MWC Day Two: Smart city set-top boxes, 5G ambulances, AT&T/Azure get cosy

We pick out our favourite stories and announcements from day two of MWC. Click here to read yesterday’s recap.

Catalonia gov’t unveils 5G ambulances

What it is: An emergency vehicle fit with 5G connectivity capable of speeds of up to 5Gbps.

Why it matters: You may have been sold 5G on the promise of superfast HD movie downloads on the move, but its real promise is for use cases like agriculture, logistics and healthcare. 5G ambulance connectivity will allow real-time HD video support while patients are in transit and the ambulances will soon benefit from vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure capabilities that will provide clearer road access when travelling back to hospitals.

Noteworthy features: Network slicing, enabling guaranteed connectivity for life-critical scenarios, regardless of the number of users on the same communications cell.

Intel’s smart city set-top box

What it is: A network in-a-box concept for smart cities that combines Intel’s Movidius AI accelerator, multi-access edge computing and 5G mobile networking.

Why it matters: Built with AI and an antenna, the box could conceivably take care of a lot of the vision capture in a smart city for transportation and logistics. Its essential pitch is that it’s an “all-in-one”: AI, 5G, compute from one box.

Noteworthy features: Integrating Intel Movidius AI allows for powerful intelligent use cases to be handled by the box, such as implementing a robust “virtual safety fence” that detects when humans enter an area.

AT&T gets cosy to Azure with 5G/edge integration

What it is: A proof of concept that integrates AT&T’s network edge compute with its 5G network and Azure cloud.

Why it matters: Integration with Azure allows deployment of advanced cloud services to geographical locations closer to business sites. Basically bringing powerful cloud services closer to the edge with 5G acting as the conduit. It’s the solution that will truly unluck IoT use cases: guaranteeing low latency, high compute and network routing.

Noteworthy features: AT&T have tested the concept with Vorpal VigilAir’s drone detection product, to enable law enforcement to accurately geolocate rogue drones.