Telenor commenced its series of practical 5G technology tests by introducing the first remote medical exam over 5G in Bulgaria. The examination of a patient was held by Prof. Asen Baltov, Executive Director of “N. I. Pirogov” Hospital, who was at the Telenor headquarters in Sofia, and Dr. Enchev, who was in his department at the hospital. Observing this examination were also the Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications, Rosen Zhelyazkov, the Health Minister Kiril Ananiev (TBC) and the Chairman of the Communications Regulation Commission, Ivan Dimitrov.
During the event, Telenor also made its first 5G video call in Bulgaria. The call was placed by the Telenor Chief Executive Officer, Jason King and Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to Bashar Rahal, a famous Bulgarian actor, who exchanged ideas for the next Telenor 5G test locations.
This was the first in a series of practical 5G tests which Telenor will make across the country in the coming months after it received test spectrum three weeks ago. The company will assess different use cases and will make various trials and demonstrations to explore the possibilities of this new generation of mobile technology. These 5G experiments will be specifically designed to address precise needs in the areas of production, education, mentoring, entertainment industry and art. Telenor will also perform demonstrations of 5G technology beyond Sofia covering numerous other geographic locations across Bulgaria. These tests will be related to virtual reality and the streaming of video content and gaming which will be made publicly available. To make this possible, Telenor will use Huawei equipment, which includes both fixed base stations, as well as a mobile base station that can be transported across the country.
“We believe that investing in 5G network development is a strategic step towards the betterment of e-society in Bulgaria. It will also have a positive impact towards our own digital transformation and for the future of our business. With the dawning of this next generation of technology, we will provide the foundation for the delivery of completely new services and business models to be enjoyed by our customers” said Jason King, Telenor’s Chief Executive Officer. “We want to thank the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and the Communications Regulation Commission for the productive dialog and their support regarding spectrum”, added King.
“5G is a revolution for the economy, industry, society, people. The state, in order to follow its purposeful policy, has three things to do - spectrum allocation, incentives for reduction of the spectrum tariffs and easing the administrative burden. The Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and the Communications Regulation Commission understand the importance of this approach. We have a very fruitful dialogue with the telecom operators, for which I would like to thank - not only for the demonstrations, but also for the courage to invest together with the big European telecoms at this moment in this endeavor and adventure”, stated Minister Zhelyazkov.
“Thanks to this revolutionary technology, access to expert medical help will be easier, even for the patients who are located at places with limited access”, said prof. Baltov.
The guests of the event had the possibility to make a speed test of the 5G technology on their own, to see a demonstration of online gaming through 5G and to watch a simultaneous stream of 16 Full HD videos. After the end of the event the guests and the people working at “Business Park Sofia”, where the Telenor headquarter is located, could also test 5G live.
The most visible and tangible advantages of 5G, compared to what is available today, are the noticeably higher speeds, the practically instant connection between two parties and better security of the connection.