Telia’s 5G robot roams Helsinki airport

Telia activated pre-commercial 5G in the city of Vantaa, just outside Helsinki, where the airport is located.

Telia, in cooperation with airport operator Finavia, is launching a 5G network at the Helsinki Airport and starting a robotics project. The idea is to use 5G in airport operations and bring new kinds of experiences to passengers. The project means that Finavia will be Telia’s first customer using the pre-commerical 5G network in Finland.

The 5G robot operates in the non-Schengen area of T2 terminal.

“The robot can deliver real-time video stream from the terminal and enable for example monitoring the terminal area through remote or autonomous control and see that everything is running as it should. The robot can also guide passengers in the terminal, and we aim to try different use cases during the project,” says Heikki Koski, Chief Digital Officer, Finavia.

• In November, Telia, in partnership with Nokia, is launched a pre-commercial 5G network in the city of Oulu, Finland. A 5G ecosystem will be built in the Nuottasaari industrial area in Oulu. The area will be one of the world’s first industrial 5G environments.

• In September, Telia activated its first 5G base stations in Helsinki. Telia’s 5G network operates on test frequencies issued by the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority. Full-scale commercial operation will be possible in 2019, after the 3,5 GHz 5G frequency auction has been conducted in Finland.