Our Immersion Into 5G Technology

We were invited to take a tour of T-Mobile's facility and get an onsite look into the latest technology they are developing. We were taken into their show room and were instantly impressed with the amount of technology and devices in the works. We were asked to be seated in front of a wall of screens to learn about their newest 5G technology.

We were given a presentation from the team about their development in 5G and the history that got them there. It was fun and informative to see the progress from the earliest cell phones to the phones we have today. They even passed around one of the first ever made cell phones to hold; no way that fit in your front pocket.

They explained a bit about how 5G works and how it can be applied to our day-to-day lives. Not just how it works with our phones, but how it can work to make smart cities and smart homes. Even Bill Nye the Science Guy showed up (on recorded video) to explain a bit about how the technology works and how it can improve our lives.

Then, we were treated to a drone demonstration showing the capability to control a drone through wireless technology and software programs. They explained to us how the drone can be partially operated by a person while also being set on a flight path programmed into an touch pad app and sent wirelessly through 5G.

We got to watch the drone take off and fly through its flight path above the building. We also got to watch what the drone was seeing through its camera on a screen in the launch area. We were even allowed to pick up the drone to see how light it is and how it is still able to lift and deliver packages, and maybe even pizzas.

We were taken on a guided tour of the show room and got to see how 5G can be used in the real world. They had what they called a "magic mirror" that would scan a store product, like clothing, and the mirror would give you information on it. It could even change the color of a shirt you were trying on or give you details and sound of a set of headphones.

They also showed us an app that could be used on a motorcycle that would pull up a personal assistant to help you. The assistant could give you details on parts, how to fix and replace parts, and could even order parts for delivery.

They had many other things set up to show how technology could be used to create smart cities. These were things like showing how many cars are parked in a deep under ground lot, let sanitation services know when bins needed collecting, and how certain objects can be located and displayed on a map.

After the tour, they turned us loose in the show room to play with their gadgets. We got to try out their virtual speed way, played some virtual reality sports games, and they even had a virtual "whack-a-mole". They also had a virtual city on the screen wall so we could learn more about how smart cities works with different things, from highways to skyscrapers, and in our own homes.

We learned a lot from our experience and how new technology is continually working to improve our lives. It was inspiring to get to look at the tech industry first-hand and how we may find a place to pursue our passion for coding and tech.