A new kind of net to protect surfers
SURFERS and swimmers in Gold Coast waters are already kept safe from sharks by one kind of net – now a net of a very different kind will be deployed to help keep them safe.
One of Australia’s leading telcos is trialling super-fast 5G mobile internet on the Gold Coast which will revolutionise surf drone rescues.
The remarkable technology will also pave the way for self-driving cars – and allow millions of everyday appliances such as coffee makers or washing machines to be connected simultaneously to the internet.
Telstra will spend $60 million on the Gold Coast upgrading its infrastructure to deliver 5G, which boasts much higher speeds than the NBN.
The 5G system will be rolled out to consumers from 2019 but the telco will first focus on developing technology which makes good use of the extra bandwidth and speed.
Drone technology is one of the major areas of investigation at the company’s 5G innovation centre – the first of its kind in Australia – which opened in Southport yesterday.
Just weeks after the world’s first drone rescue was performed in surf just south of the Gold Coast, an early demonstration was given yesterday of how 5G would improve surf lifesaving technology.
A mock rescue was conducted over the Broadwater which replicated the circumstances of a surfer being stuck in a rip. A team of three drones worked together simultaneously to locate the surfer using artificial intelligence, drop a flotation device and allow life savers perform the rescue.
Ironman TJ Hendy took part in the test rescue and
said drones had the potential to change how lifesaving was done.
“The ability to be able to spot someone when the surf is big or they are on an unpatrolled beach makes it a really good resource,” he said.
“It is very important to be able to find people when they are in the water.”
Telstra’s investment in 5G comes as the Gold Coast continues to struggle with the move from standard ADSL internet to the NBN.
The rollout of the NBN was delayed earlier this year after faults were found in the network, while Optus plans to showcase its own 5G network during this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Gold Coast City Council will also be rolling out its own high speed services through fibre-optic cables laid under the light rail.
Telstra chief operations officer, Robyn Denholm, said improved internet technology had many applications.
“Like previous generations of mobile technology it will deliver more capacity and faster data speeds but on top of that it will support vastly more connected devices at very high levels of reliability and lower latency,” she said.
“These enhancements will unleash a host of new opportunities – everything from smart cities and smart homes, to drones and driverless cars.”