2021 looks like it is set to be a year of two halves – we remain in lockdown for the first, however, the second should hopefully see freedoms restored, a welcome return to seeing friends and family and maybe even returning to the office! For this edition, we thought we would take a look at some of the forthcoming technology developments that are expected to further enable our everyday lives – at home and at work.
5G Roll-out
5G is in the process of being rolled out in the UK and you will probably have seen all the advertising for “5G ready” mobile phones. However, 5G is much more than that and isn’t just about higher speeds, lower latency and increased capacity. It has the potential to transform our work and home lives – from allowing surgeons to operate remotely (check out this video of one operating on a banana over 5G) to powering the IoT (Internet of Things) and supporting “smart cities” which can also help to achieve sustainability goals, for example reducing carbon emissions via smarter electricity grids. Have a look at this 5G guide (includes a postcode checker for roll-out) and Ericsson for more information. If you are currently struggling with your home broadband, then 5G routers are now available in some areas.
Internet of Things
The “IoT” is not a new concept but it’s only since the wide availability of broadband that people have really started to apply it. If you have an Alexa at home, you are already part of the IoT but this is just a small part of what the wider applications can be. This Wired article from 2020 is worth a read. Whether for business or home purposes, to embrace the future you will need decent broadband and a secure hardware set up that Shoal can of course help you with.
Cyber Security
Regular readers of our newsletters will recall our focus on protecting your data via good password hygiene, regular software updates and tips on how to avoid hackers. Whether in the office or at home, we are becoming more connected via our devices and, as the new year gets under way, it’s a good time to check your set-up – have you installed a password manager, are all your software patches up to date, have you refreshed your knowledge on anti-phishing techniques? In addition to phishing and spear-phishing, beware the whalers! This NCSC article is from 2016 but a good reminder of the lengths to which hackers will go to gain access to both sensitive information and/or money.
Hello 2021!