It might seem strange to say it, but 5G is creeping closer to reality. Intel has already been powering a "broad-scale" 5G network at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, but come the 2020 games in Tokyo, Intel is planning to make an even bigger splash. At Mobile World Congress today, the company announced that it'll be working with Japan's NTT Docomo to build a 5G network for the games. Notably, Intel expects it to be the largest commercial 5G deployment at that time. That's not a huge surprise, since many carriers will likely offer 5G by 2020, but it's nice to see Intel thinking big.
Specifically, the company promises 8K 360-degree video streams, which would be a huge upgrade over the lackluster VR video at this year's Winter Olympics. We can also expect to see even more drones equipped with cameras (4K, hopefully?), and 5G-enabled sensors and services for visitors of the games. The company claims it'll also power 5G integration in vehicles, which currently gets speeds of 1Gbps while watching 4K video and moving at 30 kilometers per hour.
The timing couldn't be better for Intel, if it really wants to turn heads with 5G. The 2020 Olympics will be an ideal time to showcase what the faster network technology can do. And by then, there's a good chance plenty of consumers will have access to 5G devices, which will let them enjoy the Intel-powered coverage from anywhere.
