Switzerland’s leading telecommunications and IT company Swisscom has joined forces with Ericsson and Qualcomm CDMA Technologies GmbH to identify the most innovative startups and research teams that they work with 5G applications. The five winners of the Swisscom StartUp Challenge will be invited to Switzerland in 2021 for an Exploration Week during which they will have the opportunity to carry out extensive testing of their prototypes on Swisscom’s live 5G network, taking them to the next level. They will have access to the Swisscom 5G laboratory, its live network and 5G devices, as well as receiving support from experts and mentors at Ericsson, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies and Swisscom. The deadline for submitting applications is October 11, 2020.
Thanks to its ultra-fast and robust broadband connections and its low latency, 5G – the latest generation of mobile communications – opens up a new world of possibilities. The global battle to be among the pioneers in building the first network to take advantage of this early stage technology is already underway. In April 2019, Swisscom was the first provider in Europe – and the fifth in the world – to go live with its 5G network, and it continues to expand steadily. The winners will benefit from this frontline start: Swisscom is joining forces with Ericsson and Qualcomm CDMA Technologies to launch the Swisscom 5G Startup Challenge, inviting the winners to conduct extensive testing on their applications within the 5G network. live, taking them to the next level.
Launched in 2013, the Swisscom StartUp Challenge is fully focused on 5G in 2020, and this year, for the first time, is open to start-ups and research teams from around the world. In the last 7 years, the challenge winners, including Ava, Exeon Analytics, Futurae, and Sentifi, have traveled to Silicon Valley for a week-long Acceleration Program. This year, Swisscom and its partners will invite the winners to spend a week in Switzerland, where they will have the opportunity to carry out many tests on the newest and most innovative mobile applications, taking them to the next level – on the Swisscom network.
Expert knowledge selection and exploration of Switzerland
Startups and research teams from around the world who wish to exploit the potential 5G and have deployed a product or prototype are invited to participate. Applications must be received at www.swisscom.com/5gstartupchallenge as of October 11, 2020. The 10 most interesting applications will be invited to the final in December 2020. The top five 5G innovators will travel to Switzerland in March 2021, where they will have the opportunity to spend a week conducting test cases in the Swisscom 5G laboratory or in different locations, regions and also in training sessions in a live network. They will support every step of the way through mentoring and experts from Ericsson, Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, Venturelab and Swisscom, having the opportunity to exchange ideas with leading entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. In addition, the winners will be able to explore Switzerland, visit the world’s leading innovation facilities such as the Federal Institute of Technology and the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, and meet with the pioneers of business and technology. The costs of travel, accommodation and subsistence will be borne by Swisscom.
A trip to the Mobile World Congress in 2021
In November 2020, people will have a chance to vote for their favorite app. The newly created company or the research team that manages to win the public vote will travel to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in the spring of 2021.
SOURCE Swisscom
https://www.swisscom.com