8 minute read
THE 5G FACTOR
The next generation of telecommunications is coming to a hotel near you – and changing the stay as we know it
WORDS MICHAEL ALPINER
In the beat-your-chest world of technology, the natural evolution from a 4G network to a 5G network is akin to e Terminator’s progression from cybernetic organism to a robot made of liquid metal. Sure, the shape-shi ing killing machine has more bells and whistles, but the “old but not obsolete” model still manages to save the day.
So although 5G is the buzzword for the future of hospitality, most owners and operators are sticking with 4G until they can be sure that 5G technology can catch up to its expectations. For one thing, 5G is not yet available in all locations. Second, not all buildings are set up to accept this emerging technology. ird, there have been troublesome health concerns around the type of radiation emitted by the 5G dome.
All that said, what exactly is meant by 5G? ink of it as technology through the ages – or in this case, generations: 1G delivered analog voice. 2G introduced digital voice. 3G brought mobile data. 4G LTE revolutionised mobile network capabilities. e 5th Generation is aptly named 5G, able to connect devices to other devices practically in real time. e covered areas, called ‘cells,’ are serviced by individual antennas, which every major telecommunication service provider is deploying. e frequency spectrum of 5G is divided into millimeter wavelengths of mid- and low-band, using a similar frequency range as 4G. us, 5G can transmit data up to ten times faster than 4G, reaching speeds of over a gigabit of data per second. e wavelengths have a shorter range even than microwaves, and therefore the cells are limited to a smaller size. Each cell will have multiple antennas, albeit smaller antennas than with previous generations. ese will connect to similar antennas in the paired devices, thus forming a network of data on multiple bitstreams. However, these waves will have di culty passing through walls and other solid obstructions.
As soon as the obstacles and glitches are ironed out, 5G is set to become the new norm in an increasingly tech-based and techreliant world. e possibilities are as boundless as the landscape of human ingenuity, since 5G will be able to support a million devices per square kilometre.
A di erent kind of welcome What does this mean for the hotel industry? Of course, hotels are already bustling hives of digital devices buzzing around in hope of connectivity. Properties also face sti competition for market share, as travellers seek an immersive and unique experience, and are able to shop around for it. e upshot is, a list of hotel amenities these days seems more like character traits on a dating site pro le than a reason to lay your head down on a foreign pillow. Some hotels are providing augmented reality experiences to guests while others are using virtual reality to alter the vacation experience to t the unique diversions of individual travellers.
For example, at the InterContinental Shenzhen, AI robots accompany guests to their rooms where 5G cloud-based computers are available for personal use, or for planning and managing the
hotel experience from reservations to room service to business meetings.
Huawei provides information and communications technology for the hotel, which includes a network to support the many devices and applications running simultaneously in a setting where hundreds of people are in one place.
Such information and communication technologies, or ICT, puts the emphasis on telecommunication to deliver a much better technology experience. Highend hotels serving elite customers have long used ICT to become more digital and intelligent. 5G, however, ups that game exponentially, not only creating better connectivity for communications, but also enabling intelligent connectivity using AI, cloud and more.
Henn Na Hotel in Tokyo Ginza, for instance, uses robot technology to aid in front desk check-in. In New Orleans, the Marquee Resort by Bluegreen Vacations utilises augmented reality to showcase its cinematic motif, a throwback to the Roaring ‘20s. Besides the period decor, guests can download the Marquee Hotel app and watch the pictures above the headboard come to life through the lens of a hand-held device, as they depict the history of the time period.
In addition, large portraits in the hallway adjacent to the elevators
on each floor are be operating at the triggered by motion same instant sensors to morph from a still portrait to a live motion – and quite seductive – burlesque-era woman beckoning the guest to proceed down the hallway. The integration of these technologies requires seamless transfer of data since many devices might be operating at the same instant throughout the hotel.
From the first moment in the hotel lobby, the combination of 5G and AI enables swift check-in and
ABOVE: Marquee Resort by Bluegreen Vacations large portrait in hallway triggered by motion sensors to morph from a still portrait to a live motion LEFT: Henn Na Hotel in Tokyo Ginza uses robot technology to aid in front desk check-in checkout through facial recognition, which improves service efficiency and security. This is especially important considering recent reports of security lapses in the hospitality industry that have alerted owners and operators to the concerns. The technology available through 5G will help dispel these worries.
Robots assigned to the front desk provide information, guide guests within the hotel, and offer delivery services, enhancing guest interaction, service quality and customer satisfaction.
Within a hotel room, 5G not only provides guests with faster, more secure Internet access, but can also be used to enhance guest preferences. For instance, CitizenM Hotels allow guests to control their room environment through smart technology. Ambient lighting, images on the TV screen, and privacy settings on window shade controls are just a few applications that will become smoother and more reliable through 5G networks.
Likewise, hotels are implementing more advanced video conferencing platforms, interactive communication, and meeting space augmentations. In this way, 5G will meet guest needs for business and entertainment.
The faster exchanges between devices that 5G allows will redefine the term ‘service’ by addressing requests more expediently. The speed comes from the fact that a network is the caretaker of most of the data exchange, putting less burden on the device itself. This will also increase battery life for the same reason.
Tipping point ahead Envisioning the future, it’s easy to imagine the aloof autonomy of a world on the borderline between paradise and dystopia. However, there is an in-between space in which 5G networks will allow the hotel experience to cross beyond
the boundaries of the lobby. Communication through apps linked to the hotel extend the experience to the guests’ leisure time activities Video and real time can connect travel agent with clients, hotel with guests and guests with each other.
Rental cars are an amenity already offered by many hotels, such as the SLS Hotel in South Beach, FL. Soon enough these vehicles will be autonomous, a technology some experts predict will be the norm as early as 2030. Most major automotive brands have already begun equipping their cars with autonomous technology, which requires cars to be able to communicate with road signs,
BELOW:
InterContinental Hotels Group smart room technology; Smart LYZ fully automated hotel in China; citizenM Hotels (citizenM Bowery property pictured) allows guests to control room environment
pedestrians and each other.
Tesla vehicles use an app, and offer connectivity packages as options for its most in-demand features, such as live traffic visualisation, GPS, Bluetooth, long-range cameras, radar and touchscreen controls. In fact, the very viability of autonomous vehicles in general will depend on data reliability and speed. Thus 5G is essential for this technology to be fully accepted and deployed.
As the hotel industry continues to adopt fresh ideas and more marketable tools to attract the new traveller cohort and ‘keep up with the Joneses’, it will be technology, connectivity and integration that drives change and better enables properties to offer the personalisation travellers have come to expect.
The Fifth Generation of telecommunications will certainly be a game changer for practically every industry, as will the use of robotics, autonomous vehicles and virtual/augmented reality. Indeed, it is a brave new technological world, and the irony of people being better connected yet further isolated can certainly be seen as a bleak omen.
Maybe the world at large can take a page from the book of hospitality, which seems to be using this emerging technology to truly break down the walls between us.
