The Actionable Futurist® Podcast

S6 Episode 3: Living in the moment - the opportunity for 5G Standalone with Nicki Lyons from Vodafone UK

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Episode notes

In this episode, we look at a report I wrote in partnership with Vodafone UK to examine how 5G Standalone (5G SA) could transform UK over the next 5-7 years.

To talk more about the findings, I spoke with Nicki Lyons, Vodafone UK's Chief Corporate Affairs & Sustainability Officer.

Some of the predictions in the report include:

We’ll see the end of Video Assisted Referee (VAR) and poor off-side decision-making thanks to smart ball tech, pitch sensors and player wearables enabled by 5G Standalone (5G SA) – meaning more time is devoted to the beautiful game and less time on disputes.

Connected clothing will mean trainers will ‘talk’ to each other and collate style and sustainability-inspired looks from other feet on the street, powering your very own AI-powered style guide – enabling fashionistas to discover styles and express themselves in new ways.

Working with Vodafone, in a new report, leading futurist Andrew Grill predicts how 5G SA could transform the things the UK loves most in the next five-to-seven years – from retail and sports to gaming and entertainment.

The report supports the growing need for 5G SA infrastructure in the UK, as the proposed Vodafone and Three merger paves the way for UK 5G SA leadership with a pledge to invest £11 billion and reach over 99% of the UK population with 5G SA by 2034.

More on Nicki Lyons

Nicki became Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability in October 2021. She’s responsible for external communications, government and regulatory affairs, and sustainable business. Before this, she worked in senior roles at Walgreen Boots Alliance, Unilever, PepsiCo, in UK government and in international development.

Nicki on LinkedIn

Resources mentioned in the show
Ann Patchett Tom Lake book
Vodafone UK Website
Vodafone and Three website

More on the report
Vodafone press release about the report
Download the report

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