The Secret Weapon These Startups Are Using to 'Supercharge' Their Businesses Our internet speed and capacity are about to get a major upgrade.
By Jason Fell
The technology that powers the way we work and play is gearing up for a major upgrade. If you're not already making plans for how to utilize what's to come, you might consider getting on the bandwagon quick.
We're talking about the upgrade of our mobile network from 4G to 5G. If tech researchers and analysts prove correct, 5G will be 100 times faster. That's huge. You'll be able to download HD and 3D movies in seconds, and stream video games with no lag time.
In the home, 5G's capacity means our increasing number of smart home appliances, security cameras, door locks, and other types of internet-connected devices will all be able to utilize the same network at the same time and work faster than ever.
Related: What Is 5G? Everything You Need to Know.
With a network like 5G that's capable of carrying such large amounts of data, business owners should be able to develop products and services that blow past the constraints of 4G. Tapping this potential for innovation, Verizon partnered with Alley—a co-working facility with locations in New York City, Boston and Washington D.C.—to open its first 5G incubator at Alley's flagship location in Manhattan.
The idea is to provide startups and academic tech developers full access to Verizon's pre-commercial 5G technology to see what innovative things they come up with. "5G isn't going to be an incremental improvement, it's going to foster an environment of open innovation," Toby Redshaw, Verizon's SVP of technology strategy, innovation and product development, said at a recent event at Alley.
Here's what the startups at the incubator have been up to:
- LiquidSky. A company that's creating a platform for streaming any interactive application across any cloud provider with virtually no delay. Think high-quality cloud gaming experiences that eliminate the need for hardware platforms and wired connections.
- Arvizio. Based in Ontario, Canada, this company has been developing immersive mixed reality collaboration tools that they say have the potential to improve processes and support remote workers in industries such as construction and engineering.
- Briefcam. Think high-def security cameras on steroids. Briefcam uses 5G's high bandwidth and speed to perform in-depth intelligent analytics of HD video to improve and understand the flow of cities, businesses and infrastructure. Their cameras and software can be used by property owners, city planners, law enforcement agencies, and more.
The common thread among them: 5G is enabling innovation that isn't possible over 4G, Verizon says. "5G is going to be a supercharger for business, allowing people to create things they've only dreamed of," Redshaw said.
Late last year, telecom giants from all over the world agreed on the first standard specs for 5G, paving the way for companies like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile/Sprint to begin rolling out their own 5G services and devices—some perhaps as early as this year.
Disclaimer: Entrepreneur Media is an investor and partner with Alley.
