During the demo, the two partners reached a 6 Gbps throughput using the 3.5 GHz band
Orange Belgium teamed up with Nokia to demonstrate the potential and future applications of 5G including virtual and augmented reality, IoT, connected vehicles, eHealth and industrial applications, among others.
Orange said it is investing heavily in its network in preparation for the new 5G technology that is expected to be deployed in the 2020 timeframe.
In the city of Liège, Orange and Nokia presented five use cases that show the potential of 5G.
During the demo, Orange and Nokia reached a 6 Gbps throughput using the 3.5 GHz band. The demonstration included:
-A 3D holographic live concert: The demo developed by Nokia and MimesysVB showcased in real-time a 3D video reconstruction of a musical performance, streamed over 5G as a 3D hologram within a virtual reality (VR) environment;
-Live 360° camera and streaming via virtual reality glasses: The VR headset users watched videos with a 360° panoramic view, captured with a 360° camera and transferred over 5G, enabling a 8K live video. The camera was equipped with 8 sensors and microphones;
-Balancing robots: Three constantly moving robots had to keep a little ball in the centre of a plate that was balancing between them. This demo illustrated possible applications of 5G in the “factory of the future,” where 5G will enable real-time communication between machines thanks to the low latency and the high reliability.
-Autonomous cars: The interactive demo showed the importance of latency for communication between autonomous cars to streamline traffic. Players drove toy cars around a track and experienced the difference between a connection over 3G, 4G or 5G.
-Sector One, Belgian’s professional esports team, connected 3 gaming computers via 5G to play League of Legends, Hearthstone and FIFA 18.
“We already demonstrated the advantages of 5G in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress earlier this year and we are working closely within the standardization bodies to develop the 5G technology. We are committed to deploying the 5G networks with standardized, interoperable and enriched equipment and functions all across Europe,” said Orange Group CEO Stéphane Richard.
“We are very proud to demonstrate real 5G use cases that go beyond a simple speed test and to stage as a ‘première’ in Liège the benefits of a high capacity, high reliability and low latency connectivity for the customers,” said Orange Belgium CEO Michaël Trabbia. “For residential consumers 5G will allow an increasing use of very high-definition videos and real time immersive augmented/virtual reality experiences. In the professional sphere, 5G will allow us to offer dedicated and tailor-made connectivity adapted to specific requirements of new innovative applications such as wireless manufacturing, real-time automation, smart cities, IoT, autonomous vehicles and remote medical assistance,” the executive added.
