On July 5 in Rzeszów, EXATEL signed a letter of intent for the supply of a 5G network for the purpose of Smart City projects. The parties included president of Rzeszów, dr h. c. Tadeusz Ferenc, Lesław Bańdur – Director of the IT and Telecommunications Support Office at the Rzeszów City Hall, Marcin Słowik – Member of the Board at FIBRAIN, and vice-president for technology and R&D at EXATEL, Rafał Magryś.
The letter of intent concerned the first public 5G network operating in Poland. In this regard, Rzeszów concluded agreements with Fibrain – a firm specializing in constructing network infrastructure, and EXATEL – one of the largest Polish telecommunications operators and a provider of cybersecurity services. From its start, the 5G layout in Rzeszów will include several very interesting side-projects.
An autonomous bus
The first project will be establishing autonomous bus, carrying the residents of Rzeszów on one of the routes. Autonomous vehicles require a network with specific parameters. It must be reliable, flexible, exhibit a short lag and must always be available. For autonomus vehicles to be able to move independently and safely on public roads, they must utilize, among others, V2X (vehicle to everything) communication. This helps acquire information on the route and on other road users and sends diagnostic and control data to a traffic management system. What are the advantages of autonomous public buses? Primarily, safety – for example, these vehicles will automatically react to accidents and notify emergency services and other autonomous vehicles. Such transport will perfectly fit urban conditions – where effective traffic organization, fuel consumption efficiency and environmental impact are important, and human mistakes are costly.
This bus route is just the beginning. Further steps include, among others, autonomous drones monitoring resident safety, access to high-speed Internet in means of public transport, augmented reality and virtual reality systems for the citizens and tourists. The coming times will bring even more futuristic solutions.
Dr h. c. Tadeusz Ferenc, president of Rzeszów: We want Rzeszów to be in the technological avant-garde of Polish cities. Already today we are utilizing all broadband network technologies – from WiMAX to LTE, however, such ambitious projects as Smart City or autonomous vehicles require next-gen communication, namely, 5G.
Michał Szczęsny, Director of the Network Planning and Architecture Office at EXATEL: It should be noted that autonomous vehicles require a very reliable and expanded wireless mobile communication so as to be able to function safely. Therefore, we have designed a solution based on 5G technology, which will ensure adequate reliability and minimal latency required for the correct operation of autonomous vehicles. These requirements will be satisfied owing to, in addition to the components of the 5G standard, an access infrastructure consisting of “zero site” base stations, which means street lighting, power poles or gullies integrated with city’s cyber infrastructure.
Rafał Magryś, EXATEL Vice-President: This will be a groundbreaking project in a unique city. We are commencing preparations for the practical implementation of 5G. We have already tested the functioning of 5G technology in practice, two years ago, at a shopping mall in Warsaw. Today is the time for concrete action. We want Poland to become an innovation leader and to develop its own solutions and technologies. We work with the largest advanced technologies manufacturers in the world; however, we do not forget about own research and development, as well as their practical applications. The cooperation with the authorities of Rzeszów will be a chance to use our knowledge and skills in the real world. We are glad that we can support the development of Podkarpacie through our activities.
Marcin Słowik, Member of the Board at FIBRAIN: 5G is not only high-speed Internet and unlimited access to its resources. A 5G network is an ecosystem, with actors in the form of various devices, the existence of which is hard to imagine today. It is said that by 2020 there will be over 50 billion devices within the network, with 500 appliances per each household. They will monitor, track, analyse and optimize our daily activities on an ongoing basis. The said ecosystem will revolutionize more than just such mundane matters as administration or taxes, it will contribute to a significant improvement in the quality of life through such services as e-health and life safety, owing to the possibility to eliminate people from working within hazardous places. The 5G network has long been dubbed a revolution with some even comparing it to the discovery of movable type by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. I am really happy that the first network of this type in Poland will be built here in Rzeszów – the capital of innovation.
We are gaining momentum
5G is not just another generation of wireless mobile connectivity. 5G is a whole spectrum of changes taking place in the field of telecommunications and cyberspace – 5G is new technology, new possible applications and new functionalities for end-users. The 5G network in Rzeszów will be one of the first in Poland, and we will be responsible for the entire scope – not just its individual operational elements.
