Australia's First Retirement Village with Private 5G network

An over-50s village at Pimpama, GemLife Gold Coast, has just become the first residential community in Australia to be connected to a private 5G network, and it's set to change the game for residents. This tech upgrade is all about keeping people connected and giving them access to the latest advancements.

According to GemLife CEO Andrew Coulter, the new network is seriously fast—delivering speeds 550% faster than what they had before. He even mentioned that if they wanted to roll out autonomous vehicles to help people get around the site, this is exactly the kind of network they’d need.

One of the residents, Jeff Ward, a retired IT expert, is already using voice-activated technology to make everyday tasks easier. For example, when they run out of a grocery item, he can simply tell the system to order it again—how cool is that?

What’s even more impressive is that this private 5G network, which was once only used on big mining sites, showed its resilience during Tropical Cyclone Alfred. It kept everyone connected, even during the storm, which was crucial for keeping residents updated on the weather. It’s pretty clear that this network is making a big difference for the community.