Cal Poly 5G Innovation Lab
About
The Cal Poly Digital Transformation Hub (DxHub) is expanding its innovation capabilities with the Cal Poly 5G Innovation Lab powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Federated Wireless and T-Mobile. Cal Poly’s private wireless network, which runs on AWS, combined with T-Mobile service enhances connectivity on campus and provides a leading-edge platform for innovation.
Initiatives
Utilizing the success of the DxHub innovation methodology, the Cal Poly 5G Innovation Lab will use 4G-LTE/5G technologies to solve challenging problems in ways not contemplated before.
William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation
The first major use case for Cal Poly will be a deployment at the $133 million William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation, that was formally dedicated on May 5. Much like three colleges — College of Science and Mathematics, the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts — coming together to collaborate in the four-story, 103,800-square-foot shared space, the revolutionary fifth-generation architecture is a convergence of technologies working together to advance cutting-edge projects and research.
Poly Canyon
Another Cal Poly private wireless technology use case will extend public cellular phone coverage and emergency services in the Poly Canyon area of campus.
Impact on Learn by Doing and Beyond
Introducing private wireless technology at Cal Poly will not only improve university connectivity and operations but will unlock new opportunities for global impact in critical industries.
Higher Education
Cal Poly students consume 20 times more data today than when the Cal Poly Wi-Fi network was originally built. The Cal Poly private 5G network will deliver seamless connectivity and streamlined operations throughout campus, inside and out, that meets the demands of a growing campus community.
Construction
Enhanced wireless connectivity allows for machine-to-machine communication for operational efficiency and maintenance prediction in construction equipment and building systems, like HVAC, lighting, and utilities. It also transforms traditional blueprint design into a three-dimensional process.
Agriculture
G provides the connectivity needed to make smart farming a reality, previously impossible in rural areas. It opens the door to autonomous guided, smart soil management systems, crop health monitoring, and seasonal analytics.
Energy
Along with improved remote monitoring and analytics of wind turbines and natural gas pipelines, private wireless connectivity enables enhanced worker safety with live-streaming through body-worn cameras, man-down alarms, and push-to-talk technology.
Why 5G?
- Connectivity
- 100x faster download speeds
- 10x decrease in latency
- Security
- Standardized systems with authentication and encryption
- Sensitive data stays within private security perimeter
- Independence
- Flexible network operations
- Does not rely solely on commercial carrier networks
- Capacity
- 100x system capacity
- Sustainability
- Reduces carbon footprint
- 5G projected to make a 20% contribution to U.S. climate change goals
- Inclusivity
- Makes the latest technology accessible to users who otherwise would not have access
- Efficiency
- Reduces cost
- Streamlines operations
Partnership
This work is only made possible because of the support of our generous partners and friends. To learn more about on how you and/or your company can support and partner with the Cal Poly 5G Innovation Lab, email Kayvan Chinichian, Senior Director of Development, at kchinich@calpoly.edu.