Arvani update on CES 2019
This Arvani update report on CES 2019 covers the annual pilgrimage of tech enthusiasts that went to Las Vegas, where technologies from autonomous cars to meditation hardware converge. Under the slogan CES Ready, a reported 180,000 attendees came to the show, which was a number fewer than 2018. But it didn’t feel as crowded as in the recent years. Maybe the show was better organized. Rumors were circulating that fewer people from China were in attendance. CES is a huge show and we focused primarily on innovations in mobility and connectivity that enable digital transformation.
5G: Focus on Use Cases
Verizon’s new CEO, Hans Vestberg, gave a keynote on 5G as the foundational technology for fourth industrial revolution (4IR). He talked about 5G characteristics as eight “currencies”, including: ultra broadband speeds, massive connectivity, power efficiency, ultra reliability, and super-low response time. He also showcased 5G partnerships with New York Times, Disney, and MediVis. Qualcomm’s booth was a salute to 5G with a live 5G demo streaming virtual reality video on 39 GHz to a prototype phone with a headset. Intel and Nokia Bell labs had set up a demo where users could manipulate a Rubik’s cube which would change its virtual version on screen to showcase 5G’s low latency. Intel is also working on Project Athena that creates a set of specification for PC makers to develop a new class of advanced laptops with big focus on 5G and AI. John Donovan, AT&T’s CEO, called 5G a real-time network that is game-changing for consumers and businesses alike. And, he thinks it will “catch fire”. Meanwhile, a controversy arose when AT&T apparently changed the LTE label on its Android phones to say 5G E (for 5G Evolution) when connected to its high-speed LTE network. Opponents have called this “fake 5G”. T-Mobile showcased its 5G deployed on 600 MHz frequency with streaming 4K video to Intel booth. Overall, a decent showing of 5G at CES with much more to come at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
©2019 Arvani
