Review
Projections of IoT Applications in Colombia Using 5G
Wireless Networks
Alexis Barrios-Ulloa
1,2
, Dora Cama-Pinto
3,
* , Johan Mardini-Bovea
4
, Jorge Díaz-Martínez
2
and Alejandro Cama-Pinto
5,
*
Citation: Barrios-Ulloa, A.;
Cama-Pinto, D.; Mardini-Bovea, J.;
Díaz-Martínez, J.; Cama-Pinto, A.
Projections of IoT Applications in
Colombia Using 5G Wireless
Networks. Sensors 2021, 21, 7167.
https://doi.org/10.3390/s21217167
Academic Editor: Lorenzo Vangelista
Received: 13 August 2021
Accepted: 25 October 2021
Published: 28 October 2021
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4.0/).
1
Department of Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de Sucre,
Sincelejo 700001, Colombia; alexis.barrios@unisucre.edu.co or abarrios56@cuc.edu.co
2
Department of Computer Science and Electronics, Universidad de la Costa, Bicentennial Scolarship–Ministry
of Sciences, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia; jdiaz5@cuc.edu.co
3
Department of Computer Architecture and Technology, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
4
Faculty of Engineering, Universidad del Atlántico, Barranquilla 081001, Colombia;
johanmardini@uniatlantico.edu.co
5
Department of Computer Science and Electronics, Universidad de la Costa, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
* Correspondence: doracamapinto@correo.ugr.es (D.C.-P.); acama1@cuc.edu.co (A.C.-P.)
Abstract:
Wireless technologies are increasingly relevant in different activities and lines of the
economy, as well as in the daily life of people and companies. The advent of fifth generation
networks (5G) implies a promising synergy with the Internet of Things (IoT), allowing for more
automations in production processes and an increase in the efficiency of information transmission,
managing to improve the efficiency in decision-making through tools such as big data and artificial
intelligence. This article presents a description of the 5G implementation process in Colombia, as
well as a revision of opportunities when combining with IoT in featured sectors of the departmental
development plans, such as agriculture, tourism, health, the environment, and industry. Results
shows that the startup of 5G in Colombia has been a slow process, but there are comparisons with
similar procedures in other developed countries. Additionally, we present examples of 5G and IoT
applications which can be promoted in Colombia, aimed at improving the quality of life of their
habitants and promoting economic development.
Keywords: 5G; frequency bands; Colombia; IoT; radioelectric spectrum
1. Introduction
The demand of mobile data services is one of the factors that conditions the develop-
ment of future wireless networks. The 2020 report of Ericsson indicates that the mobile
data traffic in that year was 50 Exabytes (EB)/month, and it is estimated that it could be
incremented to 150 EB/month in 2024 [
1
]. This increase is associated with a higher need
of services by users and requirements of technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT),
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), and Artificial Intelligence (IA). In order to meet demand,
work began in 2012 on a Fifth Generation wireless technology (5G) [2].
The 5G network presents considerable improvements over fourth generation networks
(4G), highlighting the increment of the transmission rate, ultra-reliability, less latency, and
higher connectivity [
3
,
4
]. Some countries (Japan, South Korea, China, United States,
Germany) finished test stages and began technology commercialization. Colombia has not
been oblivious to this evolution, currently having 5G networks in pilot test processes before
launching its service to the public. In 2020, the Ministry of Information and Communication
Technologies (MinICT) issued a resolution, opening a process of granting permissions for
the use of the radioelectric spectrum in different frequency bands, with the purpose of
starting pilot tests which uses 5G mobile technologies [
5
]. Also, the ministry of ICT states
that the 5G frequency bands’ concession stage will start before September 2022 [6].
Sensors 2021, 21, 7167. https://doi.org/10.3390/s21217167 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors
