The 5G Innovation Region (5GIR) programme has seen 10 regions throughout the UK receive a share of £36m of funding as part of our wider programme to drive 5G adoption. Focusing on key sectors where there is local capability and opportunities, the projects aim to enable the UK to take full advantage of the transformative effect that advanced wireless connectivity and digital technologies can provide.
To help ensure that all regions can benefit from the work being done by the 5G Innovation Regions, UKTIN is inviting each of the projects to present to our Clusters forum. In September a presentation was given on the Borderlands Programme by Catherine Weldon, of Connecting Cumbria, and Tony Sceales, Technical Director for the programme, to give insight into what is happening in this region.
Please tell us about your 5GIR project.
The programme, lead by Cumberland Council and managed by the Connecting Cumbria, is a collaboration between the counties that make up the English and Scottish border; this builds upon the success of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. The aim of the programme is to demonstrate the commercial opportunities for advanced wireless technology in a rural tourism setting. The programme initially will focus on utilising the DSIT funding award by March 2025, but the partners plan to explore opportunities for follow-up funding or other options to expand the programme.
Why is this 5GIR project needed?
Rural tourism is a key part of the Borderlands economy: the region has fewer than 1 million residents, most of whom live in Cumbria, but welcomed more than 63 million visits in 2019. Due to the levels of visitors to the region there is very high demand for connectivity but historically rural areas have struggled to attract commercial investment. The 5GIR Programme will focus on 5G deployment and models of sustainability to support tourist operations and the visitor experience at five venues: Destination Tweed; Kielder; Hadrian’s Wall; Stranraer; and Windermere. It is anticipated that additional venues will be selected for further deployment after March 2025.
What progress have you made?
The programme’s stakeholders from across the region have identified and prioritised the use cases that will be delivered and demonstrated by the end of the DSIT March 2025 funding period. The use cases identified include car parking capacity management, counting people (including vehicles, cyclists and horse riders), environmental monitoring and a support for public sector operations such as the Windermere ferry or Stranraer harbour safety team. The extensive database of use cases will be developed and supported beyond the initial finding window to deliver additional benefits.
In September ATWG Ltd was awarded the contract to deliver services to the programme. This end-to-end engineering services and technology solutions provider has a proven track record of delivering 5G programmes in the UK. It has partnered with the Sunderland 5G Programme, considered one of the UK’s leading smart cities. ATWG is also involved in the SCONDA (Small Cells ORAN in Dense Areas) project which built, integrated, optimised and delivered an Open RAN network in Glasgow City Centre.
What have you learned so far?
The solution has many uses! Though some use cases are specific to individual venues, the majority can be used in most venues. Public access to a private network is one example of improving the tourist experience and driving economic growth. Our use cases also align and support the broader DSIT 5GIR Programme objectives and deliver a range of visitor and operational management benefits.
Head to the Connecting Cumbria website to learn more, and find out more about the UKTIN Clusters Group here.
