The government is currently looking for a city with at least 500,000 residents to serve as a large-scale urban testing environment for 5G network technology. The goal is to assess how wireless 5G infrastructure can be used to “make urban communities inherently safer, greener, more efficient and more attractive places to live.”
The project will explore how the technology can be used to address various problems and improve services. The government plans to deploy sensors to monitor traffic, provide GP services via video for patients who are unable to travel to the hospital as well as use robotics to increase productivity in factories and manufacturing industries.
Digital minister Margot James said: “This is a huge opportunity for an urban area to become the flagship of our ambitious programme to make Britain fit for the future and a world leader in 5G. Trialling 5G at scale across an entire city is a chance to prove the economic benefits predicted from this new technology, test different methods of deployment, and boost the connectivity of ordinary people working and living there.”