Nantong's first 5G smart street lamp is unveiled on July 1 at Nantong University. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A number of multi-functional intelligent street lamps using 5G technology began operating on July 1 on the campus of Nantong University, located in Chongchuan district, Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province.

They are the first such street lamps to be used in the city and feature self-learning and self-iteration capabilities.

The lights are shaped like elegant blooming lotus flowers.

But the lights are more than just eye candy, as they are actually quite useful with multiple functions such as intelligent lighting, face recognition, one-button alarms, wireless charging, weather sensing, and broadcast releases.

These features are made possible through cutting-edge computing and artificial intelligence technologies, a major innovation in the field, according to Chen Zhen, general manager of Jiangsu Hengpeng Smart City Technology Co Ltd.

The achievement stemmed from cooperation between the university and the Nantong Lighting Management Office in 2018 when an intelligent lighting research center was established. Last year, the center was upgraded to a research institute with a focus on the application of 5G technology.