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Intercontinental Shenzhen demos 5G technology

24 Apr 2019 by Michael Allen

The Intercontinental Shenzhen has demoed new 5G services, showing off a “5G Digital Indoor System” on its first floor and presidential suites during the 2019 Huawei Global Analyst Summit.

5G is the fifth generation of mobile internet and promises download speeds that are 10 to 20 times faster than we have now, according to a BBC report. It will allow far more devices to access the mobile internet at the same time.

The system in the Intercontinental Shenzhen was run by Shenzhen Telecom (the Shenzhen branch of China Telecom) and Huawei. It has now been uninstalled following the demo.

The demo included 5G robots that can guide guests around the hotel, as well as deliver items like snacks and coffee. In a recent review of Singapore’s Orchard Hotel, Business Traveller Asia-Pacific met the hotel’s delivery robot, called Aura.

Speaking to Business Traveller Asia-Pacific about the Intercontinental Shenzhen’s robot, Zoe Chi, communication manager at the Intercontinental Shenzhen, said: “The robot is programmed by the hotel concierge with the instruction of room number or destination that the guest is going to in the hotel.”

Members of the press (not including Business Traveller Asia-Pacific) who had a chance to test that technology also had access to 5G cloud computing terminals, 5G cloud games and 5G cloud virtual reality rowing machines. The rowing machines offered a cloud VR experience, giving guests an “immersive experience of rowing”.

However, Guests at the Intercontinental Shenzhen who are hoping to use the technology will have to wait. Spokespeople for the hotel could not give dates for when the technology would be ready for guest use.

“Huawei, China Telecom Shenzhen Branch and Shenzhen OCT Hotel Development Co are currently working closely to drive and realise a solid deployment in order to provide guests with a safe, high-quality 5G experience in the hotel,” said a spokesperson for the hotel.

Feng Wei, deputy general manager of China Telecom Shenzhen Branch, said in a statement: “In the future, we will provide complete 5G network coverage in the hotel, and build the benchmark for global 5G five-star hotels together with Intercontinental Shenzhen and Huawei.”

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