Government will spend £40m to boost 5G

The money is part of £200m pledged previously for to enhancement of 5G

The government has announced today (June 12) £40 million will be invested in 5G testbeds in a bid to enhance 5G in the UK.

Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright (pictured) made the announcement at the 5G World Conference as part of London Tech Week. The money is part of £200m pledged by the government in October for 5G research.

The Ministry of Defence, in partnership with DCMS, has committed to making 168MHz of new spectrum available to facilitate the deployment of fixed and mobile networks. The government claims to have exceeded its target to make 500MHz of public sector spectrum available for commercial use by 2020.

The aim is to drive sectors such as healthcare, tourist, transport and broadcasting. All have proven in recent studies and test to benefit greatly from faster download speeds and lower latency offered by 5G.

Other sectors outlines by the government for 5G use cases is the manufacturing processes of: roads, air, and sea based freight logistics.

Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright said: “As part of our modern Industrial Strategy, we’re making sure that Britain has a telecoms infrastructure that is fit for the future.

“5G is about more than mobile phone consumers having a fast and reliable connection anywhere in the country. It’s a vital piece of technology that can be used to improve the productivity and growth of our industrial sectors. That’s why we’re excited to develop new trials in areas such as manufacturing and logistics that can really benefit from 5G.”

Mobile UK director Hamish MacLeod added: “Getting the planning system right for future 5G and today’s 4G networks is critical to ensure the UK continues to lead the world in digital connectivity. It is right that the Government has announced it is to look at simplifying planning processes and we stand ready to work in partnership to ensure this can happen as quickly as possible to aid the continued rollout of mobile networks.”