Sino Group and China Mobile Hong Kong sign NB-IoT/5G pact

May 11, 2018 News Centre Off the Wire 0
Sino Group
From left: David Ng, group general manager, Sino Group; Sunny Yeung, executive director, Sino Group; Daryl Ng, JP, deputy chairman, Sino Group; Sean Lee, Ddrector and CEO, CMHK; Max Ma, director and executive VP, CMHK; Ge Jianbao, director and executive VP, chief financial officer, CMHK. Image credit: Sino Group

Sino Group and China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding to develop pre-5G infrastructure across Sino Group’s residential and commercial properties, using CMHK’s NB-IoT technology.

The partnership will initially encompass smart home, smart shopping mall, and smart property management. IoT and big data technologies will be applied to enhance the experience of Sino Group’s commercial tenants, enhance its property management efficiency and facilitate environmental protection.

According to Daryl Ng, JP, deputy chairman of Sino Group, the strategic partnership with CMHK will not only provide greater convenience and quality experience to Sino Group’s customers, it also supports mainland China and Hong Kong’s vision to accelerate societal development through the use of technology.

“As many countries have already established their innovation and technology development blueprints, Hong Kong must accelerate its pace of technological development in order to maintain its competitiveness,” Ng said. “Sino Group will do our part to implement various technological solutions across our properties in support of Hong Kong’s move into a smart city.”

Sean Lee, director and chief executive officer of CMHK, said the society will undergo rapid digitization within the next five years, and that IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI) present new opportunities for the future.

“The 5G evolution is crucial to shaping Hong Kong into a smart city, and CMHK is imperative to proactively develop 5G mobile service applications towards advancing the development of Hong Kong’s 5G mobile communication network,” Lee said. “With plans to upgrade our existing base station equipment, we are well poised for the arrival of 5G and the future Internet of Things.”

In March this year, CMHK was the first cellco in Hong Kong to obtain a trial permit for 5G testing from the Office of Communications Authority (OFCA). The company will commence the lab tests with 5G commercial equipment at the assigned 5G trial spectrum in the second quarter. OFCA is allowing cellcos to use spectrum for 5G trials, but does not plan to allocate spectrum for commercial 5G until 2019.

Sino Group and CMHK plan to create a smart-home showcase in the Olympian City shopping mall. NB-IoT solutions and other smart application solutions applicable for commercial, industrial and car-park purposes will also be showcased to enable visitors to see how these new technologies could enhance both residential and workplace experiences.

The planned NB-IoT solution and other smart application solutions include:

Smart shopping mall
Provide customers with a smart shopping experience
  • Smart Car Park System: when a vehicle enters the parking lot, the system will automatically recognize the license plate and use the recognition result to automatically charge for the parking time. In addition, car owners can quickly find parking spaces through a mobile app and on-site guidance screens, which will enhance the overall operational efficiency of the management back office.
  • Send out promotion and discount information of nearby stores based on the customers’ current location
  • Provide customers with the location of family members or their belongings using GPS
  • Provide customers with information on their surroundings including traffic condition and marketing promotion, using an integrated wireless internet, sensor, and camera monitoring functions
  • Evaluate the sales of goods and suggest plans to improve sales for new stores
Smart property management
Improve management efficiency
  • Environmentally Friendly and Energy-saving: monitor electricity consumption by lighting and air conditioning
  • Clubhouse Management System: using and reserving of facilities in residential properties
  • Communications System and Mobile Office Solution: a communications system for employees in the workplace
  • Property Monitoring: monitor water leakage, temperature and air quality
Smart home
Smart technology applied to homes and hotels
  • Smart Door Lock: connect with smartphone or tablet to open and lock doors anytime
  • Smart Living Room: curtains and the lamp near sofa are equipped with automatic switch sensor
  • Security Monitoring Facility: customers can monitor activities and abnormalities at home via smartphone anytime, anywhere

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