According to Gartner and others that have closely studied the technology, we’re probably around three to five years away from truly scaling practical 5G experiences. Colleges and universities, with their spread-out campuses (not to mention their young, bandwidth-devouring user bases) are likely to be among the first organizations to aggressively adopt the emerging mobile broadband standard.

While we may be a few years away from widespread adoption, a multiyear plan is important when it comes to on-campus technology rollouts, and it’s still important for colleges and universities to begin exploring potential 5G applications as they consider their wireless roadmap. Here are five use cases worth considering.

Several years ago, many college and university administrators’ eyes went wide when they read headlines about how students were bringing multiple connected devices to campus (some reports said up to seven!). Many schools beefed up their wireless networks to meet the growing demand, but some neglected to invest in “nonacademic” areas such as residence halls….

So-called digital natives are transforming society as they infuse technology into every aspect of life, from commerce to social relationships. But nowhere is their impact greater than in higher education, where they account for 100 percent of the student body — as well as a growing percentage of faculty and administrative staff.