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Vodafone recently conducted the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G technology.
The call from Vodafone’s Manchester office featured England and Manchester City Women’s Football Captain, Steph Houghton MBE. Using 5G technology, she appeared as a live 3D hologram on stage in front of an audience at Vodafone’s UK headquarters in Newbury.
The call follows the announcement in June this year that seven cities will become Vodafone 5G trial areas from next month. The company has also announced that Cornwall and the Lake District will receive 5G during 2019, and there will be 1,000 5G sites by 2020.
This call marks a significant milestone in UK communications, with the speed of 5G potentially enabling applications as diverse as remote robotic surgery and 4K gaming on the move.
In a new report, Vodafone has outlined why it is imperative that businesses prepare themselves to make the most of upcoming digital advancements.
The report found that more than half of business leaders in the UK (58%) believe it is essential to embrace Internet of Things (IoT) technology to be successful.
For businesses up to 49 employees, 41% believe IoT is vital for success; rising to 67% across large enterprises (2,500+ employees). 64% of all respondents believe IoT will improve their business operations; and 62% believe that every business will benefit from the technology.
“IoT can drive innovation and value within an organisation, helping it to achieve operational efficiencies, build more valuable relationships with its customers and facilitate entirely new business models,” said Anne Sheehan, Enterprise Director, Vodafone UK.
“I believe it offers all organisations a huge opportunity to thrive in this digital age – and they must seize this opportunity now.
“I’m really encouraged that businesses recognise the role IoT can play; and as global leader in IoT, consider it our role to bring the opportunities to life. There’s no doubt we will see many more applications in the months and years to come.”
Check out Vodafone’s 5G holographic call in action below:
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