Huawei launches London 5G innovation and experience centre

Very few conversations regarding 5G have not involved Huawei, and aiming to further cement its presence in a country in which it has already enjoyed successful deployments on the next-generation network, the company has opened a 5G innovation and experience centre in London.

Huawei says the fundamental aim of the new establishment is to promote greater collaboration between businesses and innovators in the development of 5G ecosystems. The centre will act as a base for 5G knowledge and skills sharing, aiming to enhance 5G cooperation across the UK and showcase the real-life impact of 5G in the UK and around the world.

Visitors to the centre will be able to experience real-time and interactive experiences, such as those involving virtual and augmented reality, and learn about 5G possibilities in areas such as smart manufacturing and advances in healthcare.

“With the opening of our 5G innovation and experience centre in London, we, as a leader of 5G, are taking another important step,” said Huawei vice-president Victor Zhang. “What we have opened today will enable true collaboration amongst UK businesses and technologists, and showcase the huge potential of 5G applications for both the private and business sectors.”

Huawei’s third quarter 2019 results reported more than 60 signed commercial contracts for 5G with leading global carriers, including all major operators in the UK. Existing deployments of Huawei 5G technology in the UK include work with operator EE in the field of live video production for sister company BT Sport.

In October 2019, the company confirmed its commitment to Europe and to technologies such as 5G. However, it also warned at the same time that the 5G industry in its broader context needed to embark on more collaboration in order to hasten development, even though 5G networks have already seen much faster large-scale commercial deployment than with 4G.