A new 5G testbed, dubbed '5Groningen project' was launched recently in the Dutch province of North Groningen. The project is a joint initiative spearheaded by Economic Board Groningen, KPN, the Dutch Telecommunications Agency (Agentschap Telecom), Vodafone, Huawei, Ericsson, TNO and others.
According to a statement from the participating organizations, the initiative's first series of tests on 5G will be launched before the end of the year at Zernike Campus, Groningen’s large research complex. The center will focus on the sectors of logistics, healthcare, the environment, energy and agriculture. Self-driving cars and the monitoring of crop diseases are two flagship examples of specific applications that are targeted by the initiative.
Wat door de NOS toekomstmuziek wordt genoemd, gaan wij gewoon doen in #5Groningen https://t.co/Cd8yD5nB18
— Peter Rake (@PeterRake) February 23, 2016
Henk Kamp, the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs
We need to ensure that our country continues to benefit from the latest developments of mobile technologies such as 5G. This will bring added value for citizens, as well as businesses – not only from an economic perspective, but also by enabling key innovations in fields such as healthcare and agriculture.
Peter Rake, 5G programme manager at Economic Board Groningen
Farmers are at the forefront of technological innovation; not only with regard to the efficiency of their business operations, but also, importantly, with a view to ensuring sustainability and environmental protection. Other sectors in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe are paying close attention to agricultural innovation in the fields of sensors, drones and other technologies that will benefit from 5G development.
