*By Luiz Antônio Rêgo
The fifth generation of mobile internet in Brazil has just completed 1 year. The new network stands out for offering 100 times greater speed compared to 4G. According to the Union of Telecommunications and Connectivity Companies (Conexis), 5G already includes 10 million users in the country, being present in 315 municipalities, a mark that took around two years to be reached by the previous version of the signal. According to the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), the expectation is that the signal will be available throughout the country by July 2029.
In addition to bringing a new experience to users, 5G expands possibilities for different sectors of the economy by allowing high-performance internet, without delay. Speaking specifically about logistics, the expectation is that the level of management will be much more sophisticated and efficient, bringing greater competitiveness and intelligence to the segment.
The market's great adherence to the use of SaaS should also gain strength in this new moment, encouraging drivers to increasingly use solutions via cell phone applications, controlling and supporting a more fluid journey in logistics - especially in transport logistics where it is located. the largest share of cost in operations.
Integrated platforms, which capture all input from drivers and synthesize them through data analysis, will certainly be increasingly used to present results in real time to managers, and also for full control of the operation. The massive use of these management platforms creates conditions for practically instantaneous decision-making in incidents or operational deviations, something that makes all the difference for gains in results. But, without a doubt, this access requires a reliable and available connection such as 5G, which has among its main benefits agility and reliability, especially in data transmission.
5G and Artificial Intelligence
When we talk about using indicator management we also see gains. This is because access to this data can be increasingly frequent in control tower rooms, contributing to a consolidated view of the entire operation.
These indicators can also be supported by artificial intelligence, which speeds up data interpretation and provides insights and predictive scenarios. Each request for insight generates a different bias for the user, something that helps analysts evaluate points that could have gone unnoticed. Artificial intelligence effectively supports performance analysis and actions or alerts about results.
5G favoring the integration of management solutions
In Intralogistics, that is, in warehouses, we notice that there is a growing study in the search for operational automation, whether through the use of sorters or high-performance separation conveyors, or even AMRs (autonomous robots). However, the cutoff point for investment is still the requirement for very high connectivity.
Using a suite of solutions that works in an integrated manner with corporate market systems through APIs is another benefit that 5G offers to companies that have already invested in the best management software.
Furthermore, from the moment the signal is available nationwide, drivers anywhere in the country will be able to communicate with management software instantly. Receiving information quickly and accurately is crucial for data analysis and assertive decision making. Defining routes for picking up and delivering cargo, redirecting destinations due to unforeseen events, such as accidents or traffic jams, evaluating driver performance, are processes that are already integrated into management software, and will be even more efficient as the vehicles are connected to the internet on 100% of their routes.
Challenges
In practice, we still face poor signal capillarity, which continues to be a challenge for logistics, especially when we think about operations that cover the interior of the country and rural areas. What we usually encourage among managers is that they be prepared for when this capillarity fully exists. Without a doubt, in 2029, when the entire country is fully connected to 5G, those who already have management technology embedded in their business will come out ahead.
*Luiz Antônio Rêgo, Director of the Logistics Segment at Senior Sistemas
Notice: The opinion presented in this article is the responsibility of its author and not of ABES - Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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