Czech cities expect massive 5G benefits for smart development

Pilot safety projects are in the works in Pilsen and Bilina

Several Czech cities are working on the implementation of 5G networks for the acceleration of smart technologies. Among them, especially worth mentioning are Pilsen and Bílina, where the technology will benefit the safety of inhabitants.

Several partners are collaborating for the implementation of two pilot projects in these cities: the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Regional Development and the technological partner O2, together with city management. They presented their ambitions at a press conference on Tuesday 8 December.

5G for the benefit of city management, citizens and the business

Two pilot smart city projects are in the works in the cities of Pilsen (West Bohemia, 170 thousand inhabitants) and Bílina (Ústí nad Labem Region, 17 thousand inhabitants). Their implementation is strongly dependent on the deployment of the latest generation of wireless communications – 5G.

In the case of Pilsen, the network will allow for the connection of drones to the integrated rescue system and the transmission of images from drones to the crisis staff in real-time – firefighters, police, rescuers.

"The 5G network will help us with the transmission of a large volume of telemetry data, as part of the planned construction of a metropolitan control room. It will be possible to model crisis, security and traffic situations, which will help not only the city and citizens, but also entrepreneurs," Vlastimil Gola, Councillor for Smart City and Business Support of Pilsen was quoted saying.

When it comes to Bílina, a sensor system with a camera will be able to independently evaluate risks and the arising dangerous situations and give warning signals; to recognise and map the movement of people, objects or vehicles, as they happen. Furthermore, the system will be able to present a comprehensive security analysis, map the requirements for support infrastructure, define city-specific security scenarios and design a comprehensive system integrating innovative elements - advanced analytical software, sound sensors, 3D volumetric systems or tools for situation management and incident management.

According to the O2 press release, the new broadcasting technology is ready for launch into standard operation. In both cities, the operator O2 is launching a full-fledged 5G mobile network with 3.7 GHz frequency band (so-called C-band) on a block with a width of 40 MHz of its own frequency allocation.

The network in Pilsen and Bílina will serve not only for other activities within the project but will also be publicly available for residents and visitors to the city.

The common ambition of both ministries is to motivate relevant actors to develop such innovative projects, which will complement each other across all levels of government. "It is a connection that will bring added value to everyone in the form of savings, time and money. Without this added value, digitization does not make sense" also commented Petr Očko, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade for Digitization and Innovation.