Communications technologies, particularly wireless, play a key role in the digital transformation of terminal operations. In this paper, we survey the state of terminal communications and conclude that the current level of complexity calls for simplification and consolidation of the various networks. The strongest candidate for the communications platform of the future all-digital terminal are the 3GPP mobile technologies, 4.9G/LTE today, and 5G tomorrow. We look at the features and characteristics of these industrial-strength wireless technologies and the use cases they will enable in the terminal operations of the future.
