Telefónica and Meliá Hotels International develop a 5G use case to advance the hotel of the future
The solution makes it possible to offer a segmented network on which different services with different network capacities are supported, such as simultaneous translation or streaming video retransmission services
Telefónica and Meliá Hotels International have developed and implemented a 5G pilot at the Hotel Meliá Madrid Serrano to show the possibilities of network slicing technology in the hotel sector.
With this project, which makes the Meliá Madrid Serrano Hotel the first in Spain with 5G NSA, 5G SA and network slicing, several 5G virtual mobile networks (slices) have been configured to guarantee service for different connectivity needs, such as simultaneous translation or video streaming services.
The initiative is part of the projects promoted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation through Red.es, co-financed with FEDER funds.
The project has the collaboration of Ericsson, whose network slicing technology based on commercial functionalities has been implemented on top of the 5G SA coverage deployed in the Hotel by Ericsson, using the innovative solution of high performance Radio Dot System, MIMO 4x4, modular and with an elegant design that adapts to any interior environment; Intel, as provider of the translation computing servers in Telefónica's edge computing; and Lingmo International, as developer of the translation software.
This use case will be presented in one of the presentations that will take place in the Agora of the Telefónica stand at the Mobile World Congress 2023, including a live demonstration on network slicing technology. The session will be held on February 28 at 10 a.m. and can be followed in person at the stand or live via streaming.
State-of-the-art services
Specifically, the project has provided the establishment with specific 5G NSA and SA coverage in different areas of the hotel where various networks have been configured through 5G network slicing and, in this way, respond to different connectivity needs.
Network slicing is a technology that will allow the definition of personalized, dedicated and configurable networks, by segmenting the network into several slices/partitions or units with different network capacities that allow guaranteeing critical services on each of them.
So, for example, a slice can be well configured to have both ultra-low latency and bandwidth guarantee capabilities. With this, the hotel can have different units that ensure different services such as video surveillance cameras, communication services for hotel employees, 5G broadcasting of streaming video at congresses or to guarantee connectivity in highly congested events. of users.
In addition, in collaboration with Meliá Hotels International, the use case of network slicing on a commercial network has been implemented, so that it is a pioneering experience in Europe on commercial 5G SA networks. In order to guarantee the best connectivity during congresses in the hotel, it has been possible to have several slices/partitions or subnets that guarantee the service and allocate resources to each of them to dynamically adjust to the demand of the users of the different slices.
As for simultaneous translation, it relies on the low latency of 5G and the capabilities of edge computing to process conversations and messages to be translated at high speed, since it is enabled very close to where this data is broadcast. This service allows translation into more than 80 written and 28 spoken languages, and makes it easier for two people without a common language to understand each other by translating the words that each of them utters in real time, as well as having a text version that can be send to the mobile to facilitate understanding.
Leonor Ostos, Innovation Manager at Telefónica Spain, assures: "With these projects we make the latest advances in 5G available to real customers with the aim of evaluating the possibilities offered by new technologies, in addition to implementing pilots that contribute to building the necessary ecosystem for 5G to consolidate”
For his part, Christian Palomino, IT Vice President of Meliá Hotels International, points out “At Meliá we want to always be one step ahead in innovation and exceed the expectations of our customers, providing the latest technologies on the market. For this reason, we are clear that the 5G network and new solutions such as network slicing open a new window of possibilities to guarantee the best possible connectivity for our customers, in a safe and reliable environment, and attending to all their specific needs”.