Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
City selected for 5G centre
AN innovation hub focusing on the next generation of mobile internet technology will bring pioneering firms and jobs to Dundee.
That is the claim from the Scotland 5G Centre as it announced the city as its new location.
5G is the next generation of mobile internet connection, promising speeds of up to 100 times 4G, which is today’s standard.
The Scotland 5G Centre innovation hub plans to support innovation and growth in the games, virtual reality and interactive entertainment sectors.
The Dundee hub will also work in partnership to create new tools and services to combat cyber crime.
The centre is part of a £4 million national network announced in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government. It is hoped the facility will help drive growth and increase opportunities for employment and investment in the city and surrounding area.
Experts from the Scotland 5G Centre will lead the work in collaboration with Abertay University’s Emergent Technology Centre and the InGAME research and development centre.
The hub will be operational by May and its location will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Professor Gregor White, dean of Abertay School of Design and Informatics, said: “The rollout of the 5G hub offers significant growth potential for Dundee’s business sector. We are keen to explore all business collaboration opportunities.”
The hub will be created in partnership with Abertay, Dundee City Council and infrastructure experts Scottish Futures Trust and will work with regional businesses and provide access to a 5G development platform.
It will provide access to a councilled testbed, a demonstration and development environment where organisations can test and develop new 5G applications for potential business models.
The facility will support research and development on enabling technologies for applications where mobile plays a key role, such as service delivery, manufacturing, training and marketing by diverse industries and sectors.
Paul Coffey, chief executive at the Scotland 5G Centre, said: “Dundee has a proud track record of partnership working with established tech networks.
“The team at the 5G innovation hub will support organisations, networks and communities to get involved in the acceleration of 5G deployment at an earlier stage.
“We will work closely with the city’s games industry to enable organisations to harness the many opportunities that 5G offers, such as truly simultaneous game play.”
5G will open up opportunities to design products and services incorporating technologies such as immersive, interactive, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, automation and the Internet of Things.
The latter allows for new and innovative deployments of sensorbased systems and products to deliver solutions such as better management of buildings and places.
New products, tools, services and software will be designed and developed to ensure secure access to the 5G network.
The Central Waterfront Testbed, funded through the Scottish Government’s Growth Accelerator Model, will help deliver core infrastructure needed to meet the objectives of the 5G innovation hub.
A total of £2m is ringfenced in the Tay Cities Deal to support 5G.