5G’s a no-go. Be your own telco and make it go-go

Are you frustrated that your telecommunication provider is slow to deploy 5G in your area? For my Canadian readers, this is particularly relevant. You might already be following the “to ban or not to ban” non-decision in Ottawa on rolling out Huawei 5G, which has contributed to delays.

Maybe you don’t have to wait anymore. Do you want to run your 5G network in a private setting where others can't connect? Lucky you. Amazon now has the solution: build your own private 5G cell network in a private setting where others outside the system can’t connect.

The idea of extending a cellphone network is not new. Various telecommunication firms started providing this service around the world since 2007. The term Femtocell (interestingly the word femto has its origin in Danish) describes a very small (smaller than nano or pico) cellphone endpoint meant for very local coverage and few users.

Technology is getting smaller, faster and cheaper. Something which would not have been feasible a few years ago now becomes a question of clicking a few configuration buttons.

If you were looking for ways to create business opportunities with this, how could it be used?

Let’s imagine: you want to build a fully automated warehouse with robots roaming around, communicating with each other. You need low latency and a secure 5G network where only allowed devices can connect.

Another example might be a stadium with a live concert. You want your audience to live stream it to the rest of the world from thousands of angles and create a unique personal experience.

Alternatively, imagine you’re launching operations in a remote location with no cellphone coverage and the only signal is WiFi using the Starlink satellite network (Related: Elon Musk’s Starlink will become the black hole project). Or, your organization is providing disaster relief in an area where the infrastructure has been damaged. You need to coordinate the effort without deploying specialized equipment to every person who arrives.

I am sure you can come up with your own scenarios where someone could deploy Amazon’s new solution. The possibilities are endless.

This is another great example where technological advancement can help us to do things cheaper, faster and better. This should be the recurrent pattern.