In 2020, the pandemic forced millions of people around the world to work from home. As a result, countless jobs that previously had been in person only, now had to find a way to be performed online. Meetings went to Zoom, paperwork became e-mails, and all the way through 2021, wireless infrastructure skyrocketed.
Then, as the vaccine was rolled out and conditions got better, people began going back to work. So what does that mean for the future of wireless infrastructure? Is it still a worthwhile investment, or has its moment passed? Here’s what you need to know.
The Right to Work from Home
Even though the pandemic has waned, working from home appears to be the way of the future. It’s one thing that’s driven the Great Resignation that started in 2021. Workers have seen that it’s possible to do their jobs from anywhere, and when employers tried to make them go back to the way things were, they simply quit.
What does that mean for wireless infrastructure? The companies and work environments that attract a broad range of talent are going to be the ones that accommodate working from home, at least some of the time. As a result, those organizations will still need to rely heavily on wireless infrastructure.
C-Band and the Expansion of 5G
Not all work is done from computers at home. Much of it is done from smartphones and tablets. Just about anything you can do from your laptop now needs mobile capability as well. Which means the necessity for stronger indoor 5G networks.
In order to make 5G networks noticeably faster and better than 4G networks, the signals need their own, dedicated channel, with a high capacity. That’s where C-band comes in. C-band is a section of the electromagnetic spectrum between the frequencies of 4 gigahertz and 8 gigahertz. That’s where 5G is broadcast.
In order to broadcast on the C-band spectrum in the United States, you need a license from the Federal Communications Commission. So in 2021, they held a C-band auction, wherein they sold C-band service licenses. As a result, they grossed over $81 billion from wireless companies and other interested parties wanting to use 5G.
Since the auction, Verizon can provide 175 million Americans with 5G coverage. T-Mobile is able to cover 321 million. And download speeds are increasing dramatically. Wireless infrastructure stands poised to continue expansion through 2023 and beyond.
Private Wireless Networks
Now that the big contenders have expanded their 5G coverage, other companies will have to follow suit if they want to continue to be competitive. In particular, a lot of companies prefer to provide their own, private wireless networking on their premises.
Not only does this allow faster connection for employees, it’s also more secure than a shared network, making it appealing to companies with sensitive data. With hacking an increasing concern in the corporate world and customer data protection an increasing priority, secure private wireless networks stand poised to grow even more popular in the coming years—and with them will come an increasing need for expanded and improved wireless infrastructure.
The Internet of Things
As technology progresses, now everything connects to the Internet. Your television, your thermostat, and your lights can all receive signals from your smartphone. In hospitals and factories, almost all of the major equipment has 5G capability, so it can be monitored remotely. This trend, too, is only going to continue, making wireless infrastructure increasingly indispensable.
And all of this is just the beginning. Improved 5G continues to be rolled out across the nation, and the entire world is becoming increasingly dependent on wireless infrastructure with each passing year. All in all, this should make it a viable, long-term investment.
If you’re interested in further exploring the possibilities of wireless infrastructure investment for yourself, we can help and show you the best ways to go about it.
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