Summary: The Australian 5G Innovation Initiative is a key deliverable for Australia’s Digital Economy Strategy. The goal is to maximise the benefits of 5G by leveraging other technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). Round 1 provided funding to 19 successful projects.
- Date:
- Author:
- Phillipa Martin
5G innovation
Australia’s Digital Economy Strategy identifies 5 key areas as building blocks to help Australia become a world-leading digital economy by 2030. One of these areas is digital infrastructure, which includes the Australian 5G Innovation Initiative as a key deliverable. The goal is to maximise the benefits of 5G by leveraging other technologies such as the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI).
Round 1 recipients
In round 1, there were 19 successful projects. The project locations and geographical spread can be easily seen on the Australia Innovation Initiative Web Map.
Below we highlight some of the round 1 projects.
Wastewater pipe inspections — 5G and AI
The current system of inspecting wastewater pipes across Australia is manual, visual inspections. To create a faster and cheaper method, VAPAR designed AI that detects problems with pipes. For the 5G funding, VAPAR combines its AI with 5G to deliver real-time AI inspections. The end result will be an improved public infrastructure and reduction in water costs. See wastewater pipe project details
Connecting agriculture
Zetifi received funding to work on an improved mobile broadband for regional areas for use by a variety of agricultural applications. The focus is on high-bandwidth, low-latency connections. See connecting agriculture project details
Counting livestock
TPG Telecom’s project combines the 5G network with AI image processing and edge computing. High-definition video streams are set up, with AI counting the stock and a 5G edge network processing the counting on site so the real-time data can be delivered onto farmers’ devices. See counting livestock project details
Road maintenance
Brimbank City Council received funding for a road asset maintenance project. The solution uses 5G and IoT to monitor and audit assets. The benefits cited include:
- More than 50% reduction in costs to monitor assets
- Reduction in time to find and document assets that need maintenance
See road maintenance project details
Salsa Digital’s take
5G has the power to open up many innovative applications using Australian digital infrastructure and high-speed mobile data. The Australian 5G Innovation Initiative supports this innovation within government and industries across Australia, as we roll out 5G. We’re also looking forward to seeing the round 2 successful projects.
