5G: Rural Connected Communities
Winners of £35 million funding pot to help Britain
unlock potential of 5G announced.
Rural areas will benefit from a series of government-funded trials to help them seize the potential of modern technology, the Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden announced today.
The winning bids from around the UK will help spread the benefits of 5G connections and allow people and organisations to take advantage of it in new and exciting ways, from healthcare, to education to the environment.
Mobile Access
North Yorkshire
The Mobile Access North Yorkshire (MANY) project will support the development of new technologies, apps and services focused on tourism, mental health, improved coverage for emergency services and environmental management.
A project led by Quickline Communications will also aim to increase mobile coverage in selected areas that currently miss out and discover how the public, private and community sectors can work together to reduce the cost of delivering mobile access in rural areas.
West Mercia Rural 5G
West Mercia Rural 5G will explore infrastructure challenges when planning, building and operating a rural 5G networks and, in particular, how they can enhance health and social care services for residents.
Led by Worcestershire County Council, key partners on the network side are Airband and Three as well as local NHS organisations and universities.
MONeH (Multi Operator Neutral Host)
The MONeH Consortium aims to demonstrate how multi operator mobile networks can be used to serve different people in rural areas with little or no coverage.
The Consortium will test the idea of using currently unused mobile spectrum to offer a service that is both technically and financially robust in areas where conventional coverage solutions are not commercially viable for mobile network operators.
5G RuralDorset
The coastal public services project will use 5G to save lives and enhance safety in coastal areas, tracking critical equipment and enabling new search and rescue methods. Another project will explore cost-effective connectivity for rural farmers, using technology to track crop growth, monitor livestock & reduce water pollution.
A new 5G project will see how technology on the Lulworth Estate and festival site could unlock potential uses to support tourism, education to safety. And a 5G innovation hub at Dorset Innovation Park will allow businesses to test and develop 5G products and services collaboratively and securely.
5G New Thinking
The 5G New Thinking project will work closely with local people to develop a community toolkit to provide rural connectivity for a range of users. The project will create facilities and tools for spectrum sharing and monitoring, neutral hosting, partnerships and business engagement models with operators.
The Orkney Islands network will pilot the project before scoping potential for similar ones in the Borderlands, Scotland, Northern Ireland and areas of rural England to help develop and ultimately roll-out 5G connectivity to more rural areas.
Connected Communities in the Rural Economy
The project will connect rural communities in South East Wales by demonstrating how 5G technology can open up new opportunities for businesses and citizens in areas such as tourism and farming, as key parts of the rural economy.
5G connected forest
Centred around the ancient Sherwood Forest, the project will explore the potential for 5G applications in the preservation of forests and their environment and in enhancing the experience of visitors to the forest and surrounding area.
From robotic environmental management and live monitoring of the health of a forest, to live AR and VR experiences for visitors. The project will also investigate ways to boost rural connectivity and create innovative applications for potential commercial development.
Find out more about these projects, and others, being supported with government investment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-65-million-package-for-5g-trials
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