The 5G era is set to arrive in the UK in 2019, with Brighton being the latest British city to be home to a 5G ‘testbed’ this month.

Local businesses down in Brighton can benefit from being amongst the first in the country to be able to test out next generation connectivity, before 5G rolls out nationwide later next year.

Superfast 5G mobile connectivity is widely hoped to usher in the rapid adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies over the next decade.

The Brighton 5G testbed is a partnership between Digital Catapult, Coast to Capital, Wired Sussex and the University of Brighton, with a focus on immersive experiences.

We expect to see many local games and app developers really coming up with some exciting new ways of taking augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality and other new digital experiences to the next level.

Low latency and superfast networks

The low latency, superfast speeds and higher capacity of 5G will mean that developers will be able to share real time experiences in high definition (or via VR, for example) via mobile networks.

So, for example, you can expect to see lots more live gigs and events broadcast in high def VR in the coming years!

“The 5G Brighton testbed lets companies experiment with new applications and services which take advantage of the unique nature of 5G.  This is a major step forward in the wider roll out of this advanced technology, helping take the technology out of university labs and into the market,” said Jeremy Silver, Digital Catapult CEO.

“5G represents more than just faster internet on the move, it’s the first mobile technology that, by design, enables free standing setup in individual locations, offers new companies the opportunity to control their own networks, and enables operators to manage computing at the edge as a new business model for the future.”

There are various other 5G testbeds taking place across the UK, with a connected vehicles focused one in the West Midlands and others that are focused on health and educational technology development.

EE is planning a testbed in London at the O2 arena and Vodafone plans to test out 5G in seven major UK cities over the coming months.

The first UK 5G networks will launch later in 2019. Expect to hear lots more on this over the coming months.

Via TechRadar

 

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