The annual Consumer Electronics Show is driving tens of thousands of techies to Las Vegas this week to get their hands on the latest in cutting-edge gadgets, robots and vehicles, some of which are likely still years ahead of their time.

Concept models and products that may never reach the consumer marketplace – at least in their current forms – are hardly new to CES expos. But in 2018, many CES-showcased ideas that in recent years would have been considered works in progress are appearing more practical, thanks to an imminent leap forward in their underlying telecom technology.

Enhanced virtual-reality capabilities, digitally integrated infrastructure and transportation systems, and “smart” manufacturing – items and ideas all considered a ways off as recently as two or three years ago – stand to benefit immensely from the advent of 5G connectivity, which the world is likely to see as soon as this year.

“This technology is going to offer new types of services that were not possible before, but also reduces the cost,” Matt Grob, executive vice president of technology for Qualcomm Technologies, said Monday during a 5G-focused panel discussion at CES. “The demand is really clear.”

5G – the fifth generation of wireless connectivity – will, at a basic level, allow consumers to download things significantly faster on compatible devices. When 4G rolled out in 2009, it allowed consumers to download at a speed of about 100 megabits per second. In other words, a person would be able to download the two-hour-long movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” in about six minutes, according to the Consumer Technology Association. Read more