Millions of pounds are being funnelled into three major projects in the West of England as part of a government-funded trial to explore the potential of 5G.
Around £2.3million will go towards a new augmented reality (AR) app being released alongside upcoming BBC series The Green Planet , produced by the BBC Natural History Unit based in Bristol.
The app, which is available on standard mobile phones, will mean users are able to stream high-resolution ‘holographic’ video of Sir David Attenborough with exotic plants and animals.
A consortium, led by immersive content firm Factory 42, is working in partnership with BBC Studios, EE, Talesmith, Dimension Studios and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on the app.
John Cassy, founder and chief executive of Factory, 42 said: “The importance of protecting the planet has never been greater and the opportunity to use emerging technologies to engage audiences of all ages in environmental issues in new ways is hugely exciting."
The West of England Combined Authority (Weca) has also secured more than £3million to improve operations at Bristol Port, with a focus on security, traceability and real-time tracking of goods.
To support the tourism sector, £1.7million will go towards the Eden Project in Cornwall, too. The attraction, near St Austell, will explore how 5G and 360-degree video can enhance the visitor experience and allow anyone to enjoy the exhibits and talks.
Dan James, the Eden Project’s development director, said: “We are looking forward to testing just how 5G can help support our educational, arts and community programmes and provide new and exciting reasons for people to keep visiting us in person or virtually.
Most Read
“The data collected through the 5G network will also help us manage the site and improve the visitor experience and our environmental performance.”
The three South West projects are among nine across the country to receive funding as part of 5G Create, a £28.3million joint investment between government and businesses to test how the country can seize the full benefits of 5G and help British industries capitalise on the power of modern technology.
West of England Mayor Tim Bowles said: “5G has the potential to revolutionise whole industries and economies, creating exciting new jobs and opportunities. I want the West of England to be at the forefront of this revolution."
Matt Warman, minister for digital infrastructure, said the Green Planet app, which is being fronted by Sir David Attenborough, was an "inspiring example" how how new tech could reconnect people with the natural world.
He added: “5G is about so much more than faster mobile internet speeds, so we’re investing millions to help some of Britain’s brightest innovators explore the huge potential of the technology to improve and enrich our lives.
Sign up for more business news straight to your inbox
Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, email breaking news alerts and weekly round-ups. To sign up, find out more and see all of our newsletters, follow the link here
“The projects we’ve selected will demonstrate how the blistering speeds of 5G can put some rocket fuel in our economy and help businesses bounce back from the pandemic.”
Don’t miss
5G Create is part of the government’s £200million investment in testbeds and trials across the 海角视频 to explore new ways that 5G can boost productivity, grow existing businesses or spark new ones.
In the competition’s second round, DCMS has provided £15.2million to be shared across the nine projects, with the remaining £13.1million coming from project partners.