A zero-carbon 5G network is set to power a new Saudi resort, and it opens to travelers later this year
Red Sea Global
- The Six Senses Southern Dunes resort has the first 5G network powered by 100% renewable energy.
- The network is set to support the 8,000-room, 1,000-residential-property resort on the Red Sea.
- The project's head of technology said the zero-carbon network was built in six months.
- This article is part of "5G Playbook," a series exploring one of our time's most important tech innovations.
The Middle East is no stranger to ambitious feats of engineering. And The Red Sea project in Saudi Arabia promises to be no different when the hospitality hub is completed.
The project's creators say the area will eventually be home to 50 resorts, with up to 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 1,000 residential homes scattered across 22 islands and six inland sites. Tourists and residents alike will be kept entertained by golf courses, marinas, and dining and leisure facilities.
But no customer-facing project can exist nowadays without a good internet connection. And the company behind The Red Sea project, Red Sea Global, has partnered with the Saudi telecommunications provider Zain KSA to cover that.
Zero-carbon 5G is set to power the resort
The Red Sea project is planned to be connected to the internet through the world's first zero-carbon 5G network, according to Ahmed Ali Alsohaily, Red Sea Global's group head of technology.
"Our revolutionary 5G network will bring guests the highest speeds for connectivity in the region but, importantly, is powered by our 100% renewably powered energy grid," he said.
The 5G network is based in one of the resort's first hotels, Six Senses Southern Dunes, which is set to open later this year.
"Development of the network commenced during the resort's developmental stage in the latter part of last year," Ali Alsohaily said. "I'm pleased to say we took it from concept to full implementation in just six months."
It's part of a wider decision on how to power the hospitality project, which is off the grid.
"We are completely off grid and are building the world's largest battery-storage facility to ensure The Red Sea is powered by sunlight, day and night," Ali Alsohaily said. "With this as our starting point, it is only natural we would choose for our 5G network to also be powered by renewable energy."
Building a sustainable 5G network wasn't straightforward
However, 5G networks are traditionally highly energy-intensive. So powering the mobile internet connections across the resort area proved tricky. Red Sea Global and Zain KSA came up with an outsize solution. In all, 760,000 photovoltaic solar panels make up The Red Sea's clean-energy grid and are used to keep connections online in the area.
Recognizing that 5G can be a power drain, the companies redesigned how the 5G network worked.
"Through close collaboration with service providers, we have developed a shareable solution," which spreads network access across providers, "that significantly reduces the number of antennas required for the 5G network," Ali Alsohaily said.
The 5G network is an ideal fit for the project in two ways, Al Alsohaily said.
"Firstly, today's travelers don't want to just create memories. They want to share them. A fast, reliable network means they can do just that," he said.
"Secondly, today's travelers are more discerning and sustainably minded," he added. "At The Red Sea, they can be assured that their visit is supporting our mission to regenerate the environment and support local communities."