There’s no doubt that 5G stands to change the way enterprises communicate and collaborate. It promises data communication speeds three to four times that of 4G/LTE, so that pinch you might be feeling when trying to stream high-def content during a videoconferencing session, will be a distant memory when 5G comes along. With major players like Sprint pushing the technology to the mainstream, that won’t be long. According to research firm Statista, 5G is expected to hit the market by 2020, and by 2021, the number of 5G connections is forecast to reach a figure of between 20 million and 100 million.
Sprint’s Showcase of 5G Right Before Rollout of Service
5G is a big deal, but as with any revolutionary technology there’s a lot of hype that surrounds it. In an effort to demonstrate real-world applications of 5G, Sprint has opened a 1,100-square-foot 5G Experience center at its Kansas City Headquarters. The recent opening of the space was perfectly timed—right before Sprint’s 5G commercial launched expected to begin in Kansas City and other markets in May.
Before the big rollout of Sprint’s 5G service to several markets nationwide, visitors of the 5G Experience center can interact with more than a dozen display and demonstrations that showcase the capabilities of 5G. “”With Sprint 5G coming soon in our first nine markets, this dedicated venue will provide unique and interactive ways to tell the story of 5G and help visitors visualize the types of innovations it will bring,” says Steve Gaffney, Sprint vice president of media and experiential marketing.
Faster Speed Breed Faster Adoption?
As 5G becomes a reality, the efficiency by which enterprises communicate will vastly improve. But the technology will also spearhead completely new ways of connecting and conducting business—ways that are currently too advanced for a 4G network to fully support. Virtual reality, augmented reality will become more pervasive as a means of interacting with colleagues and customers; IoT will support the delivery of more data from more devices than ever before, increasing productivity and efficiency; faster connections will enable greater reliability of technologies like voice-enabled control and automation. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Of course, it’s easier to envision the impact of these advancements if you can see them in action; hence, the development of the Sprint Experience center. If only more companies would invest in demos, there might be less skepticism surrounding new technologies, greater excitement over future advancements, and a better understanding of how technologies can vastly improve our way of living and doing business. Many of these concepts are showcased at the Sprint 5G Experience Center, and businesses can arrange private tours to gain a solid understanding of the benefits of 5G.
Big Players Pushing 5G Into the Mainstream
To bring a real-world perspective of 5G to its Experience visitors, Sprint made sure to incorporate plenty of products in its displays. Some of the participating companies include Ericsson, Intel, LG, Nokia, Qualcomm Technologies and Samsung.
“LG cannot wait to bring the best-in-class LG V50 ThinQ 5G to consumers across the country this summer,” says William Cho, president and CEO of LG North America. “Sprint’s 5G Experience serves as an interactive and informative way to show what’s possible and we’re proud to showcase LG’s advancements in 5G, building off our legacy in leading 4G LTE.”
“2019 is the year of 5G. We are thrilled of our work with Sprint and other mobile industry players to make 5G a reality in America,” adds Joe Glynn, vice president, Business Development, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The opening of Sprint’s 5G Experience showcases the incredible capabilities of 5G and helps to crystalize the mobile industry’s vision for how 5G will transform industries and the mobile experience. We will continue to collaborate with Sprint in the rollout of its 5G commercial service supported by flagship smartphones launching over the next few months based on our 5G technology.”
Sprint expects to launch its commercial 5G service starting in May. Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Kansas City are among the first of its nine 5G markets. Also slated to launch in the first half of 2019 are Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Phoenix and Washington D.C. Its total initial 5G footprint is expected to cover more than 1,000 square miles across all nine cities giving true mobility to on-the-go customers.
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