Eurofiber partners with international research project 5G-Blueprint
Maarssen, June 16, 2020 – Eurofiber joins the international research project known as 5G-Blueprint. It was announced today that this public-private partnership, which includes partners from the Netherlands, Flanders (Belgium), Switzerland and the Czech Republic, will receive a 10-million-euro subsidy from the European Union. Eurofiber will be contributing in the context of the fiberoptic infrastructure and technology for the 5G connections.
The 5G-Blueprint project is an international consortium of 28 parties. Together, these partners will be researching how real-time data exchange to and from vehicles, between terminals and vehicles, and between vehicles and distribution centers can contribute to increased efficiency in the supply chain, and help to resolve driver shortages by providing remote control of and support for vehicles and vessels. These developments are expected to improve accessibility of a key logistical corridor between the Netherlands and Belgium (Vlissingen – Ghent – Antwerp), as well as creating more jobs and strengthening the competitive position of the region. New 5G telecommunication technologies can be deployed as a useful resource in this area.
Connecting networks
Eurofiber is involved in 5G-Blueprint on the basis of its expertise in fiberoptic infrastructure, which will be needed for this volume of data traffic. Previously, Eurofiber was an initiator of the 5G Charter. This document outlines the basic principles for successful 5G rollout, as formulated by a wide range of industry partners that included telecom companies, the business community, interest groups, knowledge institutes and local and national government authorities. Innovation Officer Ivo Veerman: “Eurofiber has a densely deployed fiberoptic network extending 36,000 kilometers in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Telecom companies rely on this high-quality network to connect their base stations for mobile data traffic. Over half of the mobile 4G data traffic in the Netherlands currently runs over our network. We are looking forward to collaborating on 5G-Blueprint, because the 5G technology offers completely new possibilities, including in the field of mobility. It aligns seamlessly with our role as a lifeline for the digital society.” Within the research project, Eurofiber will be exploring how to deploy various fiberoptic networks as optimally and reliably as possible to achieve cross-border 5G connectivity. One of the important questions here is how to achieve interconnection of the various fiberoptic networks that are already in place, providing a secure and cost-effective foundation for future 5G applications. “We have extensive experience in linking networks that have different technical specifications, and we are more than happy to contribute our expertise to this project,” Veerman states.
Read the press release from the European Commission here.