Orange said that the main goal of the 5G test was to detect the presence of people in unauthorized areas
The Port of Vigo, in Spain, recently hosted a demonstration of the use of a 5G network with a surveillance system that includes the deployment of drones with very high-resolution cameras and intelligent video analysis techniques.
The main goal of the test was to detect the presence of people in unauthorized areas, and the ability to automatically generate alarms in real time. The pilot was developed by Orange, Ericsson and Gradiant.
In a blog post, Orange noted that the system takes advantage of a 5G network to improve and extend the coverage of communications between unmanned aircraft and a ground control center, in addition to improving image transmission. The use of artificial intelligence for video analysis will allow this security system to detect unauthorized persons and generate warnings in real time that alert the control center of possible intrusions, the Spanish carrier said.
Orange said that the minimal latency and high reliability for data transmission enabled by the 5G network are essential for autonomous decision-making in drone operations.
This project is part of the 5G National Plan, the program for the development of 5G technology pilot projects which is being promoted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation.
Orange Spain previously said it ended the first quarter of the year with a total of 1.11 million 5G subscribers after adding 228,000 in the period.
According to the European operator, its 5G network infrastructure already reaches 60.4% of the Spanish population. Orange’s 5G network infrastructure currently reaches 881 municipalities across 38 provinces. Orange had said it expects its 5G network to reach 1,500 localities by the end of this year.
Earlier this year, Orange announced its deployment of 5G in the 700 MHz band. The European carrier said it will offer this technology progressively over the course of 2022 in more than 1,100 towns and cities, 820 of them having between 1,000 and 50,000 citizens. Also, 140 towns with fewer than 1,000 citizens, in 30 provinces will benefit from the new technology, helping to reduce the digital divide. Additionally, Orange says it will deploy 5G using spectrum in the 700 MHz band in 140 cities with more than 50,000 citizens.
Orange said it is currently offering 5G technology via the 700 MHz band in 241 municipalities.
In the last spectrum auction, Orange secured 2×10 megahertz in the 700 MHz band, which adds to the 110 megahertz in the 3.5 GHz band already owned by Orange.
The operator launched commercial 5G services in Spain in September of 2020, using equipment provided by Swedish vendor Ericsson. Orange initially launched 5G technology in Madrid and Barcelona with the deployment of Ericsson’s 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) and core products and solutions.
The European carrier had initially launched this technology through spectrum in the 3.6-3.8 MHz band using a non-standalone architecture. Orange said it would launch 5G through the standalone (SA) architecture once the Spanish government makes available spectrum in the 700 MHz band, which occurred in July 2021.
