5G for Bournemouth by 2020

5G technology may arrive to Bournemouth by 2020.

13:14 18 April 2018

Bournemouth is one of the 5G testbeds in the UK chosen by the government because of its topography. By 2020, it is expected that the borough will have access to fifth generation mobile network or 5G, which promises speeds that are up to 100 times faster than 4G.  

 

Bournemouth council digital economy manager Ruth Spencer said: "This is a massive step change in terms of connectivity,"

 

"It is not just about mobile speeds but about machine to machine connections, connecting things to the internet.

 

"It is an opportunity to unlock a huge amount in terms of economic benefits and productivity."

 

She said that 5G will revolutionise augmented reality and robotics, which will enhance their manufacturing and medical uses. As such, she expects that they will be able to attract many more tech companies to invest in the area.

 

5G was used at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea to ward animals away from the courses. Russia, on the other hand, has announced that it is working on a 5G demonstration at the FIFA World Cup, which will begin on 14 June.