Uplands are delighted to announce a test network will be available for visitors to enjoy at least two years ahead of expected 5G rollout in Britain.

O2 have unveiled plans to launch a 5G test bed at The O2 in North Greenwich later this year, bringing a 5G experience to the world’s most popular entertainment venue. Installation of the network began in March, with visitors able to enjoy the technology from the second half of 2018.

The move will see O2 leading the way in putting the next generation network technology into the hands of the British public.

Uplands will be inviting a number of our business customers to the exclusive O2 blueroom to experience 5G for themselves.

Our customers will get to experience ground-breaking technology via a variety of customer demonstrations. Demonstrations being assessed for showcasing include virtual reality, augmented reality and live streaming.

The test bed will be delivered using ‘Multi-access Edge Computing’ (MEC) and is configured for virtualisation of core 5G network technologies. In time, O2 will use the network to test a variety of equipment and potential use cases for 5G under live conditions, gathering feedback from customers and partners to ensure a future high quality service for customers in the future.

5G is the next evolution of mobile connectivity that promises a faster and more reliable mobile data connection than is currently available. It will offer a higher bandwidth and lower latency network experience, meaning faster speeds can be achieved with a more reliable network experience for a greater number of devices on a network.

5G will not only improve the experience of how people use mobile networks today but will also unlock a range of completely new services delivered over mobile networks, making the lives of UK citizens easier, safer and more enjoyable.