Construction’s new building blocks: 5G, drones, and sensor-equipped wearables.

The impacts have been especially acute in rural areas where, as a result of these factors, the supply of new housing dropped in recent years. In the second half of 2022, the Council of State Governments noted that many rural areas have been “disproportionately impacted” by a lack of affordable housing. In response, the federal government is taking steps to boost the availability of rural housing—both single-family construction and more than 8,000 multi-family units—as part of the Housing Supply Action Plan.

There’s additional reason for optimism: Sensors, drones, IoT, and other digital technologies are modernizing the construction industry’s tool belt. 5G wireless networks can provide vital connections to remote job sites far from management offices in metropolitan areas, helping project managers build faster and more cost-effectively. And 5G can do that while also helping to establish a safer work environment through enhanced wearable technology and video monitoring.

5G can enable a range of drone applications for around-the-clock monitoring. These flying robots can be used before, during, and after construction to track equipment and inventories of supplies, or to conduct work-in-progress inspections. For instance, a project manager can evaluate an area for hazardous materials or, using hyperspectral sensors, for underground substances.

Video surveillance and analytics, supported by 5G connectivity, are emerging capabilities with a range of possible uses at rural construction sites. Video cameras can be deployed to monitor potential safety issues such as improperly stacked pallets, fuel leaks, or reactive chemicals stored too closely together.

With high-quality streaming and very low latency, video can be analyzed for productivity milestones, against maintenance schedules, or to ensure safety and regulatory compliance standards. And the efficiencies from AI-enabled smart video analytics—also known as computer vision—add up quickly when used for tasks such as timekeeping, material tracking, and incident reporting.

Another emerging use case is employing remote cameras—in some cases, integrated with drones—with 5G connectivity to monitor construction sites, in lieu of traditional Wi-Fi with its limited range.

Despite significant improvements in industry safety, accidents are an ongoing concern in construction. In 2020, there were 1,034 fatal work incidents in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

5G offers new ways to address the risks. Digital sensors attached to hard hats, belts, boots, vests, and wristbands can alert workers to potentially hazardous situations. For example, in addition to providing physical protection, sensor-equipped “smart” hard hats can be used for hands-free audio and video calls or to detect moving equipment.

5G-enabled wearable sensors can recognize when a worker enters a restricted location—referred to as geo-fencing—under potentially hazardous circumstances. Additionally, alarms set off by wearables can notify emergency response teams or jobsite managers of potential risks. And biometric sensors can monitor a worker’s heart rate, breathing, and other vital signs and summon help if needed.

While the economics of construction are complex, the growing pervasiveness of 5G networks along highways and across rural areas will continue to give builders and nonurban communities a powerful way to address these challenges.

New digital approaches enabled by 5G can help rural construction become cleaner, safer, and more data-driven, on the job site and on the road. As that happens, more families may be able to find a place to call home.