The built environment touches all aspects of our lives, encompassing the structures that we live and work in, the transportation systems that get us from place to place and the distribution systems that provide us with amenities like water and electricity.
The rollout of the fifth-generation cellular network, 5G, is happening now and is set to change how we connect within the built environment, with the promise of improved speeds, greater capacity and lower latency compared to its predecessors.
This exciting technology is already being used to drive new possibilities within the urban world, unlocking innovations and potential use-cases in transport, manufacturing, health and social care, and many more industries.
Join us at the Built Environment Network event, supported by West Midlands 5G (WM5G) to find out about the benefits 5G and how the technology can be used to drive your business in an ‘always on’, connected world.
5G will help build Smart Cities
As we move towards a digital-by-default era in our towns and cities, technological advancements have never been more important in keeping us connected to what matters most.
A ‘Smart City’ is a city that uses technology to enable solutions across a variety of sectors to address key urban challenges such as traffic and transportation systems, crime detection and even water supply networks.
A big part of the technology is the use of an intelligent network of connected objects and machines, that transmit data using wireless technology or 5G. In 2020, the forecast market for ‘Smart Cities’ was more than £900bn GDP, equivalent to the 12th largest nation on earth. By 2030, it is estimated that the top 750 smart cities will generate two-thirds of the world’s GDP.
5G will transform productivity and efficiency in manufacturing
A report by mobile network operator, Vodafone, found that the adoption of 5G could increase the value of the UK manufacturing industry by as much as £6.3bn by 2030. Through embracing 5G technology, manufacturers can increase efficiencies, bolster productivity and ensure they have the competitive edge in a digital-first future.
AE Aerospace (Birmingham), a leading manufacturing business in the West Midlands, was the first UK SME to deploy a 5G private network with WM5G, nexGworx and technology partner BT. The trial is proving how UK SMEs can harness 5G to improve productivity and provide existing customers with a higher quality of service, alongside creating new business models and new revenue opportunities for manufacturing businesses.
To find out more about the benefits and potential uses of private 5G networks, join Andy Welch, technical director at WM5G, for his session on day one of the event by signing up here.
5G will keep things moving in the transport sector
The availability of 5G presents a revolutionary opportunity for urban mobility, allowing cities to modernise and make their transport systems more efficient, benefitting those that live, work and travel within them.
With access to 5G, businesses and vendors will have the scope to improve public transport operations and increase transport planning services – with the potential to reduce traffic congestion, improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians, and shave time off the daily commute.
An everyday irritation that is hoped to be eased by 5G technology is the task of finding a suitable parking space in UK city centres. It takes an average of eight minutes to secure a parking spot, costing the economy an estimated £373 million every year in wasted time, fuel and emissions.
Predikt, the first commercial parking proposition in the UK that uses 5G technology, relies on accurate predictions and 3D mapping to help drivers find the best parking options and prices before setting off their journey.
An industry estimate shows this could cut up to 30% of journey times and reduce miles driven in city centres, saving time, money and helping the environment by car usage.
You can hear more about how 5G is being integrated into transport projects of the future at the ‘transforming transport’ session with Chris Deakin, project manager (transport) at WM5G.
5G will help to revolutionise healthcare
The pandemic has only accelerated the need to revolutionise the UK healthcare system and reduce the increasing pressure on our key health and care services.
5G will provide the required connectivity to deliver care and support away from clinical settings and for it to be delivered in the community or at home. This will empower healthcare professionals to make accurate diagnostics, saving valuable industry time and decreasing the risk of serious illness.
West Midlands 5G (WM5G), NHS Arden and GEM CSU, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire, and CorporateHealth International are exploring how a pill-sized camera, enabled by 5G could be used to deliver a colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) at home under medical guidance.
Working with specialist connectivity partners, the pilot will develop the CCE Smartbox, a device that can be used independently in patient’s homes. Supported by 5G, the Smartbox will both capture and transmit images of the bowel without the need for a hospital setting.
To hear more about how 5G is being used in the healthcare industry and understand how the technology could benefit your business, join us for the 5G revolutionising healthcare session by signing up here.
5G is providing the foundations to support business growth
It’s clear that 5G networks will be critical to driving economic recovery across a range of sectors and will prove fundamental to fulfilling the potential of digital connectivity as we continue to live and work in an ‘always on’ connected world.
However, a major barrier to the roll-out of 5G in the UK is the complex legal and planning framework to deploy or upgrade mobile sites in cities where Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have the monopoly on 5G coverage and control the network access.
Through their ‘barrier busting approach’, collaborating with MNOs and councils across the West Midlands, WM5G is committed to accelerate the roll-out of 5G and improve regionwide connectivity to support business growth in the region.
Already the most connected region in the UK, WM5G has set ambitious targets to reduce deployment timeframes by at least six months.
Getting the infrastructure right, will mean your business or organisation can get involved much sooner, helping to position the West Midlands and indeed the UK as a world leader in 5G technology.
To find out more and secure your place at this innovative event, please visit: https://www.built-environment-networking.com/event/5g-business-opportunities/
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