New Verizon documentary showcases 5G’s potential

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‘Speed of Thought’, a new documentary produced in partnership with Verizon, hopes to shine a light on the huge potential of 5G by focusing on innovative use cases.

Child in classroom, amazed by AR tech.
(Image credit: Courtesy of Verizon.)

In a move that’s reminiscent of content marketing productions from the likes of Red Bull, Verizon has created a new documentary, called ‘Speed of Thought’, to showcase the life-changing potential of 5G technology across a number of different sectors.

And no corners have been cut in the film’s production, with Verizon enlisting the services of award-winning documentary film-maker, Mila Aung-Thwin, who cuts between a series of interviews, cases studies, and archive footage, to produce a hugely polished piece of work.

“The innovators featured within ‘Speed of Thought’ are forging the way for life saving technology and societal advancement."

Tami Erwin, Verizon Business.

“We are sitting on the cusp of the next industrial revolution and have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to completely reimagine our future,” said Tami Erwin, CEO of Verizon Business. “The innovators featured within ‘Speed of Thought’ are forging the way for life saving technology and societal advancement. There’s never been a more important time in the history of our world to innovate and build a future that’s more safe, inclusive and accessible to all.”

Speed of Thought

‘Speed of Thought’ explores how the Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband network could improve how we live, work and play, and it will premiere at TechCrunch Disrupt today, before being made available  on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock and Fios on Demand. Although, initially, the film will only be available to watch in the US.

The film follows a number of groups, looking to include 5G connectivity in their projects. Projects range from a robotic surgery device, which could enable doctors to perform remote heart surgery, to an augmented reality (AR) mask that enables firefighters to see through smoke. 

Still from Speed of Thought showing a firefighter with an AR helmet.

(Image credit: Courtesy of Verizon.)

Other featured projects include a City of Sacramento trial to make roads safer with the use of IoT sensors, and an AR learning experience, called Movers &  Shakers NYC, which immerses students in the history of civil rights. And it’s this final project that really captures 5G’s potential, as we move away from labs and innovation centers, and follow the founders of Movers &  Shakers NYC, Glenn Cantave and Idris Brewster, as they showcase their product in a New York City classroom. 

Movers &  Shakers NYC provides students from less privileged backgrounds with a tailored AR experience, showcasing the history of marginalized communities in the US. And once 5G is widely available across the country, AR projects like this can move into the public space, and provide young people with new historical narratives, which put the experiences of their ancestors front and center. 

You can watch the trailer, and discover more about the featured projects in the film by visiting https://speedofthoughtfilm.com. 

Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.