‘Game-changing’ technology triumph for West Midlands
The West Midlands is to become home to the UK’s first multi-city 5G test bed after an intense competition for the Government funding.
The project will trial new high speed connectivity across Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton before a national roll out. The region was chosen ahead of around 20 other bids from across the UK.
Mayor Andy Street described the victory as “game-changing” and by another person within the West Midlands Combined Authority as a “bigger win” than the Commonwealth Games.
The test bed is part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy and is expected to become a £150m research programme. Initially regional public sector organisations will provide £25m alongside £25m from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), although the Government can double its contribution.
Industry is expected to match that investment with around £75m of its own money.
Margot James
“The West Midlands Testbed, which is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, will be instrumental in helping us realise this ambition,” she said.”
Current development of 5G is showing speeds around 10-20 times faster than 4G, with peak speeds of around 20GB per second compared with 1GB per second.
However 5G is not the next iteration, it is new technology that demands new network equipment and services.
The speed and capacity will allow Birmingham communters to enjoy Netflix at New Street, but more importantly improvements in security and reliability mean it can be used for products like medical devices and services such as guiding vehicles.
Street, who had a digital manifesto during his 2017 mayoral campaign, said: “This announcement is game-changing for the West Midlands economy. This will be the backbone of our future economy and society.”
The West Midlands Combined Authority will now work with the 5G Testbeds and Trials Team at DCMS and industry partners on preparing the formal business case for approval, with the first of a series of projects expected to go live early next year.
The bid has an initial focus on the health, construction and automotive sectors, with its overarching ambition to help drive economic growth and benefit people’s lives through participation in new digital technologies and digitally-transformed public services.
However the first impact of the test bed may be indirect, but significant. Insiders hope that this major technology win can ensure Birmingham’s bid to become the home of Channel 4’s major hub outside London is successful, by adding superior digital connectivity to its strong transport connectivity.
