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The O2 Arena will host 5G demonstrations in 2018
July 09, 2025
Last week,O2 announceda 5G network covering the arena and the surrounding attractions would be installed in March. Visitors should be able to test out the 5G network’s capabilities sometime in the second half of 2018.
To be clear,this doesn’t mean you’ll be able to get 5G speedson your smartphone when visiting the complex. The 5G network O2 is installing will be delivered using “Multi-access Edge Computing,” which essentially means the network will be a virtual simulation. This is similar to whatVerizon did at football arenasaround the Super Bowl andwhat Qualcomm didin San Francisco and Frankfurt.
The O2 press release on the matter doesn’t explain how visitors will be able to test out 5G speeds, but it’s most likely going to be set areas in the complex with specialized equipment for people to try. O2 says the demonstrations could includevirtual reality,augmented reality, and live streaming, but it gives no specifics.
Since there will most likely beno smartphones released with 5G capabilities in 2018, it will be at least the middle of 2019 before any consumer-level products can connect to the simulated network. If O2 is trying to make the entertainment complex a testing hub for 5G technology, it very well could be the first place in London where future 5G-enabled phones will be able to run at their full potential.
“The arrival of 5G technology, and the range of unprecedented benefits it will bring, will play a key role in keeping our society and the British economy moving for years to come,” said O2 CEO Mark Evans.
“At O2, we are obsessive about always delivering for our customers, and this test bed is a further example of our pioneering attitude to putting our customers first and backing the importance of mobile for Britain’s future.”
you’re able to read more about 5Ghereand why you won’t get to experience it on your current smartphonehere.
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