COVID-19 & 5G: The Future Of Indian Workspace

The future holds many promises and perils, it is unto the wise to believe in it and choose the path and for the sheep to ignore it and follow.

5G is a new paradigm in the world of telecommunications, without getting too technical, 5G technology harnesses the low frequency wavelength spectrum to allow for ultra fast transmissions. With the advent of 5G, we can see speeds up to 1 GB Per Second (1024 MB’s per second) become the norm as opposed to the current average of 4-15 MB’s Per Second. This will allow things such as self-driving cars, remote surgery and much more possible. 5G Technology was said to mark its debut in the Indian Tech Sector by late 2020 but owing to the massive disruptions caused as a result of the corona-virus, the realistic time frame now appears to be late 2021.

It’s not a question of if the world will change, but when! It is for us to decide whether we use the change or let it use us.

Never before has this saying been more appropriate than the age of social distancing. The current rules have caused major disruptions in the Indian Real Estate sector, from halting of construction to the issues with rent agreements. Many experts say that the current measures of social distancing are here to stay. This means that property owners across the world will have to change their ways in order to survive this pandemic. We have already seen the rise of work from home and advent of freelancing. As internet penetration increases and 5G becomes more of a reality than the distant dream it currently is, the real estate world will have to match the reality of the times.

What is the future of Offices, Shops and other public places?

Businesses across the world have were taken by surprise with the pandemic outbreak, meetings were cancelled, sales targets went down the drain and office productivity sank. While many of these measures may be because of the ambiguity, confusion and fear that currently grips the world, many believe that the typical office environment is crucial for their companies. Especially for businesses that require teams to interact constantly and more so for small businesses which often hire people who aren’t great with technology. In the short run, many businesses are working on a curtailed capacity but this can not go on. Office spaces are expected to increase, allowing essential staff more space and for testing to be localized to each locality. But, for the most part, many businesses will take the cue from big tech giants like Google & Twitter and allow for a permanent work-from home. For many offices in India, the crowded and dirty alleys coupled with bad facilities might become unbearable.

Many offices in India are located in extremely crowded and littered areas. Conscious businesses would want to shift their operations to more upcoming areas with more cleaner spaces, we have already started to see this change in Delhi and can expect the rest of the nation to follow.

However, for Shops, Multiplexes and the works, things seem more grim. Normal operations are no where in sight and owners are stuck hoping just for a curtailed capacity to resume. If and when they open, they face yet another challenge of getting their customers. Shops and places that have made their name and stand strong in crowded streets might loose valuable customers to more upcoming competitors which base themselves in areas that are cleaner and less crowded.

In Conclusion, our advice is that location will matter, now more than ever. If businesses get the choice of moving from crowded localities to more safer ones, they should give it a serious thought.

Plakads Reality