Customer overview

GemLife is a leading developer of over-50s lifestyle resorts across Australia, known for its commitment to innovation and resident well-being. With a portfolio encompassing 30 resorts and 14,000 homes planned by 2028, GemLife sought to improve its communities with modern technology to support smart living and operational efficiency.

The objectives

GemLife aimed to overcome the limitations of traditional fibre-to-the-premise networks, which restricted connectivity to indoor areas and lacked support for outdoor and mobile operations. The primary goals were to:

• Provide residents with high-speed, reliable internet connectivity throughout the resort, including outdoor spaces.

• Enable seamless integration of smart home devices to enhance daily living.

• Support operational efficiencies through real-time monitoring of infrastructure and assets.

• Lay the foundation for future digital initiatives, including automation and advanced monitoring systems.

The solution

To address these challenges, GemLife partnered with Prospecta Utilities to deploy a standalone 5G mmWave fixed wireless network, marking one of the first installations of its kind in Australia. The network was powered by Airspan’s AIR5G 7200 small cells and used spectrum in the 28 GHz band. This solution delivered fibre-like performance with speeds of up to 2 Gbps and ultra-low latency, providing impressive connectivity across both indoor and outdoor spaces.

The deployment began at GemLife Gold Coast, with nine 5G radio devices installed to create an interconnected 'smart city' for the initial 74 homes. The network supported triple-play services, including high-speed data, voice, and video-on-demand, and enabled seamless integration of smart home devices.

The results and outcomes

The implementation of the private 5G network led to significant improvements:

• Improved resident experience - residents enjoyed uninterrupted connectivity, allowing for seamless integration of smart devices and improved quality of life.

• Operational efficiency - the network facilitated real-time monitoring of infrastructure and assets, reducing operational and management costs.

• Resilience - during extreme weather conditions, such as ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the private 5G network maintained connectivity while major carriers experienced outages, highlighting its robustness.

• Scalability - following the successful deployment at GemLife Gold Coast, plans were made to extend this technology to all 14,000 existing and future homes across GemLife’s portfolio of 30 resorts by 2028.

This pioneering initiative has not only transformed the digital infrastructure of GemLife communities but has also set a precedent for smart living in over-50s lifestyle resorts across Australia.