More than half of the 5G Demonstration Projects (5GDP) are taking place in Langkawi with about 11 of them were deployed by TM. With that many projects on its hand, naturally there is a need for a centralized space to monitor these projects and that is exactly what 5G Command Centre (5GCC) is all about.
Operational since December 2019, the purpose of TM 5GCC in Langkawi which is located at the Langkawi District and Land Office in Kuah is not just to look after its 5GDP implementations in the island. It also acts as a functional and real-time proof of concept that is meant to showcase the company’s capabilities in terms of connectivity, big data, cloud, and digital services.
At the heart of the centre is what TM referred to as the Gerbang Langkawi Platform (GLP) which is essentially a cloud-based dashboard that allows users to monitor all the services in one place. Being a cloud application, GLP can actually be accessed pretty much everywhere through mobile devices, not just within the wall of 5GCC.
The GLP itself was developed based on the Open Innovation Platform (OIP) from TM R&D and is also being used for TM’s 5GDP implementation at Subang Jaya. Based on our chatters with TM R&D team, OIP is technology-agnostic and robust enough to cater to the specific needs of customers regardless of the equipment and services that they used.
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Meanwhile, another important element of 5GCC is the emergency response team for the Smart Safety and Security Solutions that the company has deployed in Pantai Cenang area. During emergency situations, Pantai Cenang visitors could reach out to the team who would then contact the related emergency services to dispatch the responders to the area.
This can be done through the HikVision Video Panic Alarm Panel that TM has installed in the area which allows two-way video and audio communication between Pantai Cenang and the emergency response team at 5GCC. The high speed and low latency nature of 5G brings the reliability factor into the mix.
As 5GDP is technically a temporary test phase that will conclude in a few months’ time, it raises the question about who will have the ownership of 5GCC once 5GDP is over. According to TM’s execs, the company is still negotiating with local authorities regarding the final ownership of Langkawi’s 5GCC but for now, it is becoming one of the main reference points as far as TM’s approach to 5G is concerned.
