In our lifetimes, I can’t think of an innovation that has changed our lives more dramatically than smartphones, the internet and fast cell networks. We use our smart phones for everything from reading the news, following social networks, charting a course, adjusting home devices from far away, doing research or even just chatting with friends. The fourth generation or 4G was a huge advance in capability. But we ain’t seen nothin’ yet. 5G is going to blow the tops of our heads off.
How will 5G change our sailing lives? Right now a lot of on board electronic devices are networked but with 5G they will talk to each other, identify problems, make software corrections and notify you if you have to get involved. Right now, you have to go online and manually update your electronic charts; with 5G this will happen in real time all the time and a huge amount of cruising information will be built right into the multifunction display (and your phone). Right now AIS alerts us to dangerous collision events so we can react. With 5G (close to shore) your boat will be constantly be talking to all the boats and ships around it and will instruct the autopilot to change course to avoid a disaster. Right now, you need a SSB or SatPhone to communicate from the high seas and data transmission is very slow. But visionaries like Elon Musk are planning the launch of hundreds of 5G capable satellites that will link the whole world in a super fast network that will bring all of “the cloud” to your phone and all of the 5G smart devices on your boat instantly anywhere in the world.
How do you think 5G networks will change your life on the water? Email me at george@bwsailing.com
