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(Alliance News) - Vodafone Group PLC on Monday unveiled a prototype 5G network built on a Raspberry PI computer, aimed at improving mobile internet for small-and-medium-sized enterprises across Europe.
The Berkshire, England-based telecommunications company said the Raspberry PI computer is the size of a credit card. "This industry-first concept will enable small businesses and households to extend 5G coverage and increase capacity according to their needs and to have their very own, affordable, and portable private 5G mobile network," Vodafone told the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona.
The company explained that it aims to "democratise" mobile private networks and "extend their benefits to micro and small business owners whilst lowering the entry cost and reducing the resources needed to experience new digital services.
"The 5G network on a Raspberry Pi is also portable and no bigger than a home Wi-Fi router, meaning a customer could instantly set up their very own, private network in a public place such as a coffee shop, or extend the coverage of the public network to a remote location like a basement."
Meanwhile, Vodafone said it is developing application programmable interfaces that could be used by emergency services to control drones out of sight to deliver medical supplies in a congested area. The API's also could be used by farmers to inspect perimeter fences or by energy companies to check remote power lines.
Vodafone shares were 0.4% lower at 102.00 pence each in London on Monday morning.
By Tom Budszus, Alliance News reporter
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