Investing in 5G innovation to support Australia’s future

The Morrison Government is accelerating the adoption of productivity-boosting applications of 5G, today announcing nearly $20 million in funding for projects under the 5G Innovation Initiative.

The Initiative was announced in the 2020-21 Budget as part of the Morrison Government’s Job Maker Digital Business Plan to accelerate the digital transformation of Australian businesses and create jobs.

“The projects being funded under the Initiative will use a range of complementary technologies to take the benefits of 5G further, such as Internet of Things devices, edge computing, artificial intelligence, and augmented and virtual reality,” Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities, and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP said.

The funding will support 19 projects across key sectors of the economy, including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, transport, and education and training. The projects include:

• 5G Remote Controlled Firefighting Tank: Using 5G to support long-range remote control of an autonomous ‘Firefighting Tank’ capable of traversing extremely dangerous terrains to support rescue, path clearing and firefighting missions.

• Lifesaving pathology supply: 5G-enabled telecommunications infrastructure for Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles in remote and unserviceable locations, for precise monitoring of location in supply chain of medicines and temperature of cargo during critical medical supply delivery.
• 5G-enabled livestock counting: Using 5G for high-quality 4K video streams to count sheep at a regional livestock exchange, automating the process and removing human error. A supporting 5G edge network will process the counting on site and relay the data in real time back to farmers on a tablet or mobile device.
• 5G and Sydney Ferries: Sydney Ferries to deliver a safer environment for its passengers using 5G network capacity and performance to support live video-stream viewing.

“The Initiative will help businesses take advantage of innovative digital technologies, creating jobs and supporting Australia’s economic recovery in the ‘Year of 5G’,” Minister Fletcher said.

“This is a critical technology and these projects will help Australians realise the benefits of 5G sooner.”

More information about the Initiative is available at www.communications.gov.au/5GInitiative.