NTT East and the Tokyo metropolitan government have launched a trial project using 5G technology to support inexperienced farmers in the agricultural sector, which is suffering from a labor shortage. Under the project, experts are offering guidance remotely by utilizing the high-speed, high-capacity 5G communication standard.
To publicize the trial, tomatoes harvested by the farmers were served in school lunches and pupils seemed to enjoy feasting on locally grown produce. About 350 tomato plants are being grown in a 500 square meter greenhouse on the site of an NTT East facility in Chofu, Tokyo.
The facility is operated by the Tokyo Development Foundation for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, an organization under the Tokyo metropolitan government. Cultivation experts at the facility give Hattori advice regarding such things as harvest times, pruning, and plant abnormalities.
The project utilizes a so-called local 5G network, which is more stable and more secure than the conventional 5G that is deployed nationwide. The system also makes it possible to relay live footage, even when broadcasting from multiple cameras. NTT East launched the project in June this year.
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