O2 & Project Darwin: Creating the transport system of the future

[EmilieT]

Hi everyone, 

I don't know if you've spotted this recent blog article on the O2 Business blog, but I thought it was very interesting! 🚀

Along with the European Space Agency, Oxford and Glasgow Universities, Spanish satellite operator Hispasat, start-ups specialised in self-driving mobility solutions and Darwin Innovation Group Oxford, O2 will be supporting Project Darwin – a four-year trial programme designed to pave the way for next generation connectivity solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

The project will aim to test new technology and end-to-end connectivity solutions, including testing 5G and satellite communications to create a new CAV industry vertical. CAVs are expected to generate unprecedented levels of data – up to 4TB per hour, an amount of data for which we currently don’t have the infrastructure in place to support. Projects like Darwin are essential to explore next generation connectivity solutions and facilitate the creation of new business models.

Project Darwin isn’t the only way we’re testing 5G. We’re involved in a number of other exciting projects, including:

Millbrook Proving Ground – Our 5G network will be powering the CAV testing at Millbrook. The test bed aims to provide developers of CAVs access to 5G testing capabilities, simulating the effects of high speed mobility on transport such as cars and trains to assess 5G handover, capacity and download capabilities of up to 1Gbps for consumer applications.
Midlands Future Mobility – Working with the Wireless Infrastructure Group, we’ll be helping provide connectivity along a 50-mile route that runs through Birmingham and Coventry to test autonomous vehicles.
Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership – We’re part of a consortium along with leading manufacturers like Worcester Bosch and Yamazaki Mazak to test 5G for industrial application. Thanks to 5G, engineers at Mazak will now be able to share live HD video with a specialist in another location and receive instructions via augmented reality in real-time.

Ahead of our 5G rollout later this year, we’re also trialling 5G in our own testbeds. At the O2, for example, we’re testing our 3.4GHz spectrum for consumer and business application. We’re also creating 5G innovation spaces across the UK, including in our Wayra accelerator hubs. The spaces provide 5G test environments for businesses of all sizes.

What other exciting applications of 5G for businesses have you read about, or do you think would be great to hear more on? 

[liggerz87]

So that's why o2 don't offer unlimited data lol