Technology laboratories, startups and research institutions at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, near Didcot, are set to benefit from enhanced wireless 5G connectivity.
On behalf of England’s Connected Heartland (ECH), Oxfordshire County Council has selected Vodafone to build and manage a 5G standalone mobile private network serving the campus following a competitive procurement process. Vodafone will begin work on the project over the coming weeks.
England’s Connected Heartland is a 5G Innovation Region encompassing Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Central Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Coordinated by Oxfordshire County Council – and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology – it is working to accelerate advanced wireless adoption for economic, social and environmental benefits.
Councillor Liz Leffman, Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “With Vodafone supporting the new 5G digital infrastructure, we're poised to explore the untapped potential on this exciting technology at Harwell, helping some of the most innovative businesses in the UK, based on the campus, to continue to thrive.”
The project at Harwell Science and Innovation Campus is funded by central government and will showcase how advanced wireless connectivity can benefit advanced manufacturing industry.
The private 5G network will be a highspeed, secure network that allows internet of things (IoT) devices to connect and share information quickly and reliably. This will help companies at Harwell run more smoothly by allowing them to monitor and control production instantly.
It will also make it easy to keep phone and video calls connected as people move between different buildings. Overall, it will boost efficiency and productivity.
Dr Barbara Ghinelli, Director, Innovation Clusters and Harwell Campus at UKRI-STFC, said: “The 5G mobile private network will empower our diverse research and development community. Harwell, as the first science and innovation campus project in the England’s Connected Heartland (ECH) programme, is an ideal fit for this pioneering project. I am particularly excited that this project can serve as a framework for implementing 5G at other science parks across the ECH region, benefitting UK industry.”
