Sprint has opened a demo space to showcase its 5G tools (S)

A dedicated space to showcase a number of 5G applications could be a great selling point for larger enterprises, especially when dealing with potentially conservative upper management that could want to see some classes of solutions in person. And bringing a number of devices and solutions together under one roof could assuage a number of common concerns about the forthcoming standard in its enterprise applications.

Sprint's showcase center could help educate and win over customers unfamiliar with 5G by demonstrating the power of the next-generation network standard in a few key areas:

Speed:5G boasts increased bandwidth and data transmission rates of up to 10 times faster than 4G LTE. Sprint's 5G showcase center will demonstrate how businesses and customers can use 5G in applications like AR and VR, which require huge amounts of data and can get bogged down on 4G LTE.Workplace examples such as real-time drone-based footage could convince decision-makers of 5Gs true speeds by making them tangible beyond data points on a page.

Latency:As critical systems require near-instantaneous data transfer to operate safely, the ability to transmit data with almost no delay is a key selling point for 5G networks. Potential customers could experience the low latency of 5G networks firsthand at Sprint's showcase center via applications like a terminal that remotely controls vehicles or machinery.

Indoor penetration:A major concern with 5G networks is that millimeter wave, a type of wireless signal that will be used in many network deployments, has a limited ability to penetrate walls and buildings. A large-scale demonstration of 5G at work could support Sprint's assertion that its network performs well indoors, amid structural obstacles.
Number of devices:5G networks will be able to support up to 10 times more devices at each connection node than 4G theoretically up to 1 million devices per square kilometer, though real-world figures will be much lower. 5G is thus ideally suited to IoT applications in dense environments. Sprint can recreate such an environment in its demonstration facility to show that its network can respond to and support massive IoT use cases.

Demonstration centers and field labs will be useful selling points for 5G, but Sprint and other telecoms should expand them to include varied settings and applications for the standard.Customers could still be skeptical that the results displayed in controlled environments like 5G showcases can be as effective in the real world.

As Sprint deploys its 5G network its aiming to have 9 cities up and running by the end of 2019 it should communicate real-world case studies and third-party testimonials to prospective customers so as to best position its network as a key asset for companies integrating 5G into products and solutions.