Showing the value of 5G across Europe

The potential of 5G

Technologies such as 5G and Edge computing are the pathway to an increasingly connected and intelligent world. Bringing faster connectivity, lower latency, and more reliability, efficiency, and security, 5G is beginning to unlock innovation and digital transformation across industries. With the capacity to relieve many of the pain points of connected industry, 5G is seen by 75% of manufacturing executives as a key enabler of digital transformation (Capgemini Research Institute, 2019). In other words, businesses want 5G and the operational advantages it brings, and they’re willing to pay for it.

This presents huge opportunities for the telecoms industry. Knowing the potential of 5G to address the unique connectivity needs of manufacturing, healthcare, transportation and utilities, our client wanted to move from being a service provider to a transformation partner for their customers. Not only does understanding and exploiting the potential of the 5G network help the company capture a return on its infrastructure investments, it’s establishing the business as a leading provider in the next industrial revolution. So the mobile provider began working with Capgemini Engineering as an engineering and business partner to develop new applications of 5G for its business clients.

Smart cities in Italy

The work in Italy started in 2017 when our client’s Italian division and Capgemini turned Milan into the first city in Europe to roll out 5G. With the support of the Ministry of Economic Development, the mobile provider ran public trials of 41 new 5G services to enhance healthcare, traffic management, tourism and emergency services in the city. Piloting applications of ultrafast 5G connectivity in Milan has enabled our client to create and rollout approximately 50 successful use cases around Italy to cities like Prato, L’Aquila, and Matera, and to other countries such as Spain and Portugal.

The firm has also partnered with Sky Italia to harness 5G technology to support a unique and unprecedented use of holograms to bring together singers in Italy and Berlin onto a single stage for the finale of the Italian version of X Factor.

Helping industry in Spain and saving lives in Portugal

In Spain, specialist support from Capgemini Engineering has accelerated the rollout of 5G by helping to develop and apply a number of enhanced services for industries using 5G and augmented reality (AR). Our client and Capgemini have developed more than 32 use cases which include operations and maintenance for refineries, real-time monitoring of a drilling robot, search-and-rescue missions using unmanned aerial vehicles, and virtual ticket offices in harbours. This has resulted in a suite of scalable, proven solutions for a wide range of industries.

Meanwhile, Capgemini Engineering worked with the mobile provider in Portugal to deploy 5G to help the Red Cross enhance life-saving communications between emergency technicians and hospital-based medical specialists. Using HoloLens glasses and ultra-high-definition 360-degree cameras in ambulances, technicians can transmit critical data and imagery in real time to doctors in hospitals, who are able to send back instructions and guide emergency procedures through the augmented reality in the glasses. 5G’s ability to facilitate seamless communications with no disruption or time lag has played a key role in the struggle between life or death.

The future is connected

5G applications such as these are just the start of a connected infrastructure that will bring more intelligent, enabling experiences for both businesses and consumers. The work done by our client in partnership with Capgemini Engineering has highlighted the strength of 5G as the connective engine that unlocks faster uptake of technologies such as advanced automation, edge analytics, and both virtual and augmented reality – and with them a new world of services and experiences with the potential to transform our society.

Working with Capgemini Engineering, the mobile provider has proven that there are viable 5G use cases that meet market needs and which can be sold at scale. Drawing on deep industry experience and technical expertise, Capgemini Engineering has helped our client test and understand the process of implementing 5G, as well as develop a platform for designing and selling products based on customer needs and viable applications. And with events such as Covid-19 forcing the world to rely more than ever on technology for work, life, and of course healthcare, the need for the enhanced connectivity and next-gen improvements the 5G network brings will only grow. As it pushes the abilities of telecoms technology to provide answers to these challenges, our client has shown leadership in the industry through its successful 5G transformation.