Quick Bits: 9 Experts Weigh In On the Impact of 5G and the Smart Home

Industry Experts Answer: What Potential 5G Capabilities Will Have the Most Positive Impact on Tech Professionals and Their Clients?

When 5G service becomes available, homeowners will be positively impacted by gaining the opportunity to have a secondary content provider as a backup for their home, unless their internet service is so slow, and then they will be able to use 5G as their primary ISP.

– Jan Vitrofsky, HEDSouth, Hollywood, FL

I feel that the biggest benefit to smart home customers is the faster connection capabilities while away from the home. The faster connection speeds allow for larger packets of information to go back and forth between devices, which improves technology features and customer experience.

– Christopher Sterle, Acoustic Design Systems, Las Vegas, NV

While 5G in our market is still just getting started, we do see the potential of using it as back-up internet service in older neighborhoods where the current infrastructure is unreliable. In new construction, 5G should greatly improve our ability to provide jobsite surveillance/security and also trade connectivity from the field.

– JW Anderson, The Integrated Home, Charlotte, NC

I believe 5G will have a negative effect initially, as people believe that 5G will be the silver bullet to their network problems, many not realizing that their problems are actually sourced in the quality of their hardwired and wireless gear. However in the near future this will be a huge improvement in allowing faster speeds to rural areas where the costs of trenching and distributing faster hardwired web access is cost prohibitive on a dollars/home basis.

– Eric Crawford, The Loop, Boise, ID

Something that crosses my mind is that if our clients’ phones are working at higher speeds, then it makes them realize that their home will need an upgraded solution for it inside, and our network-quality pitch will be much easier. Essentially, 5G makes it easier for us to explain Wi-Fi 6 for home networks.

– Todd Anthony Puma, The Source Home Theater, Old Bridge, NJ

I think the first positive effect from 5G for the home will be to enable clients that are now on slower satellite or DSL modems to benefit from a 5G WAN connection to their router (if they have a 5G tower nearby or have 5G as a WAN backup to their current cable modem/DSL services.)

– Gordon van Zuiden, cyberManor, Los Gatos, CA

There are two big factors at play concerning 5G. The obvious benefit is faster speeds, which will help drive more content to our clients. The second benefit is devices with embedded standardized control protocols will allow faster and more simplified integration for a better end-user experience.

– Nick Declemente, Elevated Integration, New York, NY

The biggest impact I see 5G having is on how accessible 4G and lower speed capable radios will become. For rural clients utilizing cellular routers exclusively, I hope to see 5G drive down the cost of data access, similar to gigabit residential internet service. 5G “speeds” when they actually finally arrive, should hopefully take the concern and restrictions associated with cellular data bottlenecks fully out of any equation and concern.

– Patrick Cain, Front Row AV, Lawrence, KS

If what is promised actually happens, then it could give integrators more peace of mind in their belts and suspenders approach to providing an internet backup. If AT&T or Comcast goes down or their internet subscription glitches, for instance, a 5G reconnection through the air could be a reliable, temporary service alternative.

– Tom Doherty, HTSA, Fishers, IN

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