For what we are about to receive Bid for 5G upgrade

THE John Lewis & Partners store in Cheltenham is set to be at the centre of the 5G mobile revolution in the town.

A planning application has been lodged with the borough council for an upgrade of equipment on the roof of the shop in High Street.

And according to information submitted by the applicant, Mobile Broadband Network Limited, it will play a vital role in providing the much anticipated 5G signal to the Cheltenham area.

The company, which is a joint venture between EE and Three, has submitted information to the council about why it wants to revamp the base station on top of the building.

In a covering letter, it said: “It is now proposed to upgrade the existing telecommunications apparatus to allow for the change in antenna types required to deliver the latest technologies.

“This will enable places to remain competitive in and will support the Government’s ambition for the UK to become a world leader in 5G technology.”

According to MBNL, it could change many people’s lives with a quicker signal connecting all kinds of things.

The company said: “5G offers download speeds far in excess of what can be achieved today, even by fixed line broadband.

“Examples of this new world that will emerge from ubiquitous 5G coverage involves such things as connected and autonomous vehicles, traffic management, smart manufacturing with heterogenous autonomous machines, direct machine to machine communication, advanced medical devices, automated agriculture, far greater security provision, more stable and reliable connectivity and advances in further application development with uses not yet identified.”

Accompanying the company’s report was a letter from the Government, saying it is “committed to supporting investment in high-quality, reliable digital connectivity so that communities can benefit from faster economic growth and greater social inclusion.”

The letter, sent last month to local authorities from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, added: “As outlined in the Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, the Government would like to see nationwide full fibre coverage by 2033.

“We would also like the UK to be a world leader in 5G, with the majority of the population covered by a 5G signal by 2027.”

We would also like the UK to be a world leader in 5G, with the majority of the population covered by a 5G signal by 2027