A1 Slovenija sets up its first 5G base station
A1 Slovenija has launched its first base station utilizing 5G technology. This new base station will give A1 the chance to test the current capabilities of its 5G network and assess any potential impacts of 5G technology on the local environment after similar projects have been launched in several other countries across the A1 Telekom Austria Group. Together with BTC, A1’s partner in the development of future business models, they aim to set up the base station to encourage the development of 5G-based business models.
A1 Slovenija is making good use of the experience of other countries in the A1 Telekom Austria Group in setting up its trial base station. This is especially true for Austria, where A1 will begin offering its first commercial services over the 5G network in early 2020, having already concluded several trial projects utilizing 5G technology. A1 Slovenija has already achieved 5G speeds of 1 Gbps with a 20 ms latency.
A1 Slovenija is making good use of the experience of other countries in the A1 Telekom Austria Group in setting up its trial base station. This is especially true for Austria, where A1 will begin offering its first commercial services over the 5G network in early 2020, having already concluded several trial projects utilizing 5G technology. A1 Slovenija has already achieved 5G speeds of 1 Gbps with a 20 ms latency.
“This test will not focus on speed and latency. We launched 5G technology especially because we want to create a comprehensive picture of both its operation and of any impact it may have on the environment, as this topic has become an issue lately, and we will monitor it ourselves regularly. For this purpose we set up a special application on our website in cooperation with Končar, where everyone can view the current levels of electromagnetic waves emitted from the base station,” A1 Slovenija explained. “Naturally, one of our aims in establishing a 5G network is to accelerate our development of new business models, which is the whole point of setting up a 5G network in the first place. That is why we invite everyone who is interested in 5G technology to come visit us and see how it works for themselves.”
Current data on the levels of exposure to the electromagnetic fields emitted by the 5G base station on the roof of A1’s headquarters are is available on A1’s website at A1.si/5g. For those who are interested in 5G technology in more detail, A1 has scheduled special tours of the base station, where A1’s mobile network experts will be available to answer any questions about how 5G technology works. The times and dates for these tours are also available at A1.si/5g.
The 5G test base station is located on the top of A1’s headquarters in Ljubljana’s BTC City, as the first locations to receive 5G coverage are cities, while BTC City is a city-like environment but without any inhabitants. The base station is only active when A1 is testing it, while it remains switched off otherwise.
While showcasing 5G technology, A1 Slovenija also signed a partner agreement with BTC on cooperation in the development of future business models. The agreement will see the companies collaborating mostly on new models for user experience, sustainable development, and healthcare, as well as mobility and smart cities.
“BTC has already been a pioneer in encouraging business models that will place Slovenia among the most advanced countries in digitalization. We are very glad to collaborate in the responsible placement of advanced digital technologies and business models into the environment, and bring a wealth of experience from the A1 Telekom Austria Group to Slovenia,”
A1 Slovenija said after the agreement.
“Setting up the first 5G base station is a new milestone and a continuation of successful cooperation with A1 in bringing the BTC Living Lab project to fruition, placing BTC City Ljubljana into the unique position of an environment for testing and developing advanced solutions and technologies of the future,” BTC said.
The 5G standard is still being developed and will be implemented according to plans on a global level at the end of 2021. Until the final implementation of the 5G network in Slovenia, A1 Slovenija will meet all residential and business users’ demands with its 4G/LTE network, which was used once again this year to transfer the most data (46% of all the data in Slovenia) in the country, though it still has plenty of room for further development. 5G technology is one of the most important milestones in the telecommunications industry’s progress, as it will focus on operators transforming into service providers for industrial verticals such as the power supply industry, manufacturing, mobility, healthcare, entertainment, retail, and logistics.
