5G boost for Black Country as Government scheme rolled out
More mobile network equipment will be put on street lights, bus shelters and traffic lights in the Black Country, as part of a new Government scheme to help boost connectivity.
Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton all stand to benefit from the scheme, which aims to cut red tape and install more 4G and 5G kit.
The smaller wavelength of 5G phone signals means they can carry much more data but more antennas are needed across towns and cities to ensure seamless coverage.
Telecoms providers often find it hard and time consuming to check whether CCTV poles, road signs, bus shelters or public buildings are suitable for network equipment.
Now, under a pilot scheme led by West Midlands Combined Authority, network providers will have easier access to public buildings, traffic lights, and signs.
Digital infrastructure minister Julia Lopez said the pilot will help by modernising the way local authorities and operators work together.
“Everyone gets frustrated when their mobile signal is poor, particularly when patchy coverage holds up important work and social calls and makes it harder to do stuff online," she said.
"That is why we are determined to get the UK the connectivity it needs by rolling out better mobile coverage as quickly as possible.
"It is all part of our joined-up strategy to deliver world-class connectivity to every corner of our country.”
5G offers download speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G, making mobile phones much quicker and able to process ever larger amounts of data.
But the move is also expected to broaden the role that mobile technology plays in wider society by enabling thousands more ‘smart’ devices on the street, which connect to the internet and each other.
It is expected to pave the way for new virtual and augmented reality services and help drive the take-up of innovations such as autonomous cars and remote healthcare technologies.
And it could transform the way public services are delivered – such as energy and transport – by allowing greater real-time monitoring and responsiveness in order to reduce waste, pollution or congestion.
It comes as Openreach has announced it will create more than 300 extra jobs across the West Midlands during 2022 – including around 230 apprenticeships.
The new recruits will work to build and connect customers to the company’s ultrafast full fibre broadband network.
The mammoth build is on track to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by December 2026, including hundreds of thousands in the West Midlands.
