From 3G to 4G to 5G and Beyond: How Cellular Connectivity is Helping to Power Today’s Laundromat Industry
[This is the second in a two-part series on internet connectivity options for laundromats. The first part appeared in the August issue of PlanetLaundry magazine, and can also be found on this site.]
As more laundromat owners go cashless, it’s important to have the proper connectivity to support your digital transformation. Relying on Wi-Fi or an on-premises network that you don’t own, can limit your ability to control what’s happening and how quickly you can respond if the connection goes down. Many store owners find themselves needing a quick and reliable way to connect – and many have found cellular to be their best option.
As cellular carriers roll out the new and enhanced 5G network, they are turning off older 2G and 3G networks, causing many of those using legacy devices to lose connectivity. This article will examine the changing landscape of cellular connectivity and what laundromat owners need to do to keep their equipment connected, while also highlighting future possibilities with the enhancements of the 5G network.
A Look at 5G
The term “5G” stands for fifth generation. The wireless industry adopted the standards for 5G in 2017. Since then, the major cell carriers and cellular hardware manufacturers have been developing the infrastructure and products that can support 5G. However, the appeal of 5G is more than just the improvements in speed that we’ll experience with our cell phones. This is because it offers significantly more bandwidth for more devices and will allow for upload and download speeds that are much faster – all with less latency and higher reliability than the current 4G LTE.
5G is a great opportunity for developers to deploy applications that take advantage of fast, high-speed, lower latency networks. Like any data network, people want to know what advantages this new technology can offer. So, let’s take a look at what specifically is possible with 5G:
Killer Speeds. If you’re close enough to one of these 5G towers with your 5G phone, you will be able to download entire episodes of HD programs in a matter of seconds. Buffering when viewing a video will be a thing of the past.
Less Tower Congestion. With current 4G LTE technology, when thousands of people descend on a small area, towers tend to get congested and reach capacity rather quickly. On 5G, this will no longer be an issue. This means that people won’t feel like they’re competing against each other for tower capacity when using their cell phones on internet-based activities like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, sending/receiving email, web browsing, searching maps and directions, and reading news with all the other users at crowded venues like sporting events, concerts and festivals. With more bandwidth available, people also will be able to use this bandwidth to do more with their devices, making them more versatile than ever.
New Technology Options. As network speeds have increased, more and more tasks are being transitioned from the world of computers to the world of smart devices. With the increasing network speeds, this could open new doors for smart device technology that may not have been available until now. We’re talking AI, VR and much more.
When 4G LTE first emerged, people were blown away by the speed and capabilities of such an advanced network. With 4G LTE came more rich content, from video streaming to live gaming. The introduction of 5G will allow for enhanced innovation and new capabilities that weren’t previously possible.
Shutting Down the 2G/3G Networks
With 4G’s increasing growth and 5G already being rolled out in larger metropolitan areas, network operators’ focus has been rapidly shifting away from legacy technologies like 3G. The move away from 3G will undoubtedly be a significant transition for many IoT and M2M companies, because 2G and 3G connectivity is still widely used for deployed devices in many areas across the U.S.
For example, T-Mobile is retiring the Sprint LTE network on June 30, 2022. Between now and that date when the Sprint LTE Network is fully decommissioned, capacity and coverage will diminish. The Sprint CDMA network will be retired on January 1, 2022. After that date, service on the Sprint CDMA network will no longer be available.
Again, as these cellular carriers roll out the new 5G network, they will be turning off older 2G and 3G networks, which will cause many operators to lose connectivity.
This means the time for planning and figuring out how to upgrade your older 2G/3G devices is now. It’s important to have a plan in place that’s executable, especially for organizations that feature a large portfolio of devices that need to be upgraded.
Keeping Your Equipment Connected
As 5G adoption grows and carriers invest more resources into new technology, the IoT will continue to expand and play an even larger role in all of our lives. Understanding the need and having a strategic plan in place to upgrade older devices is critical to you and your business so that you don’t face service interruptions or downtime, along with lost revenue and a disgruntled customer base.
An integral part of this plan will be upgrading your 2G/3G equipment to 4G/5G so that it continues to have connectivity once carriers sunset their older network. The carriers have acknowledged that service may be reduced in areas as they upgrade towers from 2G/3G to 5G. As these carriers continue to transition older equipment to 5G, coverage will be reduced and older devices may not work, even well before the posted deadlines.
There is no reason not to get started right now while you still have some runway left to ensure that your equipment won’t unexpectedly lose connectivity or functionality.
