WIREDGOV

Funding open accelerate the use of 5G in creative industries plus rural 5G announcements.

The UK is a 5G leader with all four mobile operators having launched 5G services in 2019. 

Government has recognised that to harness all the potential benefits of 5G it needs to help stimulate innovative uses of the technology through funding. The new Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden yesterday announced that from early March bidders can apply for funding from a new £30 million competition which will look at how 5G could boost creative industries including film, TV, video games, logistics and tourism. 

This is alongside announcing the nine projects who successfully bid for a share of £35 million from the rural and industrial 5G competitions.  

This funding comes from the £200 million 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme, part of Government’s long-term strategy for meeting its digital connectivity targets, outlined in the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review.  

Commenting on the announcements Jo O’Riordan, Head of Spectrum Policy and Telecoms at techUK yesterday said:  

“Fibre broadband and 5G are the underpinning technologies of our expanding digital economy and future society.  

The variety of public and private use cases for 5G amongst the Rural Connected Communities bid winners is very impressive. We welcome this competition and I am pleased to see it is open for longer than previous funding rounds, giving more consortia more time to form and create bids.” 

More information on the funding and bid winners can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-65-million-package-for-5g-trials