Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg gives his talk talking about the different applications of 5G.
Screenshot by Sarah Tew / CNET
The advent of 5G should change, well, everything. But in addition to tons of commercials and smartphones with a faster wireless connection – and sometimes not even that – state-of-the-art cell phone technology has been a factor for most people. Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg appeared at CES this year with some real-world examples of how 5G will impact.
“It is more than just another technological innovation,” he said in his speech at CES 2021 on Monday. “It is a platform that enables other innovations”.
Vestberg’s session is a continuation of his appearance two years ago, when he first introduced the eight “coins”, or the company’s jargon for 5G applications. On Monday, he conducted programs in areas such as sports, education and drone delivery that emerged from the concepts established in 2019.
Verizon’s keynote comes at a crucial and unconventional time for 5G. The wireless industry should be getting excited about the variety of devices and the wide distribution of the network, but coronavirus blocking has most people at home – using Wi-Fi – and few able to take advantage of the faster connections found in the centers of cities. Meanwhile, the inconsistent speeds available on 5G networks across the country make some consumers wonder what is going on.
Vestberg argued that even though the pandemic caused many things to shut down or freeze, work on deploying 5G and taking advantage of its higher speed and responsiveness continued until 2020. He also said that these networks will be ready to serve when some sense of normalcy returns and people return to city centers and sports arenas.
“We jumped seven to 10 years into the data revolution,” Vestberg told a media briefing before his presentation, noting that areas like telemedicine and contactless retail have seen faster adoption because of the dynamics of new standards, such as distance. social and work and learning remotely.
Anyone looking at Vestberg’s talk for new plans or unlimited phones may have been disappointed, but that was not his point. He has long talked about 5G as an unprecedented platform for innovation and has continued to build his case at CES. But many of the tests and applications he ran – like a better experience at NFL stadiums – will depend on a return to normality before consumers really see any benefit.
Here is a summary of what Vestberg announced.
More NFL stadiums with 5G: Verizon has committed to deploy 5G Ultra Wideband, or the super fast variant of its 5G network, in 28 NFL stadiums this year and has already deployed the network at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, which will host the Super Bowl LV. Vestberg said fans with a Verizon 5G device will be able to use the “SuperStadium in the NFL” app to check different game camera angles and use augmented reality features when tracking player statistics. Vestberg said Verizon is also working with other sports leagues.
Verizon is continuing its investment in upgrading the networks around the sports stadiums, and had retired NFL star Deion Sanders to talk about the game’s evolution.
Screenshot by Sarah Tew / CNET
Smithsonian becomes 3D: Over the next five years, Verizon will digitize collections and artifacts and create digital experiences that can be viewed anywhere. Verizon worked with the Smithsonian’s open access platform to create augmented reality experiences from its 3D artifacts
The Met adopts AR: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Verizon launched The Met Unframed, a virtual art and game experience featuring dozens of galleries of 50 Met artworks. Any 4G or 5G device will be able to access the experience, but Verizon customers will have access to enhanced activities at four of the AR sites.
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Connecting drone deliveries: Verizon is also working in this area through Skyward, a Verizon-owned company created to promote drones connected to cell phones. Verizon and Skyward are using 5G to connect delivery drones and intend to use them to deliver packages to The Villages, Florida, with the help of UPS’s Flight Forward program. Vestberg said many of the drone deliveries that took place in 2020 were for transporting essential supplies like medicine, but he hopes that this will be expanded. He said that the only way to effectively coordinate and connect a large number of drones in the air is via a cellular network, and 5G provides the necessary capacity.
Live Nation locations receive 5G: Verizon said it will deploy its 5G Ultra Wideband flavor in 15 Live Nation clubs and cinemas, including Wiltern in Los Angeles and Irving Plaza in New York. Like NFL stadiums, 5G access will allow venues to broadcast live shows, where users have access to multiple camera angles. Verizon said it would provide new tools to manage the flow of the crowd and suggested other “elements on the spot”.
Carbon neutral objective: It is not a 5G ad, but the company said it intended to be carbon neutral by 2035.