As part of her visit to IMREDD on February 3rd, Clara Chappaz, the French Minister Delegate for Digital Affairs and Artificial Intelligence, was introduced to the 5G Metro project by Paulo Moura (IMREDD) and Franck Lavagna (Orange). This initiative, led by Orange in partnership with IMREDD and Awabot, is pioneering the deployment of a 5G Standalone (5G SA) network on the IMREDD campus, with a strong focus on inclusion and accessibility in education.
At the heart of the project is an innovative use case: telepresence robots developed by Awabot. These robots, connected to the ultra-fast, low-latency 5G SA network, will enable students facing health-related or mobility challenges to actively participate in classes and campus life remotely. By navigating classrooms and interacting with peers and professors in real-time, students in situations of isolation will have equal access to education.
During the presentation, the Moura and Lavagna highlighted the importance of inclusive digital transformation and the role of 5G technology in bridging gaps in access to education. The project also aligns with broader initiatives supporting the digitalization of learning environments, leveraging emerging connectivity solutions to foster innovation in higher education.
The 5G Metro project is a key step toward integrating advanced connectivity into academic settings, demonstrating how 5G technology can enhance accessibility, inclusion, and the overall learning experience.
The 5G Metro project aims to revolutionize inclusivity in education by deploying a cutting-edge 5G Standalone network infrastructure at the IMREDD campus of Université Côte d’Azur in Nice, France. By integrating telepresence robots developed by Awabot, the project seeks to enhance the learning experience for remote students, particularly those facing social isolation due to hospitalization or home care.
Addressing the Challenges of Distance Learning
In today’s digitally connected world, distance learning has become essential for ensuring accessibility and flexibility in education. However, students confined to their homes or hospital settings often experience social isolation, which prevents them from fully participating in educational activities. The 5G Metro project addresses this critical challenge by leveraging the high speed and low latency of 5G technology to create an engaging and inclusive learning environment.
What the Project Will Achieve
The 5G Metro project, funded by the European Commission, is set to span three years and will deliver:
A fully functional 5G Standalone network within the university campus.
Integration of telepresence robots designed specifically for educational purposes.
Development of tailored use cases to support students who cannot physically attend classes.
This infrastructure will empower remote students to seamlessly participate in lessons, interact with their peers and teachers, and access educational resources. By doing so, it will foster an inclusive and engaging learning experience for all.
Driving Innovation with AI and Mixed Reality
In addition to deploying 5G and telepresence robots, the project will develop mixed reality applications to enable innovative pedagogical approaches. Through collaboration with the I3S laboratory, these solutions will leverage artificial intelligence and immersive environments to create:
Interactive and adaptive educational content tailored to each student’s needs.
Dynamic learning experiences that optimize engagement for all students, including those attending remotely.
By merging 5G technology, robotics, and mixed reality tools, 5G Metro becomes a powerful driver of inclusive education and the future of pedagogy, offering immersive and participatory learning experiences that ensure equal access to knowledge.
Advanced Navigation for Telepresence Robots
The 5G network will also deliver exceptional quality of service for robot navigation, enabling:
Vertical and horizontal mobility to traverse complex university environments.
High-speed, low-latency performance for fluid and efficient navigation.
This capability is crucial for telepresence robots to overcome obstacles and reach diverse locations across the campus, ensuring a seamless and adaptive experience for students.
Building the Future of Education
5G Metro signature at the Salon des Maires in Paris, November 19th 2024.
With its focus on merging education, telecommunications, and robotic outreach, the 5G Metro project represents a groundbreaking step toward inclusive and innovative education. By creating a scalable and replicable model, the project aims to inspire similar initiatives across Europe and beyond, contributing to the EU’s mission of fostering accessible, community-connected educational institutions.
5G Metro is funded by the European Union through Connecting Europe Facility. The project was signed at the Salon des Maires in Paris in November 2024 by Jean-François Fallacher, CEO of Orange France, Jeanick Brisswalter, president of Université Côte d’Azur, and Jérémie Koessler, president of Awabot. Stay tuned for updates as 5G Metro reshapes the possibilities of distance learning and inclusive education!
Manage Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
