To help people and businesses take advantage of the projects and interventions funded through the DI directorate, the UK needs high quality coverage. Through the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy published in 2023, the UK announced its ambition to deliver nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030. This will bring its full benefits to villages and rural communities well beyond cities and towns.

A premises is classified as ‘very hard to reach’ when it is out of scope to be built commercially or through a government funded intervention scheme. This could be for one of several reasons, such as being in a remote location. DSIT analysis shows that potentially less than 100,000 premises are likely to be too costly to connect to a gigabit-capable connection. As such, they may require government intervention to provide them with an ultrafast broadband connection.

The Very Hard to Reach alpha trials are being funded by DSIT to help up to 35,000 premises access low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity. While a number of DSIT supported projects use the Government’s Shared Outcomes fund are focused on innovative ways to deliver better coverage.

DSIT Interventions

Alpha Trials

The Very Hard to Reach alpha trials aim to assess the extent to which new low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites can be used to deliver high-speed, low latency broadband connections to more than a dozen ‘very hard to reach’ locations. LEO satellites are positioned around 550 - 1,000km above the earth’s surface. The fact they are closer to earth than previous generations of satellites make more applications possible, including video calls and real-time collaboration, while also making activities like web browsing much smoother. The trials also test the capabilities of suppliers, distributors and project partner stakeholders.

Fibre in Water

The Fibre in Water (FiW) programme was awarded funding through the Shared Outcomes Fund. Some of the key aims for the project were to: connect hard to reach areas with advanced fixed and mobile services; reduce the amount of clean water leakage from the water mains; and support the digital transformation for the UK water industry.

DCIA

The Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA) programme helped accelerate deployment of advanced wireless connectivity by improving the ability to access and acquire sites, and by building evidence to understand the benefits and feasibility of using public sector assets to host multiple technologies.

Rural Connectivity Accelerator

The Rural Connectivity Accelerator will explore how it could be made easier for rural sectors to access the connectivity they need in the quickest and most cost-effective way. Through the Accelerator, the UK government will support a set of ‘rural connectivity pilots’ which enhance our understanding of the connectivity needs of businesses in rural and ‘very hard to reach’ areas of the UK and explore the best ways to address barriers to deployment and adoption.

Smart infrastructure pilots programme

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames will test the procurement, installation and multiple use cases via the deployment of smart multi-purpose columns.

Westminster City Council

Westminster City Council, working with Ontix, will be testing multi-functional smart lamp columns.

Tees Valley Combined Authority

Tees Valley Combined Authority are leading a pilot to install multi-purpose smart columns.

Oxfordshire County Council

Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), in collaboration with Zeta Specialist Lighting (Zeta) and Virgin Media O2 (VMO2), will look to procure and install 10 smart poles throughout Oxfordshire, a measure that aligns with the government's strategy to incorporate advanced wireless infrastructure into the societal fabric by 2030.

North Ayrshire Council

North Ayrshire Council aims to create a digitally advanced waterfront destination that drives economic growth and enhances the quality of life for residents and our visitor experience.

Cambridgeshire County Council

The project team will collaboratively design, deliver and test a range of Smart Poles that are capable of hosting a variety of equipment.