5G Private Network To Support Smart Cities in Asia
KUALA LUMPUR: A cloud-native telecommunications software company named Mavenir from the United States recently held a webinar discussing 5G network technology, a type of private network, and its contribution to the transformation of Asia with the emergence of smart cities.
This virtual discussion is also a continuation of the successful collaboration between Mavenir and Thailand in supporting the operation of the Ban Cbang smart city which relies on 5G open RAN technology The operations are. aimed specifically at the needs of companies and governments.
The 5G private network provides a very fast connection and super low latency which is suitable for the operation of interconnected Internet of Things devices. All data is collected and processed in real-time to provide the right and best service.
Private network here is understood as a network that is separate from the public for telecommunications needs. Private networks exist for communication needs that are critical, such as public services from the government and the private sector as well as the industrial sector.
“When there is a question about a private network, where to use it, what technology can be used in it? The answer is unlimited. This technology can be used at home or a city by connecting to all forms of integrated services,” said Vice President Sales ASEAN Region Mavenir, Ben Patullo.
Ben predicts that the global private network technology market value will reach around USD 8 billion in 2027. The Asia-Pacific region, especially Asia, will contribute greatly to it because this region is the most densely populated region in the world.
“More than 50 percent of Mega Cities in the world in 2030 will come from Asia-Pacific, in order to make all these cities run and serve the people they must have private networks,” said Ben.
In the health sector, the growth of digital-based health services will grow in this region to be able to reach people in remote locations.
Private networks are also needed in manufacturing to automate production considering that the Asia-Pacific region represents 34 percent of the world’s total manufacturing output. Ben said that there are five sectors that will benefit from the adoption of private networks, namely e-commerce, health, manufacturing, mining, and one is smart city.
Ben gave an example of implementing the Ban Chang smart city in Rayong Province, Thailand, which uses 5G with the support of a private network from Mavenir. In this city, Mavenir cooperates with local telecommunications operators and local governments.
“In the case of public safety, there are ultra-high-definition cameras connected to the smart pole. Digital signage, which provides information to the public, can be used for advertising about COVID-19, for example in specific areas or across the country,” said Ben.
“The smart pole that has been used at Ban Chang will have various sensors and environmental monitors that detect various components of pollution and environmental conditions and send the data to the government to help make the best decision or response,” he explained.
In the industrial sector at the Map Ta Phut industrial area in Rayong Province, Ben claims the implementation of 5G private networks can increase output more than 10 times thanks to manufacturing automation.
Global CTO of Emerging Business Mavenir, Donald Price, assesses that the presence of 5G does have a lot of potentials when implemented in the private sector for business compared to communications such as in the 2G, 3G, and 4G era.
“5G technology is designed so that we can transform our lives, being able to download data faster, have very low latency, and have more capacity to connect millions of devices, especially those related to IoT, VR, and AI,” said Donald.