The end of the auction of the 700 MHz band gave the necessary impetus to the development of 5G SA (or “real” 5G, as it is commonly known), thus causing the projects and industrial use cases with this new generation networks. But there was nothing commercial in this area … until now.
Telefónica, which will begin the deployment of 5G SA in 2022, has just confirmed that it will be the first operator to commercialize 5G services for companies in Spain. Specifically, the solutions developed by Telefónica Tech will be available from January 1.
Three services and three modes of connectivity
Current technology already allows companies to offer certain use cases through the 5G NSA (which is supported by the 4G network), but Telefónica assures that from 2022 and during the next 5 years, 40% of the industrial sector will demand “real” 5G connectivity. Thus, from January 1, the company chaired by Álvarez-Pallete will begin to market 5G solutions for large companies and Administrations in Spain.
This announcement comes after Telefónica has deployed about 80 use cases to test the benefits of this technology in all types of sectors. Among them, as we know, the low latency, the increase in speed up to 10 Gbps, the temporary reservation of bandwidth for the prioritization of traffic or the possibility of having up to 1 million connected devices per square kilometer stand out.
The first three proposals developed by Telefónica Tech that will be available for commercialization are:
AGV 5G robots: this solution, indicated for the industrial, logistics and transport sector, is based on autonomously guided vehicles for industrial use (AGVs). Its objective is to improve processes and operations by performing repetitive and automated tasks without human intervention, such as moving loads and storing them in warehouses.
5G Remote Assistance: thanks to this service, with optional augmented reality, it is possible to operate / repair equipment in real time, without the need for the expert technician to be physically at the site where the incident is occurring. It is a solution especially suitable for industry, logistics, health, and the utilities sector.
5G drones: Unmanned flights (DRON) can carry out surveillance tasks in perimeter areas, inspection of land and fields, recordings of events and control of works. Telefónica’s solution includes everything from the fixed-wing multirotor drones or VTOLs, to authorization and maintenance management services, through piloting and Data Scientist and Blockchain services to analyze and certify the extracted data.
Telefónica will offer three modes of connectivity to launch these services:
Movistar Intranet 5G: as it is supported 100% on Telefónica’s public network, it means a lower investment for the company that hired it.
5G Virtual Private: it offers a differentiated private network with specific coverage, sharing the core infrastructure of Telefónica’s public network.
Private Dedicated 5G– Facilitates a fully dedicated 5G private network for companies that need the highest level of security and real-time communication.
In the coming months, Telefónica affirms that it will complete the portfolio of solutions with other more complex proposals, as the digital twin to act in critical situations or Computer Vision and IoT solutions to promote Smart Cities.