The next generation of wireless cellular communication, 5G, has only recently launched in select cities in a handful of countries. The new technology boasts a significant speed increase compared to current cell technologies, much lower latency and the ability to port the technology to new uses where wireless communication has previously been out of reach.
5G could enable vehicle-to-vehicle communication in autonomous vehicles, widespread connections for the Internet of Things and smart cities, breakthroughs in healthcare, new venues and opportunities for entertainment, new technologies for search and rescue, enhanced range for robots and much more.
Verizon Media is opening a 5G production studio to explore the future of content production and immersive entertainment. Verizon claims it is the first in the U.S. The studio will be equipped with mixed reality and motion capture capabilities for a new type of entertainment experience. The first project from the studio will debut on April 30. Hypezilla is a multi-faceted, motion capture and augmented reality (AR)-enabled shoppable content series for games and entertainment, available through the Yahoo Play app.
Verizon said it will work with Yahoo, HuffPost, TechCrunch and AOL to create content through the studio that will be 4K resolution and 360° capable. This content will invoke storytelling, technology and commerce to create live and on-demand digital, audio and mobile experiences for different audiences, which will be globally distributed.
At the same time, AT&T is beginning to explore future security standards and how they relate to 5G and cybersecurity. AT&T believes that 5G’s penetration into new markets and the resulting vast quantity will increase the the threat surface and create new ways to weaponize these connections. If 5G networks are to become the operational backbone of society and culture, cybersecurity for 5G will be of paramount importance.
While all carriers launching 5G services will include some sort of cybersecurity standards, this protection may not be adequate. AT&T is working on enabling a software-defined network and cloud security powered by the Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) to address cyber threats at the 5G radio access network core and edge. AT&T said it will detect threats and respond in near real-time, patching vulnerabilities and preventing attacks from being successful.
SDN and ONAP will allow AT&T to automate security policy through the network using machine learning technology, improve the technology that automates the process of instituting firewalls and micro-perimeters to protect applications, filter and scrub DDoS attack traffic and more.
