Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP) and SmarTone have joined hands to bring innovative 5G technology to SHKP shopping malls. With SmarTone’s powerful 5G network, SHKP can offer a new shopping experience to customers and strengthen its operational efficiency in 5G Smart Malls. SmarTone provides full 5G coverage in Hong Kong with the widest coverage both indoors and outdoors, including major SHKP malls, to bring a faster, stabler and smoother 5G experience.

Ms Josephine Lam, Head of Sales and Marketing of SmarTone, said, “SmarTone is pleased to work with SHKP malls to bring 5G Smart Malls to consumers and tenants, leveraging SmarTone’s powerful 5G network. Our collaboration can provide an elevated experience to customers and enhanced operational efficiency for malls. 5G’s high speed, ultra-low latency and massive connectivity can work in synergy with other advanced technology, such as AI, AR/VR, and so on, benefitting the development of Smart Malls, Smart Property Management, and more broadly, Hong Kong as a Smart City. SmarTone already offers full 5G coverage in Hong Kong, including SHKP malls. According to a previous independent market survey, SmarTone 5G was selected as the Consumers’ Best Preferred 5G Network, which is incredibly encouraging. We will continue to dedicate our efforts to innovating and delivering the highest quality 5G network experience to our customers.”

Ms Judy Chow, General Manager (Leasing), Sun Hung Kai Real Estate Agency Limited, said, “With SmarTone’s 5G network, SHKP now offers a brand-new smart experience to customers and tenants, and the feedback has been very positive. Currently, because of the epidemic, to help customers shop at ease during these challenging times, SHKP and SmarTone have collaborated to present SHKP malls’ first 5G-enabled robot at MOKO, which is helping to safeguard the health and safety of customers and tenants, as well as enhancing efficiency for the whole sanitizing process. This collaboration has also introduced 5G-enabled Smart Restroom, which indicates the availability of all the restrooms and recommends the best option to shorten the queuing time. This will further stimulate foot traffic and help create a leisurely and flexible brand-new shopping model.”

SHKP malls’ first 5G Robot

The 5G Robot has an endearing appearance, with a white body and lively eyes, which captures shoppers’ attention. It is compact, but has an abundance of features and 24x7 operating capacity. The 5G Robot has a wide range of flexible parts, including 360-degree wheels that allow it to swiftly glide up and down wheelchair ramps and along guide paths for the visually impaired, thus reaching every corner of the mall, taking customers to their specified shops and facilities, and enhancing their shopping experience.

With 5G’s ultra-low latency and AI technology, coupled with internal laser radar and a 3D motion-sensor camera, the 5G Robot can detect obstacles on the floor and report them in real-time, allowing management to deploy staff immediately to the spot and offer assistance, ensuring the safety of customers and enhancing the security efficiency of the mall.

The 5G Robot also helps sanitize the venue, enhancing the efficiency of the process and ensuring the health and safety of tenants and customers. Once the 5G Robot is filled with disinfectant and the smart mode is set, it can spray a mist of disinfectant from its antenna, killing bacteria and sterilizing the venue while enhancing efficiency and alleviating the pressure on human resources.

5G Smart Restroom

SHKP malls are also introducing the 5G Smart Restroom. With the high-speed 5G network and multiple sensors installed in mall restrooms, data is sent to a cloud server in real-time. Digital signages at the restroom entrances indicate the availability of restrooms and the estimated queuing time. The 5G Smart Restroom effectively allocates customers to restrooms with higher availability, recommending the best option to shorten queuing time, and at the same time, stimulating foot traffic in the mall, thus creating a relaxing, fluid, innovative shopping model.

The 5G Smart Restroom is equipped with IAQ sensors to detect indoor air quality. It can measure temperature, humidity, concentration of PM2.5 suspended particles, H2S and NH3 – five major air quality parameters. The collected data is sent to a 5G cloud management platform for analysis, allowing close monitoring of the condition of all the restrooms. The 5G Smart Restroom also has a supplies sensor. In cases when a restroom cannot be attended by staff (e.g. restrooms for the disabled and nursery rooms), the 5G cloud management platform can monitor the status of restroom supplies (e.g. paper towels, toilet paper, sanitizers, and so on) and restock when necessary. With the 5G cloud management platform, mall management can monitor traffic, air quality and other data in the restrooms, efficiently enhancing operational efficiency and service quality.

SmarTone offers full 5G coverage in Hong Kong, providing the widest network coverage both indoors and outdoors. The network covers over 250 key indoor locations, including prime locations, commercial areas and major malls, and has been extended to 10 major MTR lines and 65 rural areas, including outdoor cycling tracks, hiking trails and campsites. SmarTone 5G is Hong Kong’s only mobile operator that provides 5G coverage in the Tai Lam Tunnel.