Ericsson and Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJio) unveiled jointly developed 5G use cases at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2018, marking a significant milestone in India’s journey towards 5G technology.

The use cases demoed at the event over the live 5G network in Navi Mumbai and in Delhi leveraged the gigabit speed and ultra-low latency capabilities of 5G to exemplify key benefits such as the remote operation of machines (robotic arms, vehicles) and possibilities enabled through virtual reality (VR).

Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio, said, “The rapid evolution of digital technologies is redefining and transforming how we use and access goods, information and services as these are all driven by the power of data. For us as a nation, it is imperative that operators are aggressively incentivized to accelerate the deployment of deep fiber as this lays the foundation for this transformation, enabling us to seamlessly transition to 5G. Jio is excited to work with our global partners on technologies and use cases that allow us to deliver affordable broadband for ALL and ensure that we leverage 5G to its full potential."

Nunzio Mirtillo, Head of South East Asia, Oceania and India at Ericsson, says, “From setting the standards for 5G New Radio to testing interoperability with our ecosystem partners and developing use cases, Ericsson has been working towards making 5G real in different parts of the world. Our goal behind developing use cases with our partners is to develop tangible concepts that can be taken forward and implemented by industry. Today, we take a big step towards making 5G a reality in India by showing use cases that can find application in sectors such as mining, education, and healthcare.”

5G connected car

Ericsson and Jio are together bringing the 5G connected car use case to life. It demonstrates remote operation and control of a car that is connected over a live 5G network on 3.5 GHz band at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. The use case was made accessible at the IMC for remote driving and showcasing assistance through 5G edge computing.

This 5G Connected car showcases 5G’s reliability, high data rate capability and low latency – key elements for remote operations of machines. It unlocks the potential for mission-critical applications in industrial automation that would otherwise be unavailable. With low latency and ultra-high-speed connectivity, 5G will also allow for remote operation of machines in hazardous environments such as mines to keep human life safe, or in manufacturing facilities for enhanced productivity.

VR-assisted driving using 5G

This demonstration leverages 5G network slicing capabilities that allow deployment of application-specific, end-to-end requirements on throughput, latency, computation, security and reliability. This opens new business opportunities for operators through 5G.

The use case shows VR-assisted driving of a bus connected to a 5G network. In this demonstration, a camera mounted on the roof of a blackout car, streams over a live 5G network. The bus driver maneuvers the bus assisted by the live stream rendered on a 5G-connected VR headset. The live streaming was done over Ericsson’s 28 GHz 5G network in Navi Mumbai.

The ability to visualize and simulate a wide range of scenarios and situations also makes VR a valuable tool for the education and training of employees, students and even teachers at various levels. Additionally, the use of VR within the healthcare space continues to grow even as new solutions and applications are being developed for use in hospitals, medical consultant surgeries, training institutions, and more. When the ultra-low latency and reliability of a 5G network is leveraged with VR, these and many more such applications can be created for more skilled, healthier and more productive people in Indian cities.