Surrey Heath Borough Council has teamed up with Huawei UK on plans to create the first fully 5G-enabled shopping centre in the UK, at Camberley’s the Square shopping centre.
The council said it will work with the University of Surrey’s 5G innovation centre – thought to be the world’s first dedicated 5G research facility – and Huawei to produce a “test-bed” for innovations in retail.
The Square is a 460,000 sq ft undercover shopping centre with 110 retail tenants, managed by Montagu Evans.
A memorandum of understanding has been signed by the council, Huawei Technologies UK, the University of Surrey, Alibaba, Deloitte, StoryFutures at Royal Holloway University of London, Montagu Evans, Arcom IT, Knowledge Transfer Partnership, Natta Building Company and the Stuart Fenton Consultancy.
The council has said it will consider investment opportunities as the project advances.
Alan McClafferty, leader of Surrey Heath Borough Council, said: “This announcement cements the council’s plans to bring retail innovation to Camberley and complements the regeneration projects already under way.”
Rahim Tafazolli, professor and founder of the 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey, said: “By providing the cutting-edge technology for the UK’s first fully 5G-enabled shopping centre, we will give Camberley’s retailers a head-start in the race to transform retail for the future.
“Shoppers and businesses alike can benefit from better shopping experiences and smarter ways of blending offline and online to breathe fresh life into the high street and drive future retail profitability.”
Jerry Wang, chief executive of Huawei UK, said: “5G will open the door for virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence and tailored in-store signage and entertainment experiences.
“It will also allow greater control over how stock levels and the supply chain is managed, improve customer insights and in-store experience for customers when they are shopping.”
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