Intelligent CIO North America Issue 03 | Page 48

COUNTRY FOCUS : PUERTO RICO
The Puerto Rico 5G Zone fosters new 5G applications and opportunities , placing the Caribbean island firmly on the telecommunications map .

Puerto Rico 5G Zone puts island at the forefront of telco industry

The Puerto Rico 5G Zone initiative

is set to put Puerto Rico at the forefront of the telecommunications industry , securing the island ’ s future success . The project is primed to enable companies , government entities and academia to test applications and build new use cases for 5G networks and is a collaboration between Celeres Capital , the Indiana 5G Zone , public and private sectors and academic institutions .
Established through a memorandum of understanding between Celeres Capital and the Indiana 5G Zone , early stakeholders include XQ Message , a Silicon Valleybased cyber and communications security platform . The Puerto Rico 5G Zone will attract companies and government entities by offering a secure lab and test-bed environment to de-risk 5G investment .
Indiana ’ s 5G experience provides Puerto Rico with a proven blueprint to follow in the development and operations of its program . Strategic 5G uses include advanced manufacturing , resilient energy , intelligent logistics , digital agriculture , national security and public safety .
Rear Admiral Peter Brown , President Trump ’ s Special Representative for Puerto Rico ’ s Disaster Recovery , said : “ Improving the capability , reliability and resiliency of Puerto Rico ’ s communications infrastructure is critical to a number of economic sectors and the quality of life for the people of Puerto Rico .
“ The Trump Administration is working hard to bring pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing back to Puerto Rico in larger scale and communication connectivity is vital to those industries and many others .
“ Attracting new businesses and technologies will also be enhanced with the innovations of new 5G networks and possibilities . Two additional areas where quality of life can be significantly improved for the people of Puerto Rico include distance learning and telemedicine , which have had significant access challenges for remote and rural communities .
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