As private 5G use cases, proof of concepts and monetisation opportunities gain traction globally, the Australian market is poised for rapid growth, with projections indicating a 47.3% increase from 2024 to 2030, reaching USD 504.2 million, according to Grand View Research. Communications and renewable energy solutions provider Prospecta Utilities (Prospecta), for example, is making significant strides in delivering 5G to gated communities.
Prospecta has begun by installing a 5G standalone millimetre wave fixed wireless network at the GemLife Gold Coast over 50’s lifestyle resort, setting the stage to boost connectivity. Residents at GemLife Gold Coast have uninterrupted connectivity, seamlessly connecting their smart devices – including household appliances – to the network. The lifestyle resorts are also able to leverage 5G to enhance operational efficiency and deliver an elevated living experience.
“Using the GemLife lifestyle resorts as an example, we envision bringing private 5G ‘smart cities’ to life across Australia – and potentially to other markets. We needed an agile and seamless 5G solution. Ciena’s routers support our xHaul platform requirements, providing network scalability as required, and offering advanced timing and synchronisation,” said Grant Smith, Head of Telecommunications, Prospecta Utilities.
Open, Reliable Route to 5G Success
Prospecta’s 5G fixed wireless network system is made possible by bringing the latest technologies from different vendors together, including Ciena’s 5130 and 5164 routers as its backbone. Ciena’s open and programmable xHaul routers act as a gateway, routing data between connected devices and the 5G network, building the foundation for an agile and seamless 5G experience.
Grant also shared: “It was important to us that the routers we chose can provide seamless integration into a multi-vendor ecosystem, as we work with a variety of vendors for our 5G needs. Additionally, Ciena’s routers support our Open Radio Access Network (RAN) fronthaul split requirements, and is a cost-effective alternative to traditional closed RAN, enabling more deployment models.”
Ciena’s compact routers are temperature-hardened and right-sized to enable flexible, simple deployments for temperature-challenged or space-constrained locations. This is perfect for Australia’s traditionally challenging terrain and varying climate.
“Since its remote deployment, our Ciena routers have withstood a range of extreme weather and events – from a cyclone to a heatwave. Through it all, they continued operating reliably, supporting our xHaul platform requirements with low latency and minimal jitter,” said Grant.
Prospecta is planning to extend these interconnected ‘smart cities’ across GemLife’s portfolio of 30 resorts by end of 2028.
