Future-proof network
5G: the next step in mobile connection
In the Netherlands, everyone takes high-quality mobile connectivity for granted. Preparation for tomorrow’s digital highway - 5G - is essential if we are to continue to guarantee this level of convenience. This fifth-generation mobile internet connection technology will ensure that we can continue to surf the internet at high speed in the years to come, with more simultaneous users. KPN will guide you on this journey into the future and keep you informed of developments for setting up the 5G network in the Netherlands.
4G connected people, 5G connects all of society
Since July 2020 our renewed mobile network for 5G is switched on in the Netherlands and we rapidly expanding the coverage across the country. What is special is that we offer business customers and entrepreneurs special services on 5G. 5G promises the most potential for business sectors, because the capacity and reliability of the network enable new applications such as innovations in the fields of safety, healthcare, mobility, logistics and the manufacturing industry. Innovations that benefit the whole of society. In due course, also consumers will benefit from the added value of 5G with the advent of for example new possibilities in entertainment and gaming.
The next step in connectivity
Our society is preparing for the next major step forward in mobile connectivity: 5G. Years ago, 3G introduced video communication, 4G boosted the speed of data transfer and it is now time for 5G. This new development will ensure that the mobile network is ready for further digitization in our country. We handle more and more daily activities digitally. So 5G is an essential step forward. This technology is of great significance for people, organizations and society as a whole. It is a clear path to the world of tomorrow.
Tomorrow's digital highway
During the coming two years, we will make 5G available throughout the Netherlands. Initially, you will hardly notice the change when using your mobile telephone for your daily calls and messaging. The first 5G connections will not be much faster than 4G. However, in 2022, when the Dutch service providers will bid for the high-speed frequencies at auction, everything will speed up significantly.
This does not mean that 5G will not add value during the preceding period. KPN has been participating in ‘Fieldlabs’ in collaboration with several companies and organizations in a variety of sectors for some time now. These are locations where 5G is being tested in a practical trial. For example, the Johan Cruijff ArenA where KPN collaborates with the Municipality of Amsterdam to provide excellent connectivity for visitors during events. We are also involved in projects to provide better connectivity for the security services and apply new technologies. In busy areas in particular, this is not possible with 4G.
5G Fieldlabs: unique 5G applications in practice
KPN is also active in other areas. In agriculture (FieldLab Valthermond), in industry (Pernis Rotterdam), in the mobility sector (Helmond) and in manufacturing at the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven.
Rural Field Lab: precision farming
In Drenthe, we are looking at how 5G can facilitate precision farming with drones. The first tests are successful. A cameradrone makes very accurate images of potato field, which are processed and sent to an agricultural machine. The machine then doses almost real-time and very precise crop protection to the potato crop. For example, a two day process is shortened to two hours.
Industry Field Lab: Industry 4.0
5G is being tested for Industry 4.0 in the Industry Field Lab in Rotterdam. Thanks to the new mobile network, large-scale deployment of wireless sensors is possible, making information available in real-time. In this way, companies can optimize production processes, beter predict industrial maintenance.
Urban Field Lab: smart city, smart living and events
In Amsterdam - in particular in and around the Johan Cruyff ArenA - KPN is testing, among other things, how different 5G applications can make crowd management and an improved fan experience possible. In addition, applications in the field of artificial intelligence and virtual reality can increase the range for residents and visitors.
Automotive Field Lab: new technologies for cars
Mainly due to the short response time (low latency), 5G is an impulse for advanced new car technologies. The possibilities of the 5G network for connected and automative driving are being investigated in the Automotive Field Lab in Helmond. Including Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control (CACC), in which vehicles inform each other in real time via the mobile network when they accelerate or brake. That can prevent traffic jams and accidents.
Fieldlab in the manufacturing industry: with the wireless factory of the future
At the Brainport Industries Campus (BIC) in Eindhoven, KPN is working on 5G in the manufacturing industry. By making 5G (including the 3.5 GHz frequency) available on the factory floor and in warehouses, it is possible to test numerous cases requiring a lot of bandwidth. As a result, larger numbers of wireless sensors can be used to track objects more accurately, the rollout of IoT will get a boost and factories will become completely wireless at a faster rate.The importance of 5G for the Netherlands
5G has more to offer than just better and faster mobile internet. The capacity and reliability of the network opens up opportunities for new applications and solutions. Innovations in the field of security, healthcare and sustainability, for example. Developments that benefit us all as a society.
Furthermore, 5G will play a key role in helping Dutch businesses continue to innovate and increasingly introduce smart working. For example, KPN is already collaborating with farmers who can spray their crops in a precisely targeted manner thanks to 5G. This accuracy reduces the amount of harmful substances that seep into the groundwater, making for healthier harvested produce.
5G and health
The importance of 5G is significant, however we do not want to rush ahead irresponsibly. We are aware of the concerns of the general public in the Netherlands and their questions. Whether 5G radiation could be harmful, for example. KPN has a policy of remaining well within the government’s radiation standards (which are based on scientific research). Furthermore, we closely monitor relevant health studies and global developments.
Secure and reliable
Network security has the highest priority. We embrace our responsibility for protecting Dutch citizens, companies and government agencies and departments. For more than 140 years, we have made sure that everybody in the Netherlands can count on a safe and reliable network, and will continue to do so in the 5G era.
This is how we will guide the Netherlands into the future
We will move gradually, together with you, towards a complete 5G network. We will keep the public and organizations informed of any progress. We will inform you of important future developments: when 5G devices and applications will become available, and about features that are still in the pipeline. We will talk to customers, citizens and administrators, and ensure a broadly supported approach as much as possible.
We will welcome pioneers, entrepreneurs and partners to KPN with open arms. So that they can lead the way with us. A new idea or innovative application can change an entire sector. Which is why we will facilitate all these new connections between parties on our network and drive things forward.
This approach will harness the power of 5G for the benefit of everybody in the Netherlands and, together, we will act resolutely to ensure that we remain the best-connected country in the world.