The Challenge
Precise positioning of consumer and business devices to within 10cm is now possible through 5G, however potential users are often unable to access this due to technology, infrastructure and device interoperability barriers. Through improved transmission technology, 5G will deliver increased bandwidth and high-speed data streaming, alongside new features included in 3GPP releases allowing delivery of high-accuracy positioning to 5G connected devices, unlocking a plethora of commercial and consumer opportunities, and helping to realise potentially billions of dollars of benefits to Australia. This project established a 5G Precise Positioning Testbed using the Optus network, supported by global telecommunications and positioning leaders Ericsson and GMV. It also demonstrated and measured the economic benefits of four business applications using 3GPP in the agriculture and consumer sectors and will help inform future 5G investment decisions.
Partners
The project partners are Optus, Ericsson, Geoscience Australia, GMV, and Australian SMEs Position Partners, Platfarm, Kondinin group, 4D Mapper and Quantum Systems.
The Solution
The5G testbed was a world first collaborative demonstration of the 5G precise positioning capabilities, made possible within the latest releases of the 3GPP standard. The primary outcome was the operational precise positioning service delivered over the Optus 5G network. This service required an international collaboration between Geoscience Australia, GMV (Spain), Ericsson (Sweden), and Optus to bring together the capabilities of each organisation and integrate their contributed hardware and software components to deliver a robust and reliable service for end users to trial.
The initiative was delivered through 4 work packages:
- Testbed Design and Build
- 5G positioning deployment and training
- Testbed Operation
- Measure and Report – publicly available report on benefits of 5G
There were four demonstrator projects participating in the Testbed:
- Consumer – Augmented Reality for Safety
- Consumer – Drone Delivery
- Agriculture – Remote Fertiliser Management
- Agriculture – Farm Robotics and Vineyard Management
Impact
This operational service was used by a variety of different Australian businesses to demonstrate and measure the real-world benefits of 5G technology. The capabilities demonstrated will include 5G 3GPP Positioning, enhanced mobile broadband, low latency and edge computing. Each of the demonstrator projects was assessed using a framework that compares their business as usual (BAU) or 4G equivalent approach to the solutions made possible with the 5G Testbed, allowing for the measurement of real-world benefits to each of these businesses. Further to the direct outcomes seen for each of the project partners, there was a range of broader positive outcomes realised or improved due to this project, including:
- Uplift of technology capability related to 5G infrastructure by service providers and technology partners within the project, providing a clear test case for other similar organisations to deploy this capability.
- Development of exportable capabilities and services for deploying 5G positioning elsewhere in the globe, as this project allowed Australian businesses to get a head-start on developing 3GPP 5G positioning solutions.
- Increased uptake of 5G in Australian businesses through tangible business outcomes and documented use cases from demonstrator projects.
Contact
Please contact us at contact@frontiersi.com.au or Project Leader Eldar Rubinov at erubinov@frontiersi.com.au.