Infrastructure 2.0: America 2.0 Industrial Technologies
“Infrastructure 2.0” is a term used to describe the network of new 21st century industrial technologies, digital advances, online services, computer-based products and other innovations that will transform the American economy — and have a global impact.
Robotics. Artificial intelligence (AI). Cloud computing. The Internet of Things (IoT). 3D printing. Information technology (IT). 5G. Blockchain.
They’re all part of Infrastructure 2.0.
As the term suggests, the technologies driving Infrastructure 2.0 will create the new economic foundation of the future — just as the expansion of rail lines and interstate highways did a century ago.
Paul has coined the phrase America 2.0 to describe America’s future, which he says is happening now — the Fourth Industrial Revolution driven by the mega tech trends at the heart of Infrastructure 2.0.
Companies leading Infrastructure 2.0 offer profitable investment potential for individuals who buy into the innovators that have embraced and advanced the new-world technologies that are driving this major mega trend.
What Is Infrastructure 2.0?
“Infrastructure” has traditionally been defined as the transportation network of roads, bridges, railroads, utilities, airports, ports and commercial buildings — publicly and privately funded — that allowed for the expansion of the last industrial revolution.
In addition, the term has been used to describe other types of economic networks major industries are built upon — such as financial and banking systems, health care organizations, water- and power-distribution facilities and business networks.
By contrast, Infrastructure 2.0 is the new global network of technology-based and digital systems that are creating a new foundation for the economy. At one time, the term was used to describe only computer-based innovations. But more recently, Infrastructure 2.0 has come to define an industrial reset of many of the major industries that drive the economy — from housing and health care to transportation and manufacturing, among others.
You can see Infrastructure 2.0 taking shape in a variety of ways:
New highways are being built with sensors that track vehicles that are equipped with sensors that interact with the road. These are key to autonomous cars and trucks.
3D printers are remaking factory floors across the U.S. and the world, replacing older hand-operated and automatic machines and tools used to build everything from cars, planes, clothing and textiles, to construction components and consumer goods.
Artificially intelligent assistants — Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa are two of the most well-known — are changing how we live, work and play, becoming central to appliances and other products and services used in homes, workplaces, retail stores, health care facilities, public buildings and pretty much everywhere else.
Robotic assistants — such as SoftBank’s humanoid robot, Pepper — are being used in health care settings (to help surgeons perform operations with greater precision and allow paraplegics and quadriplegics to regain the use of their limbs with “smart” prosthetics), banks (greeting and assisting customers), restaurants (taking orders and processing bills) and retail stores (functioning as robotic sales assistants).
New jet planes are being equipped with web-based instruments that track their movement, safety equipment and flight patterns in real time.
Web-based services — such as Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Twitter and Facebook — are becoming primary sources of media, news, information and entertainment in nearly every home.
And that’s just the beginning.
With 5G just around the corner, Infrastructure 2.0 will pave the way for everything from truly driverless cars and expanded virtual reality in media, to robotaxis, personalized space travel and permanent remote work.
In short, it will touch every aspect of the way we live, work and play.
What’s Driving Infrastructure 2.0?
Infrastructure 2.0 is being fueled by consumer and commercial demand for better ways to live, work and do business — upgrading today’s core network systems.
Infrastructure 2.0 technologies have the advantage of offering the prospect of more dynamic and automated operations models.
For instance, many businesses and consumers are driving the demand for cloud computing and automated, web-based communication services because they are far more efficient and cheaper to run than traditional hard drive storage and land-based cable systems that require costly, hands-on manual labor.
Social networks like Facebook are creating a new template for how to run next-generation data centers and customer service management that leverages computer networking and artificial intelligence.
And a host of other business practices are being reshaped by Infrastructure 2.0 mega trends — from robotics to IoT services to blockchain.
Billionaire entrepreneur, Shark Tank personality and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban recently told Fox News that he predicts a “reset” of the American economy after the COVID-19 crisis — one that will be driven by Infrastructure 2.0 mega trends at the heart of what Paul has called America 2.0.
“I don’t know when we’re going to get from America 1.0 to America 2.0, but we will get there. And what needs to happen is we have to realize that we are the most entrepreneurial country in the world,” Cuban said.
“Somebody has a vision out there of what we are going to look like on the other side and when we look back in five years, we are going to realize that there are five or 10 or 25 amazing companies that were started that just changed the world and lead us through all of this to a brighter future.”
Echoing what has said for years, Cuban said he envisions a new American infrastructure that relies more on robotics and artificial intelligence than the industries of the past.
has long argued that using American innovations in 3D printing, robotics, AI and other areas will drive a new renaissance in U.S. manufacturing: America 2.0.
Cuban appeared to agree in his Fox News spot.
“First thing we need to do is start investing in the future of manufacturing — not to try to recreate what we did in the past, but looking toward robotics and software and automation and AI in such a way that we can just dominate that area,” Cuban said.
“A lot of people are concerned that if we don’t do it the old way and have manufacturing lines, we won’t have enough employment, but there is so much intellectual capacity here that I think really we can take robotics to a level where we bring back almost all that manufacturing and create a surplus of jobs.
“When we look at an infrastructure bill. I truly believe it’s got to be ‘Infrastructure 2.0’ where we focus not just on redoing streets and roads and bridges, but focus on robotics and future technologies so we can define and take over in the future.”
Cuban also echoed in noting that America can and must wean itself off economic reliance on China, noting that pharmaceutical companies manufacture many of their drugs there or in India — as just one example.
But U.S. biotech investments — with funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and private sources — are fueling research into promising new drugs that target genetic and molecular factors in disease better and less expensively than Big Pharma medications manufactured overseas.
The prospects of inexpensive 3D-printed drugs — with one already approved by the Food and Drug Administration — could also help bring drug manufacturing back to America.
Both are good examples of creating a new Infrastructure 2.0 for pharmaceutical development.
“This is just good old fashioned capitalism with some support from the government,” Cuban said. “We invested in NASA because we wanted to go to the moon. The President wants to go to Mars. We invest at the NIH. Most of the single molecule drugs that come out of there lead to the biggest discoveries our pharmacy companies have.
“It’s not unusual for us to invest in technology to lead the way in the world. That’s what we have to do … Most of our drugs come from China and India. They are not well conceived. We have to take that back over. Again, this is what capitalism is all about. This is why I know we can make it work.”
said he was thrilled to see Cuban’s comments.
“Our America 2.0 vision is spreading!” noted in a post on his YouTube site and in a Bold Profits Daily update on his website.
“I woke up this morning and saw an interview with Shark Tank’s billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban. And I was thrilled to see he was talking about America 2.0! I couldn’t agree more, Mark. Except that I have to tell you: We’re already here.”
He noted the coronavirus has left its mark on the U.S. economy. But it also helped pave the way for the new world of America 2.0.
“Mark said some incredible things about this transformation that I want to mention,” added. “It reflects what we’ve been telling you about America 2.0. … Not only that, we have outlined some of the biggest opportunities in America 2.0 through our mega trends — 3D printing, robotics, artificial intelligence, precision medicine, renewable energy and the Internet of Things. We’ve been watching these for years, and now they are merging together to create the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And it’s happening right now.”
Many of the companies that underpin America 2.0 are already creating a new tech-based Infrastructure 2.0 of the U.S. economy, he added.
“Those companies are already beginning to dominate various parts of the mega trends we talk about in America 2.0,” noted. “Our nation has pulled together and embraced the future. Our country is full of entrepreneurs. And you can see that today. We transitioned to a technology-based reality. Streaming movies, mobile offices, online classrooms, even virtual gatherings.
“I was moved watching this unfold in ways I couldn’t even imagine during such a tough moment in our history. Now — like Mark — I’m excited to see where we’ll go next.”
predicts the U.S. industrial and manufacturing economy is going to change. Instead of the old-world idea of assembly lines, we’re going to see companies embrace 3D printing, artificial intelligence and technology.
What Are Some Examples of Infrastructure 2.0 Industries, Services and Products?
The primary foundations of Infrastructure 2.0 include some of the mega trends at the heart of America 2.0, including:
- The Internet of Things.
- Robotics and artificial intelligence.
- Precision medicine.
- 3D printing.
- Financial technology (fintech).
- Renewable energy.
- Blockchain.
- 5G.
- Electric Vehicles.
Internet of Things
“The Internet of Things” refers to the interconnection of computing devices embedded in everyday objects through the internet, enabling them to send and receive data.
As a result, the IoT is a key building block in the new Infrastructure 2.0 foundation. It’s the technology that links all of the innovations that make up the world we live in, making them all possible. As a result, IoT advances will revolutionize our economy, helping to usher in America 2.0 and a new infrastructure for commerce, business and consumer products and services.
At its core, the Internet of Things’ biggest driver is the internet itself. But it’s the way that the internet connects nearly every aspect of the modern world — through computers, smartphones, tablets and other devices — that makes the IoT a powerhouse mega trend for any investor.
Some examples:
- New web-connected sensors can tell farmers when crops are ripe and alert supermarkets when produce is past its freshness date.
- Med-tech advances are putting the global library of medicine, as well as genetic records of patients, into the hands of doctors.
- Web-based companies such as Amazon and Wayfair are transforming retail and putting brick-and-mortar department stores and furniture showrooms out of business.
- Spotify and iTunes are remaking music distribution.
- Video-streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and others are demolishing traditional cable TV and DVD sales.
- Social media sites such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are replacing traditional newspapers, magazines and network news.
Another variant of the Internet of Things is called the “industrial Internet of Things.”
This subcategory of the IoT covers the mega trend as it relates to manufacturing, construction and other major industries that are now becoming more efficient thanks to their connections to technology.
And there are tech developments happening all around the world with semiconductor companies that facilitate the widespread adoption of the IoT in manufacturing plants and facilities.
According to Statista, the global market for the Internet of Things was expected to grow to $212 billion by the end of 2019.
The IoT reached $100 billion in market revenue for the first time in 2017, and forecasts suggest that this figure will grow to around $1.6 trillion by 2025.
Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Robotics and artificial intelligence are related technologies, representing two sides of what engineers sometimes refer to as “machine learning” or “smart tech.”
They’re both core components of Infrastructure 2.0, helping drive the innovations at the heart of the new tech-based economy. Robots and AI-enabled “thinking machines” are already replacing traditional assembly-line components and manufacturing devices — as well as making inroads in health care, education, the automotive industry and aviation, among other industries and enterprises.
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and science that includes mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering, computer science and others.
Artificial intelligence refers to a branch of computer science that aims to build machines that can “think” in ways that mirror — but go far beyond — the natural intelligence of humans. These “thinking machines” are programmed with software to have an almost superhuman ability to learn and solve problems.
In some ways, robotics is a subsegment of AI. And it’s a growing industry.
AI and robotics have exploded over the past two decades — remaking a slate of industries, from health care, retail and banking to entertainment and information services:
- Artificially intelligent digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri have made robotic applications a part of millions of American homes.
- Robotic technology is helping surgeons perform operations with greater precision.
- Assembly line manufacturing industries have been transformed by AI-enabled robotics.
- And humanoid robots, like SoftBank’s Robotics’ “Pepper,” are turning up in hospitals, banks, retail stores, shopping malls and even on cruise lines.
These examples of AI robotics applications are just the beginning. The global market for robots is expected to hit the $100 billion mark in 2020 and more than double by 2025 — reaching just under $210 billion — at a compound annual growth rate of around 26%.
Precision Medicine
Precision medicine is a new approach to diagnosing, treating and even preventing diseases and health conditions. It takes into account an individual’s unique biological, genetic, environmental and/or lifestyle factors.
The approach is aimed at designing more personalized therapeutic approaches than traditional “one size fits all” health care. Like other key drivers of the economy, health care is undergoing rapid changes fueled by technological innovations that are a big part of Infrastructure 2.0. As those technological advances — in artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing and genetic engineering — move to the mainstream, a new health care system will take shape as part of the rise of the new Infrastructure 2.0
The traditional U.S. health system tends to use single therapeutic techniques — such as cholesterol-lowering drugs or chemotherapy agents — to treat hundreds, thousands or millions of people with a particular condition, regardless of individual variations.
But precision medicine allows for more personalized care that takes into account those individual variations, increasing its effectiveness.
In some cases, doctors work with drug companies to develop a single drug or therapy that is used to treat a single patient — and only that patient — based on unique genetic and biological characteristics.
Precision medicine is the most exciting and promising health care trend to emerge in decades — as significant as the invention of the polio vaccine, antibiotics and flu shots that save millions of lives a year.
It allows doctors to customize health care in the same way a tailor can create a suit or dress to fit a customer’s exact specifications, or a chef can create a meal that caters to a diner’s unique tastes, preferences and even food allergies.
In this way, doctors can diagnose conditions by the genetic fingerprint of the disease — providing a more precise prescription for treatment that moves beyond trial-and-error medicine.
Three major mega trends are prime movers: the genetics revolution — which is remaking health care — the growth of Big Data applications and medical developments tied to the Internet of Things.
Taken together, these three trends will allow us to gather, collect and share enormous amounts of information on our medical conditions. They’re going to allow us to get a more precise diagnosis when something goes wrong.
Then, we can be prescribed a treatment that maximizes our benefits and minimizes our side effects based on our specific genetic code.
Precision medicine is already breaking into three key health care sectors: wearable health monitors, telehealth applications and personalized single-drug therapy.
3D Printing
3D printing is a new technology that builds three-dimensional objects from computer-aided designs, often in a layer-by-layer process.
For many industries, it is vastly superior to conventional manufacturing techniques — casting, machining or forging — where materials are poured into molds, cut to shape with lathes and other machines or formed by presses, die casting machines or hammers.
In fact, the technology is remaking the factory floor across the country and in many parts of the world, with 3D printers replacing die casting machines and hand-tooled devices of all kinds. In some ways, 3D printing is the core technology underpinning Infrastructure 2.0.
The latest 3D printing technology is cheaper and more efficient for many manufacturers to use than traditional industrial processes, which is why this mega tech trend has taken off.
It has also become a hugely profitable investment for individuals who were early adopters, buying into companies that have embraced and advanced the technology.
The term “3D printing” actually refers to a variety of processes, but pretty much includes anything that uses computer software to design a real-world product that is then “printed” using plastic, metal, biological tissues or other materials.
In the 1980s and 1990s, early versions of demo 3D printers were designed merely to show what they might be able to do as the technology advanced.
But it wasn’t until 2017 that the industry’s revenue began rising — growing by at least 10% a year. And the remarkable technology’s latest practical uses are more amazing than anyone imagined a decade ago.
The new breed of 3D-printing technology is poised to disrupt virtually every major industry that makes up America’s $2.2 trillion manufacturing base.
Four key factors are driving 3D printing’s rebound today that will take the technology beyond its overhyped beginnings to true stardom:
- No. 1: Costs have plummeted.
- No. 2: Machines are more efficient.
- No. 3: Printing materials have grown.
- No. 4: We can make more types of products.
These four factors help explain why 3D printing is remaking the factory floor across the U.S. Global projections indicate the 3D printing industry will soar more than 300% over the next five years, becoming a $44.4 billion industry by 2025.
That’s up from $4.4 billion just six years ago and $10.87 billion in 2018 — a leap of more than 900% since 2013.
Fintech
“Fintech” is short for financial technology. It is new tech that automates and improves on monetary transactions and financial services, largely through online, mobile or digital applications.
Think of it as the next evolution of banking, credit, printed money and coins. Fintech is being embraced by consumers, companies, business owners and entire industries because it offers a better, safer and cheaper way to manage their financial operations, processes and lives.
As a result, fintech is part of the DNA of Infrastructure 2.0 — remaking old-world financial and banking systems with new digital and online alternatives that are vastly superior. New technology costs money, and digital fintech payment systems will be up to the task of brokering those transactions quickly and efficiently.
Fintech uses specialized software for computers and smartphones. It is increasingly giving big banks and investment services a run for their money. And it’s being embraced, in a big way, by the largest U.S. generation in history — the millennials.
In general, “financial technology” applies to any innovation in how people do business involving monetary transactions.
The earliest forms of fintech emerged in the past 20 years and were proprietary operations used in back-end systems (bookkeeping, for instance) of established financial institutions. But as the Internet of Things has taken off, more consumer-oriented services, retail operations and business models have embraced it.
As a result, it’s now in use in such varied settings as retail stores, banking, fundraising efforts, educational services, nonprofit organizations and investment management.
Financial technology has grown explosively as internet-enabled smartphones and tablets have expanded its applications beyond computer-to-computer transactions.
It encompasses everything from financial activities (money transfers, check deposits with a smartphone app) and making retail or online purchases, to raising money for a business startup and managing investments, generally without the assistance of a person.
Fintech also includes bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, as well as “digital money” apps such as Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo and Square.
About one in three American consumers now utilizes at least two or more fintech services, and those numbers are growing. Millennials, the first generation to grow up with smartphones and the internet, have embraced fintech more aggressively than any other age group.
The growth of fintech is being driven by three primary factors: cryptocurrencies, mobile devices and tech-savvy millennials.
Millennials have been the most eager generation to embrace fintech. They are turning to apps like PayPal’s Venmo and Square’s Cash App. They’ve become extremely popular, with Venmo just hitting the 40 million user mark and Square Cash closing in on 20 million.
The generation is a big reason the global fintech market is projected to be worth approximately $305.7 billion by 2023 — growing more than 22% every year between 2018 and 2023.
In North America alone, the fintech market is projected to be an $80.85 billion industry by 2023. But fintech is growing fastest in the Asia-Pacific region — China, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia — where the market will rise every year by 43.34% over the next four years.
In fact, an index comprised of only 10 publicly traded fintech companies is already outperforming the S&P 500 Index.
Because banks are so invested in implementing technology solutions in their daily operations, fintech is estimated to rise 22.1% every year and hit $305 billion by 2023.
Renewable Energy
Infrastructure 2.0 will be based on an entirely new energy grid, powered by renewable energy. Here’s a look at the energy future for America 2.0…
“Renewable energy” is any power source that comes from renewable resources which are naturally replenished indefinitely, such as sunlight, wind, water, tides, waves and geothermal heat.
By contrast, fossil fuel sources — gas, oil, coal and natural gas — and nuclear power are finite and limited in supply. Fossil fuels are also far more environmentally damaging and contribute far more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than renewable energy sources do.
Fossil fuels and nuclear power are the dominant power sources worldwide today, in part because they are cheaper than renewable energy. But that balance is changing as renewable energy sources — principally solar, wind and hydropower — catch up, as technology advances and drives down the costs.
These new and emerging renewable energy solutions will power the grid of America 2.0. In fact, you can think of a renewable energy grid as Infrastructure 2.0. The changes in energy powering Infrastructure 2.0 will supercharge everything from AI-enabled “smart home” appliances and heating/air conditioning systems to public utilities and private businesses. “Endless energy” will mean limitless advances in all of the technologies that are fueling America 2.0 and the new foundation it is being built upon.
By 2050, renewable energy sources are projected to overtake fossil fuels as the primary source of electricity worldwide. Market research projects the share of renewable energy will increase from 25% in 2017 to 85% over the next 30 years, mostly through growth in solar and wind power generation.
Renewable energy is sometimes referred to as clean energy, or endless energy, because it is largely nonpolluting and comes from never-ending power sources that are available 24/7 (i.e., those that are constantly being renewed).
At $250 billion, the renewable energy market is small compared to the $7 trillion global energy markets, which are largely fueled by oil, gas, coal and nuclear power. But the world’s leading researchers project it will explode into a $51 trillion industry in the next few years, growing 12 times bigger than all old-world fuels combined.
The primary sources of renewable energy are solar, wind and hydropower.
Right now, the energy market is evolving quickly, as new technology is expanding the reach of renewables — including huge advances in battery-storage tech — which is driving down the costs for solar, wind and hydropower.
The world is starting to turn away from old-world fuels — gas, oil, coal and nuclear power — to new-world renewable energies.
As the focus shifts to these cleaner, safer and more efficient alternatives, they will become the primary power sources for vehicles, homes, businesses and public utilities.
By 2050, renewable energy will generate 85% of the world’s power overall, up from 25% in 2017, market research shows. Most of that growth will be from solar and wind power generation.
One of the key factors driving the transformation from old energy to new is next-level battery technology.
All those new power sources require batteries to store energy for later use when the sun doesn’t shine, the wind doesn’t blow and water flow slows or is interrupted.
The new battery-powered energy revolution is on track to disrupt three huge existing energy industries — fossil fuel-based enterprises, utilities and transportation. Taken together, these three industries have a stock market capitalization in excess of $7 trillion.
The new energy revolution is showing up in ways large and small across the country and around the world.
Residential: You can see it in the popularity of solar-powered residential and commercial programs in sun-drenched states like California and Florida, with homes and businesses turning to the sun for energy.
Transportation: It’s clear from the growing number of Teslas and other electric vehicles sharing the road these days that renewable energy is shaking up this key sector of the transportation industry. And just look at car-charging stations popping up on our highways.
Power grid: You can also see many examples of public utilities turning to solar energy, hydropower and wind-driven turbines to power homes, businesses, fleets of cars and machines that don’t run on fossil fuels.
Market research shows $13.3 trillion will be invested in new power generation in the United States between now and 2050.
Blockchain
Blockchain is a new digital database technology that holds transactional records — blocks of information — that is secure, transparent and not controlled by a centralized authority.
You can think of it like an online ledger that records transactions between two people or parties without government, business or commercial regulation or control.
Blockchain technology is best known for its use in building cryptocurrencies — digital coins like bitcoin and ether. These are the best working examples of the technology.
As such, blockchain is quickly becoming the new way of managing monetary transactions of all kinds — safely, quickly and efficiently. It represents a vast improvement over traditional banking and financial services.
As a result, it is a key building block of Infrastructure 2.0 — the technology that will allow for rapid purchases and transactions of the new equipment, products and services that will be needed for this new-world economy to take off and thrive.
Blockchain is the perfect system for monetary transactions because it allows for fast, safe and efficient electronic monetary transactions, even when huge sums of money are involved.
But bitcoin is just one example of blockchain technology. In fact, blockchain has many other applications because it is essentially a new way of keeping records digitally. So, it can be used for virtually any kind of record-keeping or database management.
For instance, blockchain is making inroads into the music industry (with music-sharing file systems), health care system (and insurance), telecom (smartphones) and document services (think passports, personal IDs and birth, wedding and death certificates).
Blockchain technology offers many advantages over traditional record-keeping and data systems.
Historically, digital data have been kept, stored and secured on a server owned and operated by a third-party company or regulated by a government agency. But these systems are not secure. They are frequently breached — making your data vulnerable to cybercriminals. In addition, they frequently go offline, which makes access to the data — or your money or other files — unavailable.
But with blockchain, the data are encrypted and distributed through a network of computers. So, it is not owned by any one person, company or government and cannot be destroyed or tampered with.
Blocks of data — such as a financial transaction — are permanently recorded and encrypted. So, the only parties who have access to it are the two individuals who are part of that transaction.
The blocks of data are then connected — or chained — to one another.
Blockchain has one extra layer of security that thwarts potential hackers. Each new block of data that is added to the chain must first be verified. This verification process is technically complex, making it virtually impossible to hack into.
Blockchain can hold virtually infinite amounts of information, accessible to anyone with an internet connection.
5G
5G is the fifth-generation wireless network. It will become the new global standard for mobile devices — following after 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G networks.
As a result, 5G will take off as Infrastructure 2.0 takes hold, allowing for unprecedented levels of wireless interconnectivity.
It will bring faster, better and more reliable services in ways we could not have imagined even a decade ago, when engineers first began building it.
But it will do more than this. In fact, 5G will be a new kind of network, designed to connect virtually everyone on the planet with a cellphone, tablet or computer to everyone else — and almost everything with a web link, including machines, products, cars, homes and other devices.
This new, high-speed connectivity will expand exponentially as part of America 2.0 in the years ahead.
The previous generations of mobile networks — 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G — each brought innovations of their own.
First generation (1G) introduced the first wireless services, using analog technology, in the 1980s.
Second generation (2G) delivered digital upgrades and expanded services in the early 1990s.
Third generation (3G) ushered in the first mobile data in the early 2000s.
Fourth generation (4G LTE) brought us into the era of mobile broadband a decade ago.
All four generations brought new innovations designed to provide more connectivity than was ever available before.
But 5G will deliver more than all the previous generations of wireless combined. It is significantly faster than 4G, has more capacity and will use a standardized platform. As a result, 5G will impact every industry and usher in safer transportation, remote health care, precision agriculture, digitized logistics, next-generation manufacturing — and more.
And the signs of its impact are already being seen, with the early rollout of 5G driving global growth:
- $13.2 trillion of global economic output.
- 22.3 million new jobs created.
- $2.1 trillion in gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
A landmark 5G economy study found that 5G’s full economic effect won’t be seen across the globe until 2035. But when it is, it will support a wide range of industries that comprise Infrastructure 2.0 and are already driving America 2.0.
Market research projects 5G will eventually enable up to $13.2 trillion worth of goods and services, create 22.3 million new jobs (systems operators, content creators, app developers and consumer service specialists) and add up to $2.1 trillion in GDP growth.
This impact is massive — far greater than previous wireless network generations.
That’s partly because the new 5G network is being built to expand beyond the traditional mobile communications to industries, such as the automotive industry, health care and other web-based Internet of Things business operations that drive the economy.
And that’s just the beginning, based on what experts project. Many emerging and new applications will certainly emerge in the future as 5G rolls out, develops and advances.
Only time will tell what the full “5G effect” on the global economy will be.
But one thing is for sure: 5G will be game-changing for many industries that will emerge as America 2.0 takes off and a new Infrastructure 2.0 network ushers in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Electric Vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) are powered by electric motors, as opposed to gas-fueled internal combustion engines. Unlike conventional cars and trucks, they are eco-friendly and have no air pollution emissions.
They can be powered with clean, renewable energy from external sources — such as solar, wind, hydropower or other non-fossil fuels. But even when they are charged with electricity from conventional gas, oil, coal, natural gas and nuclear plants, EV motors are more fuel efficient than internal combustion engines.
EVs’ electric motors, or traction motors, are fueled by rechargeable batteries stored in a battery pack instead of gas-powered engines.
Most use batteries charged with electricity from off-vehicle sources. Some EVs and hybrids have their own self-contained batteries juiced by solar panels or electric generators that convert fuel to electricity.
EVs include conventional automobiles and trucks, but also trains, rail vehicles, water craft, underwater vessels and even aircraft and spacecraft.
EVs sales are poised for massive growth in the years ahead. EVs comprised only 2% of the global automotive market in 2016, but their numbers are growing by leaps and bounds every year. By 2030, 22% of the cars and trucks on the road will be electric.
That’s why EV technology is one of the key mega trends creating a new energy grid Infrastructure 2.0 as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution at the heart of America 2.0
The first experimental EVs were actually developed in the mid-19th century, when electricity was the preferred source of energy for engines and machines of all types. But they were quickly pushed aside by internal combustion engines, which have dominated the automotive industry for more than 100 years.
Renewed interest in EVs emerged with the environmental movement in the 1960s and 1970s, when smog and pollution from automobiles poisoned the air around the world and gas prices started soaring.
But it wasn’t until 1996 that the true commercially available EV emerged. GM’s 1996 EV1 quickly gained a cult following. Toyota followed a year later with its hybrid Prius — which was released worldwide in 2000.
But Tesla Motors took EVs to the next level, producing its first luxury electric sports car with a range of more than 200 miles on a single charge. Other automakers quickly followed Tesla’s lead and by 2009, a new nationwide charging infrastructure was under development — accelerating the rise of EVs.
By 2013, nearly 20,000 residential, commercial and public charging facilities were in place, boosted by U.S. Department of Energy investments.
About the same time, EV battery costs began to plummet, helping to bring down the costs of EVs to levels comparable to sticker prices of conventional gas-powered cars. In addition, research shows EVs cost less per mile than their gas counterparts, even though they tend to cost more up front.
Cost, technology, efficiency and environmental factors are all fueling a rise in EVs. Today, consumers have an enormous variety of EV makes and models to choose from. Tesla has risen to dominate the market.
But a handful of automakers are jockeying for room on the road, including GM, Kia, Hyundai, Chrysler, Subaru, Audi, Jaguar, BMW and Volvo.
The three main types of EVs are classed by the degree to which electricity is their energy source: BEVs (battery electric vehicles), HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) and PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles).
The global EV market is projected to reach nearly $27 million in sales by 2030 — up from less than $3.3 million in 2019. That’s an annual growth rate of 21.1%.
The increasing vehicle range, better availability of charging infrastructure and lower costs for EVs are primary drivers of the global electric vehicle sales.
But government policies, subsidies and grants, tax rebates and other non-financial benefits are also helping to boost this growth. So have other factors, such as special parking and car pool lane access for EVs.
In addition, some nations have more aggressively pushed out gas-powered vehicles in favor of EVs (specifically in China, where ICE engine new car registrations are banned in some urban areas).
What this means for the future of EVs is that what we’re likely to see amazing advances in technology and market share growth in the years ahead. Engineers are already working to create new breeds of EV batteries that will take only minutes to charge and allow cars and trucks to travel for months and cover thousands of miles between charges.
For all these reasons, EVs are among the key components of Infrastructure 2.0 — the network of new 21st century industrial technologies and innovations that will transform the American economy and have a global impact.
Robotics. Artificial intelligence. Cloud computing. The Internet of Things. 3D printing. Information technology. 5G. Blockchain.
They’re all part of this new economic foundation of the future — the underlying architecture of what Paul calls America 2.0.
For a deeper understanding of these the America 2.0 mega trends — and the smart ways to invest in them today, click here.
