GE Research and Verizon Business are creating a testbed using mmWave 5G to power one million devices per square mile using Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband. Installation is taking place on GE’s Research campus to connect what will be ten times the capacity of 4G. “For us, it’s about enabling thousands of assets to be managed in real-time at one time. 5G’s speed, scale, and near-instantaneous response time are opening new levels of capabilities in the management of assets and operations that engineers previously could only dream of using,” said Dr. SM Hasan, GE Research’s 5G Mission Leader.
Connecting these many devices is important and for a company such as General Electric, this could not be more true. GE is a conglomerate with its hand in many different industries. The same industries are transforming before our eyes thanks to the implementation of 5G. This includes healthcare, manufacturing, renewable energy, and so much more. mmWave 5G is delivering the fastest wireless speeds that can even overtake modern wired connections when it comes to download speeds all with a lower level of latency. This plays well when we consider the Internet of Things (IoT) and the application 5G will have to help power many different devices wirelessly.
IoT will revolutionize with 5G thanks to the increases in automation, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning. Connecting many devices to enable these functions is at the heart of what IoT will require to take the right steps forward. 5G is making this possible.
“From AI and machine learning to digital twins and autonomous technologies, 5G can accelerate the path to everything from self-driving cars and digital health to more resilient, reliable energy grids powered by more carbon-free energy assets like intelligent wind farms,” said Dr. Hasan.
The testbed comes at a time of great expansion for Verizon. From launching its mmWave 5G network throughout various parts of the country including New Orleans, San Antonio, and California to bringing its 5G Home Internet service to three more cities, Verizon is staying busy. The new deployment of its C-band spectrum after heavy spending at the auction is helping bring everything to life in the early developments of its 5G network. Tami Erwin, the CEO of Verizon Business, is looking at this to be the perfect time to create the backbone of a network that will help power the future.
“There’s never been a more critical time to build the 21st-century infrastructure built on mobility, broadband, and cloud and our 5G sits right at the epicenter,” said Erwin.
Source: RCR Wireless