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Mobile operator EE has dispatched a herd of internet-enabled cows to Glastonbury moo-sic festival.
EE is the technology partner of this year’s festival, and has milked its collaboration in order to install its ‘Highspeed Herd’ at the event, to provide attendees with 4G Wi-Fi internet connectivity.
The life-size fibreglass cows are modeled on Worthy Farm’s own bovines, and painted by the renowned Glastonbury bin artist Hank in fetching ‘EE’ yellow and turquoise.
Far from being ‘udderly’ pointless, EE commented that the ‘moo-bile’ hotspots should let music lovers to upload their pictures, videos and posts ‘on the hoof’ while mucking in at the event.
Spencer McHugh, brand director at EE, said: “Staying connected has become an essential part of any festival-goer’s experience and we are thrilled to be back supporting Glastonbury Festival, helping to ensure those on site have the best possible experience.
“Worthy Farm’s famous dairy herd are award-winning, much like our superfast 4G network, and we wanted to have some fun this year while providing a much-needed service.”
Hank added: “It’s not the first cow I’ve ever painted but it’s certainly the most high-tech.
“We’ve loved bringing these 4G beasts to life and I think they look brilliant.
“My team and I have even named them; Dolly, Daisy and Molly seemed the perfect fit to me.”
As part of its partnership with the festival, EE is also providing wireless contactless and ‘Cash on Tap’ payment systems, the latter of which allows users to pay for items worth up to £20 using their mobile.
The equipping of cows – albeit made of plastic – with tech echoes recent comments made by Cisco enterprise networks and Internet of Things director Sarah Eccleston, stating that a world in which cows are equipped with a range of sensors to ensure their well-being and optimise milking periods could well become the norm win the near future.
