£500,000 secured for West Midlands' 5G connectivity
The West Midlands Combined Authority has secured more than £500,000 from a new £4 million Government fund to further boost connectivity in the region including the Black Country.
The Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator pilot funding will be used to map out the region’s publicly owned assets such as buildings, land and street furniture, such as street lights and bus shelters, that are capable of housing mobile network equipment
The West Midlands is already at the forefront of 5G technology, which is seen as a key element in levelling up the region.
It was selected by the Government in 2018 to be the UK’s first multi-city 5G test bed.
The project, which involves the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the WMCA and WM5G, has been accelerating the 5G network, and the West Midlands has now become the UK’s best-connected region for 5G.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “We are thrilled that the West Midlands continues to be at the forefront of new technology, and DCMS awarding us a share of the £4m from their Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator is further confirmation of our status as a 5G pioneer.
“Now we will roll up our sleeves and get to work on testing an interactive map and marketplace solution to automate key elements of the process of 5G deployment, accelerating delivery and rollout, bringing efficiencies to both operators and local authorities. This will help to drive forward new technology and innovations for the maximum benefit of citizens and businesses in our region.”
Councillor Patrick Harley, WMCA portfolio lead for digital and culture and leader of Dudley Council, added: “We are delighted to lead this pilot via the DCMS funding competition. It offers the opportunity to extend the West Midlands position as a connectivity leader and will enable us to bring the benefits of future connectivity technologies to more people, businesses and public services.”
“The biggest barrier to increasing advanced connectivity is access to infrastructure. By building and proving an automated platform such as this, we will facilitate the continued deployment of 5G – and other network technologies – across the region and beyond.”
