February 13, 2024 • 19 mins
In this episode, we look at a report I wrote in partnership with Vodafone UK to examine how 5G Standalone (5G SA) could transform UK over the next 5-7 years.
To talk more about the findings, I spoke with Nicki Lyons, Vodafone UK's Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer.
Some of the predictions in the report include:
We’ll see the end of Video Assisted Referee (VAR) and poor off-side decision-making thanks to smart ball tech, pitch sensors and player wearables enabled by 5G Standalone (5G SA) – meaning more time is devoted to the beautiful game and less time on disputes.
Connected clothing will mean trainers will ‘talk’ to each other and collate style and sustainability-inspired looks from other feet on the street, powering your very own AI-powered style guide – enabling fashionistas to discover styles and express themselves in new ways.
Working with Vodafone, in a new report, leading futurist Andrew Grill predicts how 5G SA could transform the things the UK loves most in the next five-to-seven years – from retail and sports to gaming and entertainment.
The report supports the growing need for 5G SA infrastructure in the UK, as the proposed Vodafone and Three merger paves the way for UK 5G SA leadership with a pledge to invest £11 billion and reach over 99% of the UK population with 5G SA by 2034.
More on Nicki Lyons
Nicki became Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability in October 2021. She’s responsible for external communications, government and regulatory affairs, and sustainable business. Before this, she worked in senior roles at Walgreen Boots Alliance, Unilever, PepsiCo, in UK government and in international development.
Nicki on LinkedIn
Resources mentioned in the show
Ann Patchett Tom Lake book
Vodafone UK Website
Vodafone and Three website
More on the report
Vodafone press release about the report
Download the report
Thanks for listening to Digitally Curious. Pre-order the book that showcases these episodes at digitallycurious.ai/pre-order
Your Host is Actionable Futurist® Andrew Grill
For more on Andrew - what he speaks about and recent talks, please visit ActionableFuturist.com
Andrew's Social Channels
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@AndrewGrill on Twitter
@Andrew.Grill on Instagram
Keynote speeches here
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Actionable Futurist podcast
brought to you by Vodafone, ashow all about the near-term
future, with practical andactionable advice from a range
of global experts to help youstay ahead of the curve.
Every episode answers thequestion what's the future of?
(00:20):
With voices and opinions thatneed to be heard.
Your host is internationalkeynote speaker and actionable
futurist, andrew Grill.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
We've been talking about 5G for a long time.
In the UK, two in five peoplealready enjoy the benefits of a
5G-enabled phone, according toleading consumer research agency
DWI.
But do we really understand howit could transform the things
we love most in our day-to-daylives?
To understand more aboutpotential for 5G, my guest today
is Nikkie Lyons, vodafone UK'sChief Corporate Affairs and
(00:52):
Sustainability Officer.
I've been working with her teamlately looking at the
opportunities for 5G in the UK,and we've just released a report
with my Futurist predictions.
Welcome, nikkie, it's great tohave you on the show Hi, andrew,
lovely to be here.
Now, as listeners may know, I'veworked in the
telecommunications industry asfar back as 1995 with Telstra
and Optus in Australia, and I'vebeen working with Vodafone
(01:13):
since 2005 in variousengagements.
I've seen all the Gs, from 1Gright through to 5G, so I
thought I already knew a lotabout 5G, but working with your
team, I've learned there is somuch more to 5G.
With 5G standalone, also called5GSA In the UK, we've enjoyed
5G's faster download speeds onour mobile phone since 2019, but
(01:35):
we're yet to experience itstrue game-changing potential
brought about through 5Gstandalone.
Perhaps you could outline moreabout 5GSA, what it is, what
does it mean for Vodafone and,more importantly, for your
customers?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
5G standalone is essentially a uniquely upgraded
future proof from start tofinish 5G network.
So it's important to know that5G that we have now is built off
the back of our fantastic 4Gnetwork, so you're not always
getting all the benefits,whereas a 5G standalone network
(02:10):
is entirely 5G start to finish,with all the speed, all the
resilience, all theenvironmental benefits, all
built in from scratch.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's the way 5G was meant to be.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Absolutely, absolutely, and I think when
it's fully up and running acrossthe entire country, you'll see
a real difference right now inexisting in parts of the country
.
So in a lot of big citiesthere's a lot more 5G, but
obviously the goal is to buildthe standalone network from one
end of the country to the otherso that everybody can benefit.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
So why do you partner with a futurist to explore how
5GSA will make a difference inthe next few years?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
What we're trying to do is help people understand the
potential with all innovation,with all new technology.
It's a little bit ofanticipation and there's some
trust in there as well.
We're asking customers tobelieve us and to help us see
the vision into a reality, and Ithink working with a futurist
and creating these kind of ideasinto reality will help people
(03:14):
see the fantastic potential of5G standalone Well as I outlined
in the report.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
5gsa is a new.
Many operators worldwide aredeploying it, so rather than
being the future, it's here andnow.
In the report, I looked at thethings we love here in the UK
and the areas of sports, gaming,entertainment and retail.
It was a lot of fun and the keyfindings in the report were for
retail, we've got connectedclothing such as smart sneakers
and chatty cardigans.
That will emerge thanks to5G-enabled microchips smaller
(03:40):
than one P coin, enablinggarments to talk to each other,
allowing fashionists to discovernew ways and styles to express
themselves.
We'll also see a fully connectedgame may lead to the end of the
AR or video assistant referees,something that readers of my
report in one of the UK'snational publications seemed
very excited about.
For entertainment, we'll becomepart of the broadcast and TV
(04:00):
producers will be able toinvolve viewers in the program
directly.
We'll see the rise ofcompetitive gaming on the go.
It will democratise gaming,bring the power of high end
gaming consoles to more people.
Interestingly, my finalprediction was that 5GSA will
become the norm for connectivityahead of Wi-Fi.
I'm really interested as towhat surprised you most about
these findings and, secondly,what excites you most about my
(04:22):
predictions for the future witha national 5G standalone network
.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
We've been talking about this for a long time at
Vodafone, so I'm not sure thatanything took me completely by
surprise, but I did love thedescription of seeing the end of
the AR.
So we know how much peopledislike it.
All sports fans dislike theslow, plunky, the AR process and
how it interrupts the game, and5G standalone could really
(04:49):
transform the big moments whereyou've got a player contesting a
call, a referee having toconsult and then all of the fans
who don't see the detail thatthe referee is looking at
endlessly debating it from oneweek to the next.
With 5G standalone, everybodywill be able to participate in
(05:12):
the review and the judgementprocess, perhaps in real time.
I think that's really excitingand that, for me, was a really
good example of howtransformative 5G standalone can
be for the nation.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I was reminded of my report only in the weekend there
was a match for the Six Nations.
It literally came in one game.
Down to the very last secondthere was a dispute over a try.
The AR was involved.
They couldn't get a cameraangle.
So even though it may have beena try, there weren't enough
camera angles.
If we'd have 5G, if there'dbeen all the sensors on the
players in the pitch, on theball, it would have been an
(05:46):
instant decision.
But even with all thetechnology, we're still relying
on humans to make that decision.
So I know that that particulargame could have gone either way
had 5G standalone been therenationally.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, you're absolutely right.
The other one that was big newsat the weekend was apparently
the first touchdown by the SanFrancisco 49ers in the Super
Bowl was the wrong call and ofcourse it stood.
The referee made the call, itstood, the game continued and
then in the break about 20minutes later, they reviewed the
judgment back in the studio andsaid it was the wrong call.
(06:19):
So imagine if all of the fanscould, around the world,
everybody watching the SuperBowl could follow along with
that and the decision thecorrect decision be made and
reviewed and decided in realtime, be an absolute game
changer.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It will be a game changer and I think we'll see a
lot more sports follow the leadof that.
I mean, tennis has had Hawkeyefor a while.
That's a little easier becauseit's a tennis ball against a
line, it's not a subjectivebeing offside, but I think we're
going to see technologyenhancing the games that we love
.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
And imagine if you could reallydecide things like the offside
rule based on technologyembedded in the players shoes.
I mean that that Absolutely,totally exciting view of the
future.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So Chrisley, why is 5G standalone the key here?
Couldn't we make these excitingpredictions a reality with
existing 4G and 5G networks?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It's about the speed of the technology and also it's
the access to it.
So the beauty here you know,joking aside it's not just about
the referees seeing thetechnology, it's about everybody
, whether you're watching athome, whether you're watching in
a totally different country,and you know the example of the
Super Bowl.
It's the ability to connect toa network and for that network
(07:32):
to operate in real time andshare information around the
country, in our case, or aroundthe world.
If everybody gets standalone 5Gin the future, it's the real
game changer.
And I think, if you think aboutwhat we're hearing from
consumers in the UK about howthey use their mobile phone out
(07:52):
and about people want to be lessreliant on Wi-Fi, but they want
that Wi-Fi experience forgaming, for downloading movies,
for access to news wherever theyare, at speed.
That is the potential of a 5Gstandalone network.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
That phrase, that Wi-Fi-like experience.
It's always on, it just works.
You're going to get high speedand certainly with some of those
applications like gaming youneed that latency.
One of the quotes I remember inone of my interviews was that
one of the e-racers.
He said we're racingwheel-to-wheel with people
around the world.
I can't have any latency on ournetwork because otherwise I'm
going to lose.
So it can come down tomilliseconds on these sorts of
(08:31):
applications.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Just the speed of data transfer, people's
expectation, even now, to beable to deliver against, an
expectation of a seamlessexperience wherever you are.
However, whatever your demandis, it will be game changing and
it will enable us to, I think,live very differently from the
way we do now.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So let's look at three of the predictions
featured in my report.
We're familiar with wearabletechnology.
We regularly use things likesmart watches and fitness
trackers to monitor our health,but these technologies mostly
rely on the owner's mobile to benearby to work effectively.
What if everything we wearcould not only measure our
well-being, but also connect toother garments and provide a
richer experience?
(09:12):
What if they could even offersuggestions of what to wear,
allowing us to try out newstyles and express ourselves in
new ways?
So where could we go?
Thanks to 5G standalone,coupled with IoT and big data,
people can unlock the abilityfor the products they buy and
wear to influence their styleand future purchases far beyond
what is possible with today'swearables.
So how does it work?
(09:33):
According to Sophia Remtula,former Accenture retail strategy
lead, a futuristic use of 5Gstandalone in the retail space
will be product-to-productcommunication, where we may see
garments like trainers talkingto each other as their wearers
pass in the street.
Informed by the data theycollect, they would then suggest
outfits for you to try, basedon the preferences of people
whose style you admire, creatingbrand new shopping experiences.
(09:57):
The fully connected game willbring the game to every fan
everywhere.
For sports like football.
If you're at the game, you'veprobably given up trying to
share your experience withfriends who can't get to the
match using your mobile due topoor connectivity.
If you look up at the stadium'sscreen, you can see what the TV
director thinks is the bestcamera angle.
But how do you share whatyou're truly experiencing from
(10:17):
your seat with your friends athome?
5g standalone will give fansanywhere in the world access to
multi-camera angles, which theycan then select and view on
their smartphones.
It means you can get up closeto the action, even if you're in
the back row of the stadium ornot in the grounds at all.
5gsa connects these cameras tofan smartphones both in the
stadium and at home.
(10:38):
Crucially, 5gsa has a featurecalled network slicing, where a
dedicated slice of the networkcan be ring fence for an event
or type of content For thosesmart cameras.
We'll be able to reliably andconsistently stream their
footage, even when the networkis incredibly busy with other
users on game day.
With access to these cameras,fans can choose the best angles
for viewing the action and seethe tackles, passes and winning
(11:01):
goals on their smartphones.
5g standalone will offer everyviewer an up close look at the
action, regardless of where theyare in the world, bringing
sports fans closer to the gamesthey love.
We're seeing the emergence ofinnovative technologies like
connected cameras and smartballs, but as they're rolled out
more widely and used together,we could even see them impact
how we navigate the historicrules of sport.
(11:23):
Currently, when an offence takesplace during a game, the VAR or
Video Assist Referee will helpthe ref make a call on who was
at fault.
The technology is often hotlydebated, holds up games and has
room for human error, but 5Ginnovations can help by giving
fans access to 5G enabledcameras.
When a foul or poor tackletakes place, everyone watching
(11:46):
the game can see whether it wasreally a red card or a penalty.
This could bring an end to themuch debated and sometimes much
hated VAR process.
In addition, pairing thesecameras with 5G enabled smart
ball technology, as well assensors and microchips on the
player and pitch, means everyone, from referees to fans, has a
completely accurate view of theaction, down to the most precise
(12:08):
detail.
This level of accuracy couldusher in an era of undisputed
offside decision making,removing the need for VAR and
replacing it with live data toshow what's on and offside.
Put simply, 5g enabledtechnologies will give everyone
real time, highly accurate dataon game day.
Armed with this, we can reducethe time spent on offside
(12:31):
decision making or VAR argumentsand devote more time to the
game fans love.
So, as you've said, 5gstand-alone is available in
parts of the UK, so we need itto be national everywhere so
everyone has the same access tothese exciting applications.
And in the conclusion of myreport, I mentioned that none of
these predictions could happenwithout a national 5G network.
So tell me more about yourcommitment to building this
(12:52):
network, subject to yourproposed merger with 3G here in
the UK.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
This is the exciting part of working at Vodafone
right now.
We have planned a proposedjoint venture with 3G.
We're waiting for regulatoryapproval.
We're obviously working throughthe process right now.
Just thinking about what thatwill mean for our customers and
3G's customers and actually thatthe customers of competitors as
(13:16):
well is a completely different5G network in the UK.
So we've committed togetherwith 3G that if the deal goes
ahead, we will have more than£11 billion to invest in our
network.
That means a bigger, faster,more resilient network in every
part of the UK.
(13:37):
So that's filling in the notspots, the rural parts of the
country where we currently don'thave a strong, reliable network
.
It's also challenging the bigcompetitors in the UK market to
do the same, which means thateverybody wins Ultimately.
E-customers of all networks ifthere's greater competition in
(13:58):
the market, will benefit from adesire to compete more
rigorously with each other.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
I'm hearing about other operators who are
mentioning 5G standalone, so itwill become a competitive
advantage.
A years ago it was coverage, itwas speed.
Now I think you've got to havea 5G standalone network,
otherwise these opportunitiesjust aren't there.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I mean the government has set us all targets.
They created something calledthe wireless infrastructure
strategy last year, which was areal mission statement for the
UK that if there were fullinvestment across the UK in
effective networks it wouldinject an impetus to on-growth
(14:35):
into the UK economy.
Better for small businesses,better for large businesses,
better for public sector likethe NHS, our train network.
It just gives us all somethingnot just exciting, but something
important to work towards.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I think we've become very complacent about having
these mobile networks there.
The fact that I know if my busis due is because there's a
wireless network sending dataabout where the bus is and how
close it is.
We take some of these thingsfor granted.
As I say, I've been aroundsince 1G.
I've seen this evolution.
I'm really excited about 5G.
I'm really excited about what5G standalone can mean for
Vodafone customers and the widercommunity.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yeah, me too.
The reality is the UK hasfallen behind.
We've fallen behind otherEuropean countries.
We've fallen behind the US.
There are countries in EasternEurope with a far less powerful
economy than we have in the UKwho are streets ahead of us when
it comes to mobile technology.
So just having access to that£11 billion to be able to build
(15:40):
the network that the UK deservesis something we feel really
passionate about at Vodafone.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
The report just gives some of the opportunities for
the UK.
So it was fantastic to partnerwith you and understand what a
5G standalone network would mean.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Well, thank you, we enjoyed it as well, and some of
your predictions, andrew, werereally exciting.
I love the idea of a connectedwardrobe.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Chatty Cardigans was the phrase.
I think I love that Cardiganstalking to each other.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I love the idea of actually having somebody else
choose my wardrobe for me anddecide what I should buy next.
I think that's brilliant.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Well that, plus 5G, plus AI, it will tell us what we
should be wearing.
Maybe we'll actually be betterdressed than we've ever been
because we've got all thesedifferent data points telling us
what looks great on us.
So I look forward to that.
I'm sure many listeners will aswell.
Now we're up to the favouritepart of my show we called the
Quick Fire Round.
All of my 100 guests have beenthrough this, and it is a way to
learn a little bit more aboutthe people behind the microphone
(16:33):
iPhone or Android, iphone,window or aisle.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Isle In the room or in the metaverse.
In the room.
Still in the room.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I love being in the room, your biggest hope for this
year and next.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
I would like to see a clean and polite election here
in the UK and in the US as well.
Let's keep it clean.
Let's be grown up.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
IUI was on BBC the day talking about AI
misinformation.
This year, 65 regions go to thepolls and more than 40% of the
world's population gets to vote.
This is a pivotal year for theworld.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Nobody wants fake news.
Nobody wants missed information.
Nobody wants to be fooled by anAI politician.
Let's hear from the real peopleand let's keep it clean.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Nice segue to my next question.
I wish that AI could do all ofmy.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Oh my goodness, my tax return, absolutely.
Please take my expenses, takemy envelope of receipts.
Please, ai, work it out for me.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
The app you use most on your phone.
What's that?
The best advice you've everreceived.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Will it still be important tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I like that one.
What are you reading at themoment?
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I just finished reading Anne Patchett's Tom Lake
Really really good.
I would highly recommend it.
Set during the pandemic familyback at home, lots of things
coming out of the woodwork and,yeah, very real.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I'll put a link to that in the podcast.
Who should I invite next on thepodcast?
Speaker 3 (17:56):
I would love to hear from the new female CEO at BT,
Alison Kirkby.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
How do you want to be remembered.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I want to be remembered as a smart, kind,
inspirational woman.
So, as this is, the actionablefutures podcast.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
What can our audience do today to understand how
Vodafone and 3's merger will beincreased benefits to the things
we love and drive innovation inthe UK?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
You can take a look at Vodafonecouk.
Go onto our new centre.
There is a tonne of news andother information and articles.
There is also a Vodafone and 3separate site which is just
information on the merger, and atonne of information there as
well.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
I'll put all these links in the show notes.
Nikki, a fantastic discussion.
Thank you so much for your timeand thanks for giving the
opportunity to gaze into thefuture.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
No, thank you so much for having me, Andrew.
It's been really great.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Thank you for listening to the actionable
futurist podcast brought to youby Vodafone.
You can find all of ourprevious shows at
actionablefuturistcom and if youlike what you've heard on the
show, please considersubscribing via your favourite
podcast app so you never miss anepisode.
You can find out more aboutAndrew and how he helps
(19:13):
corporates navigate a disruptivedigital world, with keynote
speeches and C-suite workshopsdelivered in person or virtually
at actionablefuturistcom.
Until next time, this has beenthe actionable futurist podcast.
Welcome to the Actionable Futurist podcast
brought to you by Vodafone, ashow all about the near-term
future, with practical andactionable advice from a range
of global experts to help youstay ahead of the curve.
Every episode answers thequestion what's the future of?
(00:20):
With voices and opinions thatneed to be heard.
Your host is internationalkeynote speaker and actionable
futurist, andrew Grill.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
We've been talking about 5G for a long time.
In the UK, two in five peoplealready enjoy the benefits of a
5G-enabled phone, according toleading consumer research agency
DWI.
But do we really understand howit could transform the things
we love most in our day-to-daylives?
To understand more aboutpotential for 5G, my guest today
is Nikkie Lyons, vodafone UK'sChief Corporate Affairs and
(00:52):
Sustainability Officer.
I've been working with her teamlately looking at the
opportunities for 5G in the UK,and we've just released a report
with my Futurist predictions.
Welcome, nikkie, it's great tohave you on the show Hi, andrew,
lovely to be here.
Now, as listeners may know, I'veworked in the
telecommunications industry asfar back as 1995 with Telstra
and Optus in Australia, and I'vebeen working with Vodafone
(01:13):
since 2005 in variousengagements.
I've seen all the Gs, from 1Gright through to 5G, so I
thought I already knew a lotabout 5G, but working with your
team, I've learned there is somuch more to 5G.
With 5G standalone, also called5GSA In the UK, we've enjoyed
5G's faster download speeds onour mobile phone since 2019, but
(01:35):
we're yet to experience itstrue game-changing potential
brought about through 5Gstandalone.
Perhaps you could outline moreabout 5GSA, what it is, what
does it mean for Vodafone and,more importantly, for your
customers?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
5G standalone is essentially a uniquely upgraded
future proof from start tofinish 5G network.
So it's important to know that5G that we have now is built off
the back of our fantastic 4Gnetwork, so you're not always
getting all the benefits,whereas a 5G standalone network
(02:10):
is entirely 5G start to finish,with all the speed, all the
resilience, all theenvironmental benefits, all
built in from scratch.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
It's the way 5G was meant to be.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Absolutely, absolutely, and I think when
it's fully up and running acrossthe entire country, you'll see
a real difference right now inexisting in parts of the country
.
So in a lot of big citiesthere's a lot more 5G, but
obviously the goal is to buildthe standalone network from one
end of the country to the otherso that everybody can benefit.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
So why do you partner with a futurist to explore how
5GSA will make a difference inthe next few years?
Speaker 3 (02:49):
What we're trying to do is help people understand the
potential with all innovation,with all new technology.
It's a little bit ofanticipation and there's some
trust in there as well.
We're asking customers tobelieve us and to help us see
the vision into a reality, and Ithink working with a futurist
and creating these kind of ideasinto reality will help people
(03:14):
see the fantastic potential of5G standalone Well as I outlined
in the report.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
5gsa is a new.
Many operators worldwide aredeploying it, so rather than
being the future, it's here andnow.
In the report, I looked at thethings we love here in the UK
and the areas of sports, gaming,entertainment and retail.
It was a lot of fun and the keyfindings in the report were for
retail, we've got connectedclothing such as smart sneakers
and chatty cardigans.
That will emerge thanks to5G-enabled microchips smaller
(03:40):
than one P coin, enablinggarments to talk to each other,
allowing fashionists to discovernew ways and styles to express
themselves.
We'll also see a fully connectedgame may lead to the end of the
AR or video assistant referees,something that readers of my
report in one of the UK'snational publications seemed
very excited about.
For entertainment, we'll becomepart of the broadcast and TV
(04:00):
producers will be able toinvolve viewers in the program
directly.
We'll see the rise ofcompetitive gaming on the go.
It will democratise gaming,bring the power of high end
gaming consoles to more people.
Interestingly, my finalprediction was that 5GSA will
become the norm for connectivityahead of Wi-Fi.
I'm really interested as towhat surprised you most about
these findings and, secondly,what excites you most about my
(04:22):
predictions for the future witha national 5G standalone network
.
Speaker 3 (04:27):
We've been talking about this for a long time at
Vodafone, so I'm not sure thatanything took me completely by
surprise, but I did love thedescription of seeing the end of
the AR.
So we know how much peopledislike it.
All sports fans dislike theslow, plunky, the AR process and
how it interrupts the game, and5G standalone could really
(04:49):
transform the big moments whereyou've got a player contesting a
call, a referee having toconsult and then all of the fans
who don't see the detail thatthe referee is looking at
endlessly debating it from oneweek to the next.
With 5G standalone, everybodywill be able to participate in
(05:12):
the review and the judgementprocess, perhaps in real time.
I think that's really excitingand that, for me, was a really
good example of howtransformative 5G standalone can
be for the nation.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I was reminded of my report only in the weekend there
was a match for the Six Nations.
It literally came in one game.
Down to the very last secondthere was a dispute over a try.
The AR was involved.
They couldn't get a cameraangle.
So even though it may have beena try, there weren't enough
camera angles.
If we'd have 5G, if there'dbeen all the sensors on the
players in the pitch, on theball, it would have been an
(05:46):
instant decision.
But even with all thetechnology, we're still relying
on humans to make that decision.
So I know that that particulargame could have gone either way
had 5G standalone been therenationally.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, you're absolutely right.
The other one that was big newsat the weekend was apparently
the first touchdown by the SanFrancisco 49ers in the Super
Bowl was the wrong call and ofcourse it stood.
The referee made the call, itstood, the game continued and
then in the break about 20minutes later, they reviewed the
judgment back in the studio andsaid it was the wrong call.
(06:19):
So imagine if all of the fanscould, around the world,
everybody watching the SuperBowl could follow along with
that and the decision thecorrect decision be made and
reviewed and decided in realtime, be an absolute game
changer.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
It will be a game changer and I think we'll see a
lot more sports follow the leadof that.
I mean, tennis has had Hawkeyefor a while.
That's a little easier becauseit's a tennis ball against a
line, it's not a subjectivebeing offside, but I think we're
going to see technologyenhancing the games that we love
.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Yeah, absolutely.
And imagine if you could reallydecide things like the offside
rule based on technologyembedded in the players shoes.
I mean that that Absolutely,totally exciting view of the
future.
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So Chrisley, why is 5G standalone the key here?
Couldn't we make these excitingpredictions a reality with
existing 4G and 5G networks?
Speaker 3 (07:09):
It's about the speed of the technology and also it's
the access to it.
So the beauty here you know,joking aside it's not just about
the referees seeing thetechnology, it's about everybody
, whether you're watching athome, whether you're watching in
a totally different country,and you know the example of the
Super Bowl.
It's the ability to connect toa network and for that network
(07:32):
to operate in real time andshare information around the
country, in our case, or aroundthe world.
If everybody gets standalone 5Gin the future, it's the real
game changer.
And I think, if you think aboutwhat we're hearing from
consumers in the UK about howthey use their mobile phone out
(07:52):
and about people want to be lessreliant on Wi-Fi, but they want
that Wi-Fi experience forgaming, for downloading movies,
for access to news wherever theyare, at speed.
That is the potential of a 5Gstandalone network.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
That phrase, that Wi-Fi-like experience.
It's always on, it just works.
You're going to get high speedand certainly with some of those
applications like gaming youneed that latency.
One of the quotes I remember inone of my interviews was that
one of the e-racers.
He said we're racingwheel-to-wheel with people
around the world.
I can't have any latency on ournetwork because otherwise I'm
going to lose.
So it can come down tomilliseconds on these sorts of
(08:31):
applications.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
Just the speed of data transfer, people's
expectation, even now, to beable to deliver against, an
expectation of a seamlessexperience wherever you are.
However, whatever your demandis, it will be game changing and
it will enable us to, I think,live very differently from the
way we do now.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
So let's look at three of the predictions
featured in my report.
We're familiar with wearabletechnology.
We regularly use things likesmart watches and fitness
trackers to monitor our health,but these technologies mostly
rely on the owner's mobile to benearby to work effectively.
What if everything we wearcould not only measure our
well-being, but also connect toother garments and provide a
richer experience?
(09:12):
What if they could even offersuggestions of what to wear,
allowing us to try out newstyles and express ourselves in
new ways?
So where could we go?
Thanks to 5G standalone,coupled with IoT and big data,
people can unlock the abilityfor the products they buy and
wear to influence their styleand future purchases far beyond
what is possible with today'swearables.
So how does it work?
(09:33):
According to Sophia Remtula,former Accenture retail strategy
lead, a futuristic use of 5Gstandalone in the retail space
will be product-to-productcommunication, where we may see
garments like trainers talkingto each other as their wearers
pass in the street.
Informed by the data theycollect, they would then suggest
outfits for you to try, basedon the preferences of people
whose style you admire, creatingbrand new shopping experiences.
(09:57):
The fully connected game willbring the game to every fan
everywhere.
For sports like football.
If you're at the game, you'veprobably given up trying to
share your experience withfriends who can't get to the
match using your mobile due topoor connectivity.
If you look up at the stadium'sscreen, you can see what the TV
director thinks is the bestcamera angle.
But how do you share whatyou're truly experiencing from
(10:17):
your seat with your friends athome?
5g standalone will give fansanywhere in the world access to
multi-camera angles, which theycan then select and view on
their smartphones.
It means you can get up closeto the action, even if you're in
the back row of the stadium ornot in the grounds at all.
5gsa connects these cameras tofan smartphones both in the
stadium and at home.
(10:38):
Crucially, 5gsa has a featurecalled network slicing, where a
dedicated slice of the networkcan be ring fence for an event
or type of content For thosesmart cameras.
We'll be able to reliably andconsistently stream their
footage, even when the networkis incredibly busy with other
users on game day.
With access to these cameras,fans can choose the best angles
for viewing the action and seethe tackles, passes and winning
(11:01):
goals on their smartphones.
5g standalone will offer everyviewer an up close look at the
action, regardless of where theyare in the world, bringing
sports fans closer to the gamesthey love.
We're seeing the emergence ofinnovative technologies like
connected cameras and smartballs, but as they're rolled out
more widely and used together,we could even see them impact
how we navigate the historicrules of sport.
(11:23):
Currently, when an offence takesplace during a game, the VAR or
Video Assist Referee will helpthe ref make a call on who was
at fault.
The technology is often hotlydebated, holds up games and has
room for human error, but 5Ginnovations can help by giving
fans access to 5G enabledcameras.
When a foul or poor tackletakes place, everyone watching
(11:46):
the game can see whether it wasreally a red card or a penalty.
This could bring an end to themuch debated and sometimes much
hated VAR process.
In addition, pairing thesecameras with 5G enabled smart
ball technology, as well assensors and microchips on the
player and pitch, means everyone, from referees to fans, has a
completely accurate view of theaction, down to the most precise
(12:08):
detail.
This level of accuracy couldusher in an era of undisputed
offside decision making,removing the need for VAR and
replacing it with live data toshow what's on and offside.
Put simply, 5g enabledtechnologies will give everyone
real time, highly accurate dataon game day.
Armed with this, we can reducethe time spent on offside
(12:31):
decision making or VAR argumentsand devote more time to the
game fans love.
So, as you've said, 5gstand-alone is available in
parts of the UK, so we need itto be national everywhere so
everyone has the same access tothese exciting applications.
And in the conclusion of myreport, I mentioned that none of
these predictions could happenwithout a national 5G network.
So tell me more about yourcommitment to building this
(12:52):
network, subject to yourproposed merger with 3G here in
the UK.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
This is the exciting part of working at Vodafone
right now.
We have planned a proposedjoint venture with 3G.
We're waiting for regulatoryapproval.
We're obviously working throughthe process right now.
Just thinking about what thatwill mean for our customers and
3G's customers and actually thatthe customers of competitors as
(13:16):
well is a completely different5G network in the UK.
So we've committed togetherwith 3G that if the deal goes
ahead, we will have more than£11 billion to invest in our
network.
That means a bigger, faster,more resilient network in every
part of the UK.
(13:37):
So that's filling in the notspots, the rural parts of the
country where we currently don'thave a strong, reliable network
.
It's also challenging the bigcompetitors in the UK market to
do the same, which means thateverybody wins Ultimately.
E-customers of all networks ifthere's greater competition in
(13:58):
the market, will benefit from adesire to compete more
rigorously with each other.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
I'm hearing about other operators who are
mentioning 5G standalone, so itwill become a competitive
advantage.
A years ago it was coverage, itwas speed.
Now I think you've got to havea 5G standalone network,
otherwise these opportunitiesjust aren't there.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
I mean the government has set us all targets.
They created something calledthe wireless infrastructure
strategy last year, which was areal mission statement for the
UK that if there were fullinvestment across the UK in
effective networks it wouldinject an impetus to on-growth
(14:35):
into the UK economy.
Better for small businesses,better for large businesses,
better for public sector likethe NHS, our train network.
It just gives us all somethingnot just exciting, but something
important to work towards.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I think we've become very complacent about having
these mobile networks there.
The fact that I know if my busis due is because there's a
wireless network sending dataabout where the bus is and how
close it is.
We take some of these thingsfor granted.
As I say, I've been aroundsince 1G.
I've seen this evolution.
I'm really excited about 5G.
I'm really excited about what5G standalone can mean for
Vodafone customers and the widercommunity.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Yeah, me too.
The reality is the UK hasfallen behind.
We've fallen behind otherEuropean countries.
We've fallen behind the US.
There are countries in EasternEurope with a far less powerful
economy than we have in the UKwho are streets ahead of us when
it comes to mobile technology.
So just having access to that£11 billion to be able to build
(15:40):
the network that the UK deservesis something we feel really
passionate about at Vodafone.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
The report just gives some of the opportunities for
the UK.
So it was fantastic to partnerwith you and understand what a
5G standalone network would mean.
Speaker 3 (15:52):
Well, thank you, we enjoyed it as well, and some of
your predictions, andrew, werereally exciting.
I love the idea of a connectedwardrobe.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Chatty Cardigans was the phrase.
I think I love that Cardiganstalking to each other.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
I love the idea of actually having somebody else
choose my wardrobe for me anddecide what I should buy next.
I think that's brilliant.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Well that, plus 5G, plus AI, it will tell us what we
should be wearing.
Maybe we'll actually be betterdressed than we've ever been
because we've got all thesedifferent data points telling us
what looks great on us.
So I look forward to that.
I'm sure many listeners will aswell.
Now we're up to the favouritepart of my show we called the
Quick Fire Round.
All of my 100 guests have beenthrough this, and it is a way to
learn a little bit more aboutthe people behind the microphone
(16:33):
iPhone or Android, iphone,window or aisle.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Isle In the room or in the metaverse.
In the room.
Still in the room.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
I love being in the room, your biggest hope for this
year and next.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
I would like to see a clean and polite election here
in the UK and in the US as well.
Let's keep it clean.
Let's be grown up.
Speaker 2 (16:55):
IUI was on BBC the day talking about AI
misinformation.
This year, 65 regions go to thepolls and more than 40% of the
world's population gets to vote.
This is a pivotal year for theworld.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Nobody wants fake news.
Nobody wants missed information.
Nobody wants to be fooled by anAI politician.
Let's hear from the real peopleand let's keep it clean.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Nice segue to my next question.
I wish that AI could do all ofmy.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Oh my goodness, my tax return, absolutely.
Please take my expenses, takemy envelope of receipts.
Please, ai, work it out for me.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
The app you use most on your phone.
What's that?
The best advice you've everreceived.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Will it still be important tomorrow?
Speaker 2 (17:35):
I like that one.
What are you reading at themoment?
Speaker 3 (17:37):
I just finished reading Anne Patchett's Tom Lake
Really really good.
I would highly recommend it.
Set during the pandemic familyback at home, lots of things
coming out of the woodwork and,yeah, very real.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
I'll put a link to that in the podcast.
Who should I invite next on thepodcast?
Speaker 3 (17:56):
I would love to hear from the new female CEO at BT,
Alison Kirkby.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
How do you want to be remembered.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
I want to be remembered as a smart, kind,
inspirational woman.
So, as this is, the actionablefutures podcast.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
What can our audience do today to understand how
Vodafone and 3's merger will beincreased benefits to the things
we love and drive innovation inthe UK?
Speaker 3 (18:21):
You can take a look at Vodafonecouk.
Go onto our new centre.
There is a tonne of news andother information and articles.
There is also a Vodafone and 3separate site which is just
information on the merger, and atonne of information there as
well.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
I'll put all these links in the show notes.
Nikki, a fantastic discussion.
Thank you so much for your timeand thanks for giving the
opportunity to gaze into thefuture.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
No, thank you so much for having me, Andrew.
It's been really great.
Speaker 1 (18:50):
Thank you for listening to the actionable
futurist podcast brought to youby Vodafone.
You can find all of ourprevious shows at
actionablefuturistcom and if youlike what you've heard on the
show, please considersubscribing via your favourite
podcast app so you never miss anepisode.
You can find out more aboutAndrew and how he helps
(19:13):
corporates navigate a disruptivedigital world, with keynote
speeches and C-suite workshopsdelivered in person or virtually
at actionablefuturistcom.
Until next time, this has beenthe actionable futurist podcast.
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