5G and The 4IR

5G and the 4IR

While it is exciting that 5G as the new global wireless standard will bring us enhanced mobile device connectivity and faster download speeds, it is even more remarkable because it will enable the world to enter its Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This exciting era of emerging technologies and increased digitization will re-invent the global economy, industries, and as a result, education. As consumers, we are undoubtedly excited about 5G and its improvements to existing technologies such as video streaming, VR, and gaming experiences, however most "new capabilities of 5G are best suited to non-consumer applications" across industries and it may take some time before consumers and education, as a secondary industry, will benefit from 5G and 5G-related technologies (Werbach, 2020). The focus of this section is to provide a context for 5G as it relates to the 4IR.

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Source: Fortune

Optional short video: The Fourth Industrial Revolution, which explains it in context of other industrial revolutions.

A Video Overview: 5G and 4IR

We invite you to watch the video What is the Fourth Industrial Revolution? below to discover what experts have to say about the 4IR.

Focus for viewing: As you watch, think of implications, direct or indirect, that the 4IR will have on education, and the potential opportunities for mobile and open education to prepare people for jobs in a new economy fueled by 5G.

Discussion

Think of implications, direct or indirect, that the 4IR will have on education. What opportunities will there be for mobile and open education to prepare people for jobs in a new economy fueled by 5G?

If implementing this OER in a group, you can use the questions below to create your own Padlet. If working individually, use the questions below as reflection prompts.

*These are the Padlet contributions from the summer of 2020 by graduate students of the ETEC 523 course at University of British Columbia.

The Race to 5G

5G is the fuel for the technologies that will lead the world into the 4IR (Littmann et. al, 2018). There has been a global Race to 5G because of the significant earnings at stake, which have been estimated as high as $13.2 trillion, by 2035 (Taga et. al, 2019; IHS Markit, 2019). South Korea, the United States, and Australia have been identified as leading the Race to 5G as measured by 12 different criteria in Arthur D. Little's 5G Leadership Index (Taga et. al, 2019). The index ranks Canada at 28th, and although there is consensus among a wide variety of sources that rank China in the top 3, they are listed as 14th.1

The economic development enabled by 5G will result in far-reaching positive social and environmental impacts for the countries that can build, maintain, and continuously improve the infrastructure to support it (World Economic Forum, 2019). To stay competitive and relevant in the global economy in the 4IR, it is essential that governments and enterprise work together to invest billions in 5G infrastructure. Competition drives innovation, but governments and enterprise will need to come together to create a truly global network that maximizes positive economic, social, and environmental impacts to create a sustainable 4IR that improves the lives of all people instead of further contributing to furthering economic, social, and digital inequalities (World Economic Forum, 2019).

Optional Presentation: If you are interested in a more in-depth analysis of economics, view the 5G for the Fourth Industrial Revolution presentation by Isabelle Mauro, Head of Telecoms & Digital Communications Industry for the World Economic Forum, delivered at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai, China, in June 2019.

"There has never been a time of greater promise, or greater peril." - Klaus Schwab, founder, World Economic Forum, author of The Fourth Industrial Revolution

4IR Technologies

For consumers, the impact of 5G comes from enhanced mobile broadband and faster download speeds, enabling better mobile connections. The greater impact of 5G is how it will enable 4IR technologies such as advance materials, cloud technology, big data, autonomous vehicles and drones, synthetic biology, virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, blockchain, 3D printing, and the Internet of Things through enhanced mobile broadband (embb), massive internet of things (MIoT), and mission critical services (MCS) (PwC, 2017). 5G network slicing makes it possible for all of these technologies to operate on 5G and communicate with one another without bogging down the network (Ericsson, 2020).

As we see more 5G deployments worldwide in the coming years, we can look to the leading countries and their industry use cases of these emerging technologies, as explored further in the Life of 5G section of this OER, to learn more about possible crossover uses and innovations to apply toward educational technologies.

Source: PwC

Questions to consider

If implementing this OER in a group, you can use the questions below to create your own Mentimeter or simply use them as discussion questions. If working individually, use the questions below as reflection prompts.

Are most of the above emerging technologies introduced in K-12 and postsecondary schools today or through other learning opportunities? Because of their technical nature and relatively limited number of experts worldwide, which do you think could be taught through mobile and open education to reach wider audiences? Which may be limited to more traditional forms of education and learning?

*These are the Mentimeter results from the summer of 2020 by graduate students of the ETEC 523 course at University of British Columbia.