Bristol to host world’s first public 5G experience

Ever wanted to sample the extraordinary possibilities of the future? The University of Bristol and Watershed are inviting people to experience the next generation in game-changing technology.

The city will play host to the world’s first ever public trials on new 5G testbed across a weekend of creative and free public events in Millennium Square and We The Curious on March 17-18.

The Layered Realities Weekender 5G showcase will explore the future potential of the next generation wireless connectivity and promises spectacular 3D-like projections, Kaleider’s virtual reality dance, Duncan Speakman’s augmented reality theatre and more.

Kaleider

Bristol has been awarded a share of £16 million to develop test networks as part of the Government’s investment in a world-class 5G technology test network that aims to put Britain at the forefront of the next wave of mobile technology.

Bristol University’s Smart Internet Lab is one of only three research institutions in the UK chosen to develop this cutting-edge technology.

The showcase weekend is being hosted by the university, in collaboration with Watershed and We The Curious.

Constellation

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, director of the Smart Internet Lab, says: “In March 2018 we are taking the challenge to deliver an end-to-end 5G network in Bristol’s Millennium Square and to demonstrate for the first time 5G services to the general public.

“We have worked closely with our strategic technology partners BT, CCS, Nokia and Zeetta Networks in order to deliver a truly unique 5G Test Network and we are very excited to create the world’s first public 5G experience.”

Event attendees will also have the opportunity of viewing a real time transmission sent from a connected autonomous vehicle (CAV), parked in Millennium Square for the duration of the weekend.

In addition to the creative experiences, the weekend will also be host to a series of talks from the 5G Fellows, a cohort of four critical thinkers and makers who will share their creative responses to the impact of this new technology on our society.

Tim Kindberg talk

Watershed’s creative director Clare Reddington says; “We are thrilled to be able to offer the public the chance to examine next generation wireless connectivity through these experimental events – we have asked artists, researchers and creatives to produce bold new works which explore the capability and potential of 5G and the result is the Layered Realities Weekend 5G Showcase.

“Technology and culture are inseparable – the Layered Realities weekend explores not only how artists might push the possibilities of 5G, but also explore how this technology might fit into the lives of people in new and transformative ways.”

What is 5G?

5G is a reinvention of the internet for an always connected, interactive world. Above ground, it will offer massively increased speed, capacity and reliability compared to 3G and 4G.

In addition, 5G represents a range of interconnected technologies which will supercharge the internet, offering a huge increase in bandwidth, allowing more things to connect at once, and reducing latency.

Read more: Bristol’s universities pioneer 5G trial network