There are 3 features that will transform 5G from a simple upgrading of the standard for mobile communications to a change in the technological paradigm that opens up a new world of applications: “A bandwidth enhancement that enables the transfer of huge volumes of data, accompanied by the ability to manage a high density of devices in specific areas and the potential for very low latency that allows transmission approaching real time even when on the move.” Massimo Nucera, partner at Deloitte Consulting, thus outlined the characteristics that make 5G a technology with disruptive effects that are yet fully apparent. Yet that are starting to take shape in terms of applications and expansion. From drones to self-driving cars, from intelligent agriculture to Industry 4.0, through smart cities, health, content usage, there are many different sectors in which 5G will have important effects.

The prospects and opportunities of this new technology were discussed at the recent Gioin 2021, an event dedicated to the Internet of things and 5G created by start-up incubator Digital Magics, in collaboration with the Italian economy and finance newspaper ‘Il Sole 24 Ore’. 

In the aftermath of the emergency, attention is being focused on the innovation ecosystem and is bringing concrete results. “The desire to create a system and build value together from the viewpoint of open innovation that has always inspired Digital Magics, has made an impact,” CEO Marco Gay underlined. “The entire innovation ecosystem is maturing and this year we should be able to cross the milestone of one billion euros in venture capital investments in Italy.”

The 5G sector is one of the fastest growing: globally today it is worth 418 billion euros (in Italy around 8 billion) and should grow to over 1,600 billion by 2025. In Italy too, the 5G standard will eventually dominate the telecommunications market: from the current 1.6 million it is expected to reach 24.9 million over a 5-year period, with a CAGR of 159%. 

In order to fully exploit the potential, infrastructure will be needed that guarantees a high-quality connection, the basis for being able to obtain the promised disruption, starting with high reliability and very low latency. To fully benefit from this potential, some specific services are already available today: “For companies, the approach to new technologies is very complex, and they need to be assisted with adequate consulting but also specific offerings, such as proven networks for plants and districts, to ensure flexibility, efficiency and security,” underlined Ivana Borrelli, 5G marketing and vertical IoT manager at TIM.

There is a wealth of data to “collect, organise and exploit to accompany the entire product life cycle, from design to production and distribution, to support the decision-making process and the development of strategies and face markets where there is data-intensive competition,” explained Giampietro Fuda, business manager at Modis. 

As always at the Gioin events, attention is focused on innovation from the bottom up. Six startups presented their proposals in a wide variety of sectors. Uptivo has launched a fitness platform that allows control by the trainer, including on the basis of heart rate monitoring, while the Whip app has become a reference for safety and outdoor routes, with totally free tracking services and vertical functions for every activity, by bike, motorbike or on foot.

Again in the field of mobility, Unicorn Mobility collaborates with micro-communities (from tour operators to municipalities) for the management of turnkey e-bike fleets.

MeteoTracker’s portable weather station, with sensors that measure temperature, humidity and pressure with geo-location, provides real-time data to be used for statistics and analysis. 

Wenda has created a collaborative platform that allows companies to easily manage, analyse and share temperature, logistics and track & trace data from production to consumer. Finally, with a leap into the digital world, AnotheReality develops immersive eXtended Reality solutions, whether augmented, virtual or mixed reality, with applications in the fields of business and entertainment. 

The experiences illustrated by the 6 startups thus provided an overview that, spanning business and consumer services, represented the world of opportunities and services that awaits with 5G.

 

Oscar Giacomin  / General Manager, Facto Edizioni

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