Earlier this year the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) – which has responsibility for UK digital infrastructure policy - set out the ambition to “ensure the UK is the best place to start and grow a digital business, trial a new technology, or undertake advanced research – and that the UK’s digital sectors remain world leading”.
The 5G strategy, announced in late 2016 is consistent with this ambition, with significant public funding available to support the 5G Testbed and Trials programme. £16m has already been allocated to 3 Universities for the establishment of test networks. More than £700m is likely to be committed over the next 4 years to 5G and fibre initiatives (although the split in funding between 5G and Fibre remains opaque).
The first competitions as part of the 5G Testbed and Trials programme are expected to be launched over the coming weeks, with funding for programmes from 2018 through to 2021. Competition is likely to be tough.
These could include:
- Testbeds focused on individual vertical industry sectors or across multiple sectors (e.g. a smart city or smart region)
- A focus on the 5G use cases that will be trialled, and the inclusion of Trial partners
- Consideration of a large scale rural trial
- Consideration of a large scale Healthcare trial
Early guidance has been to focus bids on the key challenge that needs to be addressed, rather than starting with the technology solution.
As a city Cambridge is renowned for technology innovation which has made a significant contribution to the economic success of the UK. However the connectivity across the area has not always reflected the leading edge nature of local businesses.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Councils recognised the need for better digital connectivity with the establishment of the Connecting Cambridgeshire Programme in 2012, and there is a strong appetite to build on its success to date to support future digital connectivity, including the development of 5G services. Cambridge and Peterborough also have “Smart City” programmes which offer potential use cases to support trial and testbed activities.
The launch of the UK 5G Testbed and Trials Programme therefore offers an opportunity for business, government and local Councils in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to work together to develop opportunities for this area to be involved at the forefront of the development of 5G capabilities in the UK.
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