services, and how IoT devices improve visibility and responsiveness.
How can 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) improve and future-proof your business?
1. Digitise business faster
While sheets and files still move around offices, digital services are more commonplace. Emails, spreadsheets, file shares, calendars, meetings, and many other business activities have become digital. Yet, many businesses still don’t realise that connectivity is the primary determinant of how well they will digitise.
Look at email: does it make more sense that every branch in a company runs an email server, or would things work better if all staff use the same office platform, such as Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace? A platform is more secure, easier to archive, and all employees use the same services. It’s much easier to organise online meetings and centralise customer information on a shared CRM.
5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is a reliable way to get different parts of a business online and using the same digital tools, such as cloud software. When connectivity is slow and unreliable, business digitisation slows down. But with 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), it can modernise at broadband speeds.
2. Improved internet access
What a business gets from digital tools depends on the quality of internet connections used by its people and branches.
A good internet connection helps a business connect to the software and communications it uses to operate. But while this is easy for companies near fibre networks, fast and reliable internet is not always readily available everywhere.
While 3G and 4G connect them online, it’s not the same as much faster and more responsive fixed-line internet. But 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) solves this issue. It delivers speed comparable to fibre internet, but doesn’t need cables or a connection to a fibre network. 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) transmits through 5G radio towers.
As 5G coverage expands, users automatically benefit from those upgrades and experience faster, more reliable internet. Until then, customers can benefit from the competent speeds provided by 4G towers which are currently more readily available, while an aggressive drive to upgrade all 4G to 5G is underway.
3. Use IoT for more
Sensors, RFID tags, security cameras, and many other devices that make up the Internet of Things, or IoT, are helping companies become smarter, faster, and more accurate.
These are a few examples of how businesses can use IoT in their processes:
- Warehouses use tags and smart cameras to track stock to manage allocations, reduce theft, and predict future orders.
- Store owners use footfall sensors and cameras to track how many people visit their premises and where they linger.
- Security companies rely on IoT technologies to track visitors on sites, automatically register number plates, and flag unusual activities.
5G* Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) is also very energy-efficient, enabling IoT devices to run for longer on batteries. In addition, 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) can handle larger amounts of data, supporting edge data centres that sort data faster, make information available sooner, and share it across business networks at lower costs.
4. Open up new technology opportunities
5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) futuristic advantages are becoming more prevalent. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality – in the guise of smart glasses for employees, smart mirrors at stores, and VR presentations in boardrooms – are now staples on advanced sites.
5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) enables sensors to gather and send more information from equipment and create “digital twins“: digital copies of physical systems, compiled from data sent through many sensors. People use digital twins to predict maintenance, test upgrades, and make other plans without shutting down the physical device.
There are many other exciting emerging examples. Healthcare devices use 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to collect and send a patient’s condition, helping doctors and nurses prevent serious problems such as heart attacks. 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) helps smart grids be more efficient, lowering prices and creating energy independence for communities. Stadiums and event venues use 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to create local networks that share video, promotions, and other services with attendees. Modern drones deliver packages quickly or over long distances with the support of 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
5. Grow your business with 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
What can 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) do for your business? Do you need faster internet? Better digital business software? More visibility of your stock, vehicles, and other assets? Vodacom Business are experts at world-class yet affordable 5G solutions, backed by the award-winning Vodacom network. Talk to them today and start growing your business with the power of 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
Business Internet is coverage dependent. Fair usage policy (FUP) applies to 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and it is an asymmetrical service – faster download than upload speed. If 5G isn’t available in your area yet, it will soon be. Once roll out has been completed your service will automatically switch to 5G*/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA)
