The way people work and spend time at home has been significantly impacted by the pandemic, changing habits anddriving the need to be better connected.

The rollout of 5G will not only provide better digitally connected homes, but will also provide new tools to help employees in the workplace.

5G-backed technology can lower the barriers to getting a fast and reliable digital connection in the home. This will enable the use of many more devices to help run homes more efficiently, reducing energy use and running costs. In fact, 5G will boost the trend for smarter homes which PWC has estimated that £10.8bn has already been spent on connected homes in 2019.

5G-backed technology - such as augmented reality and uninterrupted digital connections on transport networks - will also make jobs easier. 5G will enable people to do work as effectively and productively on the move as in an office, freeing up time to dedicate to those things that are always further down the ‘to do’ list.

A government-backed 5G trial in Worcestershire tested augmented reality technologies and found a potential productivity benefit of 2%. These gains at the UK level would be equivalent to £2.6bn.

Through a headset or handheld device augmented reality superimposes a digital image onto a user’s view of the real world. There are many ways new technology can be used across different industries. At London Fashion Week 2020, Three updated the traditional catwalk with ultra-fast 5G by turning it into an immersive experience. Guests felt and even smelt the latest styles with 3D audio, haptic feedback and a 46-metreprojection.

Augmented reality goggles could also be used to aid maintenance problems within the building environment, allowing technicians to undertake simple fixes and reducing downtime in case of equipment failure.

At home, colleagues would be able to log into a designated online space to interact with remote team members in real-time; smaller office nooks could be transformed by virtual reality spaces designed for telecommuting members to work together on a digitally reproduced product.

Vodafone was also able to make the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G technology. Manchester City Women’s Football Captain, Steph Houghton MBE, appeared as a live 3D hologram on stage giving footballing tips in front of an audience at Vodafone’s UK headquarters in Newbury.

Across the world, 70 percent ofpeople work remotely at least once a week, with 53 percent working remotely over half the week. Meanwhile, flexible workspace could account for as much as 30 percent of corporate real estate portfolios by 2030. The higher speeds and bandwidth of 5G internet would allow more users to access the same network for a seamless, high-speed connection, and with a minimum of additional equipment.

As part of Mobile UK’s latest #5GCheckTheFacts campaign, the trade body provides insight into the benefits of 5G for the home and the workplace. Appreciating that the rollout of new technology can also raise questions and concerns, the campaign also provides useful materials to help dispel misinformation about the technology’s impact.

To find out more about how 5G can benefit the home and workplace, view and download the new mini pack series, as well as information toolkits, fact sheets, and infographics related to 5G and health from https://www.mobileuk.org/5g-and-health.

To stay up to date with the latest news and the #5GCheckTheFacts campaign follow @MobileUK_News on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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