The Electrical Contractor as Integrator of the New 5G Network and Beyond
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With the growth of low voltage systems and the convergence of the technology market, there is a dire need for a more highly skilled electrical contractor base and workforce across a broader range of low voltage systems.
There are four basic categories of low voltage work for electrical contractors:
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Security Systems
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Facility Management
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Life Safety Systems
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Building Energy Management
Electrical contractors and their workforce must become integrators of these systems because of the rapidly growing need for applications of these systems driven by continual technological development and disruption. The newest wireless communication tool being developed by MIT Media Lab researchers is one example. For the first time, we're able to send communication signals between air and water. This major breakthrough will provide additional opportunities for electrical integration, watch below to learn more:
The new 5G Network will make global communication faster and capable of transmitting larger volumes of data. MIT’s new research (as seen in the video) links the underwater world with the open air by utilizing their newly developed link called Translational Acoustic-RF communication (TARF). TARF allows sonar and radar to communicate through a mode similar to the new 5G network. Click for additional reading on MIT’s water-to-air wireless communication »
There are no bulky, expensive towers. Transmitters appear on existing planes and submarines for instance, not unlike 5G’s reliance upon building rooftops, lighting systems and poles, street lights, etc. The intriguing part is the union of two relatively historic and highly developed communications systems (sonar and radar), utilizing the same theories driving the development of 5G, that will allow communication from underwater to the air for the first time. There are many applications for this technology, including more expansive monitoring of marine life, and others we don’t even know yet. As integrator, the electrical contracting business has a whole new world of opportunities opening for expansion and growth.
NECA Technology – the Project for Applied and Disruptive Technology, explores the world of technology and keeps members informed of what’s happening today, and of what will be launched in the not-too-distant future. Dr. Joey Shorter has an extensive background in education and experience in translating the work of academics into understandable, practical ideas. View the archive »
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