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Announcements => News Articles => Topic started by: Bowdon on September 04, 2018, 10:38:17 AM

Title: First UK Multi-City 5G Mobile Test Bed to Begin in the West Midlands
Post by: Bowdon on September 04, 2018, 10:38:17 AM
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/09/first-uk-multi-city-5g-mobile-test-bed-to-begin-in-the-west-midlands.html (https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2018/09/first-uk-multi-city-5g-mobile-test-bed-to-begin-in-the-west-midlands.html)

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The United Kingdom’s first “large-scale” test bed of next generation Gigabit speed capable 5G mobile broadband technology is set to take place in the West Midlands, with the cities of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton being today lined up to conduct the new trial, which is worth up to £75 million.

Today’s development forms part of the Government’s 5G Urban Connected Communities Project, which in the original spring 2018 announcement stated that it was seeking Expressions of Interest (EoI) from public sector authorities who wished to take a “key role” in supporting their project based on a “large scale city area in the UK“.

The project itself was originally established to design wireless infrastructure in a major city that delivers “high quality connectivity, while enabling applications on 5G to be trialled“. On top of that it also aimed to allow industry to test different deployment models for 5G infrastructure and would help to inform the development of related policy and regulation.

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    Margot James MP, UK Digital Minister, said:

    “5G has the potential to dramatically transform the way we go about our daily lives, and we want the citizens of the UK to be amongst the first to experience all the opportunities and benefits this new technology will bring. The West Midlands Testbed, which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, will be instrumental in helping us realise this ambition.”

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    Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:

    “This announcement is game-changing for the West Midlands economy. This will be the backbone of our future economy and society.

    We have been working to put the foundations in place to grow the industries which will create the jobs of the future, particularly around driverless vehicles and life sciences where we have a genuine advantage. To deliver the future of these industries we need the power of 5g.

    The potential of this technology is endless – and we will enjoy the benefits first. From monitoring the health of babies and the elderly, to the way out people are linked to the economy of the future, the way companies do business, the way we deliver public services, the experience of travellers on public transport and the way we deliver City of Culture and the Commonwealth Games – everything can be made better thanks to the power of this technology.”