Greece he named officially Trikala, as the first city to acquire 5G wireless technology. An ambitious agreement between the Municipality of Trikala, e-trikala SA and the General Secretariat of Telecommunications and Posts of Greece, signed this week, will launch a free 5G pilot network to test the new wireless technology throughout the city.
Interestingly, e-trikala SA's work will focus on new solutions of 5G-enabled urban development rather than traditional personal and business wireless services.
Under the new program, the city will test a smart parking lot with 5G smart lighting, smart lighting, a dynamic street lighting based on data sensors in real time, public wireless Internet access, collection data and analysis, along with conventional commercial solutions.
It will also test smart cultivation, which is designed to grow medicinal plants using sensors and computers.
According to e-trikala,
The goal of the Municipality of Trikala is with an effective implementation of the program to bring the local government and the private sector in contact, with benefits for the daily life of the citizens. Smart cities have a responsibility to provide a comprehensive range of services to citizens.
Greece has been preparing for 5G technology for some time. Last year, Cosmote partnered with Nokia for the country's first live 5G network demo using a 3.5GHz radio to achieve speeds of up to 4,5Gbps in Athens. At the time, Cosmote questioned 5G's ability to deliver high-speed 360°VR video, but said it aimed to explore the value of 5G in smart cities, the health, smart transport, education, entertainment and mass media.
Trikala was very early designated as the top city candidate for 5G, as it has tried other new technologies, such as self-driving vehicles before other Greek cities.
The announcement of Trikala comes just after the release of an interesting exhibition of smart cities 5G by its mobile operator United Kingdom (PDF). The company estimates that 5G will save $ 627 a year, using various new 5G sensors to reduce waste, and save cities $ 8,3 billion by offering remote energy management and social services.
The British company also expects 5G road and rail systems to reduce congestion and train delays, while allowing motor and electric vehicles to reduce travel hours and carbon emissions.
