While the initial outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent global pandemic has disrupted all industries, the connectivity and tech industry has proved to be a boon in many ways to combat the spread of the disease. Although major tech conferences and collaborations have been negatively impacted, the need for faster and more effective ways of connecting has been accepted and will hopefully be adopted by all governments to mitigate and contain the effects of the coronavirus and to keep businesses and essential services in operation.

5G will be adopted faster

The super-speed and the increased connectivity of 5G technology have proved to be a boon in many fields at a time when most communication across the globe has been limited to online interaction, whether it is between employers and employees, or between government and its citizens or between the general public.

The pandemic will result in faster adoption of this technology across all industries. Telehealth and teleconferencing are the two areas where we are currently witnessing the increased use of 5G technology for all enterprises.

Telehealth

Most importantly, telehealth has enabled physicians to remotely diagnose, treat, and even operate on patients without the need to be physically present. This is a huge benefit and will be used with great success even after the pandemic subsides. For example, in China, this technology-enabled physicians at the West China Hospital to connect to 27 hospitals which were treating infected patients through remote consultations and diagnoses.

Conferencing Tools

5G technology has helped teleconferencing tools all across the word since employers and employees have adopted the use of Zoom, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft teams to engage with each other and with outside parties during the lockdowns. Adoption of 5G across all sectors will be quick as everyone needs this desperately to keep business and other activities going.

Virtual Reality will be implemented faster

Virtual Reality has also proved to be quite helpful, especially where hands-on training or the feel of actually being at the location is critical. Virtual Reality (VR) and other extended reality tools are being extensively used to mirror real-world training conditions. Employees can use VR to sharpen their skills with hands-on tutorials. Technicians of all kinds can practice repairing any equipment, whether industrial or otherwise, without leaving their homes or offices, as may be the need.

Smart City technology and solutions

Smart Cities were just taking off before the pandemic, but now they will be needed across the globe. This is because Smart City technology has proved to be very beneficial during the lockdown. Police everywhere have found drones helpful to monitor the situation. When drones are fitted with thermal sensors, they can be used to identify people with high fever, even in public places. Governments and physicians are using smart apps to connect with quarantined individuals to monitor their progress and to interact more effectively with health workers. Some authorities have also launched chatbots to answer citizens’ questions about the virus so that there are fewer cases of disinformation and rumors regarding the current situation. They have been able to also effectively communicate with the public about the dos and don’ts to protect against COVID-19.

Artificial Intelligence and Biometric technology

Scientists all across the world are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to gather vast amounts of data on infected people. AI can be used not only to help fight the pandemic but also in other industries to help them function during this crisis. Biometric technologies are being used to identify patients with a high fever at airports and even for facial recognition.

Endless possibilities of technology

What I see in the future are fully automated factories that rely very little on human labor, self-driving cars, temperature tracking devices, apps, and devices to maintain personal health and hygiene, citizen surveillance, proximity sensors to help you stay clear of infected people, etc. The possibilities are endless, and these businesses offer great opportunities.

Thank you for reading this post, should you have any suggestions or feedback, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.