Feature Interview – Chile as a 5G Powerhouse

Moving to 5G will bring new opportunities for mining companies. Mining technology companies will benefit as they will be able to provide new technologies that will further automate operations creating safer and more efficient mines. Beyond mining, 5G will open up new opportunities in a variety of industries. We interview Carlos Sánchez, Technical Manager at Nokia, an expert in Technology and Telecommunications, who tells us in detail the benefits that 5G will bring to Chile.

We previously provided an update on how 5G is advancing in Chile. You can see the blog here. 

Ax Legal: What is your role today?

Carlos: I am currently in charge of 5G implementation as a Technical Manager.

Ax Legal: Why is 5G important for Chile and the companies that operate here?

Carlos: It is important because Chile, by joining the fifth-generation technology, will allow the country to have greater and better connectivity. For example, greater internet speed, security, internet of things, and as a result greater productivity.

Beyond speed, which is increasing 10 to 100 times faster than 4G, the Internet of Things will allow millions of different types of devices to connect at high speed, low latency, and costs. It will be possible to have autonomous cars, smart homes, advanced telemedicine, among other benefits. Therefore, the industry and the users will benefit, reducing the digital divide and increasing access to information.

5G will allow new technologies to be easily customized and adapted to the future demands of various sectors and types of markets with rapid implementation.

Ax Legal: What are the industries that will get 5G first?

Carlos: The first industry to receive 5G will be telecommunications, since they will be the providers of this technology. The other industries would be mining, where mineral extraction and transportation processes can be automated. Another industry would be agriculture, where sensors could be installed in real time to evaluate the soil, climate, humidity and develop predictive algorithms.

In parallel, as 5G technology has very low latency, it will benefit the robotics and internet of things industry, that is, everything that can be robotized and connected to the internet, including the automotive industry, electricity industry, airports, merchant ports, telemedicine, financial services, development and efficient consumption of clean technologies, transport and smart cities.

Ax Legal: Will the average person be able to use 5G, or will it be primarily used by industries at first?

Carlos: Like the evolution to any new technology, access is gradual. In this case for the average user, they will need access to 5G devices, but it will be gradual since high-end cell phones are currently very expensive.

Ax Legal: When do you think we will see the deployment of 5G in Chile?

Carlos: It was only at the end of February of this year that Subtel finalized the tender for 5G frequencies in cmWave (3.6GHz) and mmWave (28HGhz), and the mobile operators that were awarded these bands began to deploy 5G antennas this year. Therefore, I believe that by the beginning of 2022 there will be a solid network to be able to start the service.

Ax Legal: How will 5G change the digital landscape in Chile?

Carlos: Access to high speeds and low latency will allow their production costs to lower at an industrial level and be more competitive. It will also allow the creation of jobs in new digital industries. In addition, entrepreneurship and innovation will be promoted. Energy consumption in the networks will be optimized and it will reduce the digital divide.

This technology would allow Chile not only to position itself as technological advanced country globally, but also a digital evolution improving the user experience; 5G is going to favor non-traditional technologies as well.

Ax Legal: Is there any other technology that interests and excites you?

Carlos: Actually, everything that has to do with technologies and their applications interests me, in telecommunications we are already talking about 6G. An area of interest though is ​​medicine, where we have several types of use that could be interesting:

1) Nano robots, to help provide non-invasive cancer treatments, encapsulating parts of the cancer and leaving cancer fighting drugs in very specific parts of the body. Instead of radiotherapies, nano robots can manipulate chemical processes. Nano robots applied to vaccines that would be produced in a short time.

2) Data transmission by laser, currently only performed in advanced astronomy, is millions of times faster and with more capacity than any other optical technology.

3) Devices such as exoskeletons, for people who require physical rehabilitation or have tetraplegia or paraplegia

4) Telepresence using holograms for conferences, assisted operations. In psychology and psychiatry, holograms of people who died abruptly to assist with farewell therapy. 

Ax Legal is a legal and business advisory firm that works with foreign companies in Latin America. Our team of legal and commercial advisors have a distinguished track record of helping foreign technology and services companies to grow and operate in Latin America. Over the years, we have worked with starts up, mid-size businesses, and publicly listed companies. The one common factor that connects are clients is that they are leaders in their field, providing innovative technologies and services to the industrial sectors.

To better understand how we can support you in the Region, please contact Cody Mcfarlane at cmm@ax.legal