A joint UK project with South Korea will trial 5G wireless for supporting “uninterrupted infotainment services” for commuters travelling on the Glasgow Metro and London Underground.
The £2.4m project is due to run from August 2019 to March 2021 as part of a private and public sector consortium called 5G RailNext, led by Cisco and various other organisations.
This aims to deliver augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) content (including travel information, video streaming and gaming) through wearable devices such as headsets, under the Government’s 5G Testbeds and Trials (5GTT) programme.
The first live deployment of this 5G-based mobile infotainment service will take place across the Seoul Metro system in South Korea, followed by the Glasgow Metro. There are then plans for similar trials on the London Underground and New York Metro.
Margot James MP, Digital Minister, said: “5G is the future of connectivity and we want the UK to be a world leader. This collaboration with South Korea will explore innovative ways to use the technology to deliver content and services on transport networks in Seoul and Glasgow.
“I’m delighted that this will create new partnership and business opportunities for UK SMEs, academia and local government.”
