Nicky Morgan:
Our rural communities are a hotbed of industry and technology and for them resilient digital connectivity is vital. They must not be forgotten as we continue to improve Britain’s digital infrastructure.
That’s why the PM has made this one of his early priorities – and rightly so. In his first few days in office, Boris Johnson recognised the need to provide world-class digital infrastructure across the UK so that, together, we can continue to compete and grow in the global economy. This will see every corner of the UK being provided with full-fibre broadband, so
that every community has the same opportunities.
We have invested £650million for fibre roll-out in the three years to 2021 and are prioritising rural areas – including their schools, hospitals and other public buildings – to ensure they get a gigabit-capable connection first.
The high connectivity that will fuel Britain’s future economy also lies in 5G, which is broadening the role mobile technology plays in society by connecting billions of devices with speeds we’ve never seen before.
But it’s not just about being able to download HD videos to your phone 10 times faster. New possibilities for businesses are being opened up by 5G, in areas such as autonomous vehicles, robotics and smart cities.
Recent reports from O2 and Barclays suggest that 5G could generate between £6billion and £13billion of GDP and productivity growth by 2025. So, to really capitalise on the tech revolution, the UK needs to take early advantage of 5G’s productivity and efficiency benefits.
As part of our £200million 5G Testbeds and Trials programme, we’re already funding research and development projects across the UK in a variety of industries and sectors. And there are some exciting things happening in rural areas.
On the Orkney Islands, 5G is being used to monitor salmon fisheries and improve the efficiency of wind farms. In Shropshire and Yorkshire, our trials are proving how 5G will transform farming through targeted crop spraying and soil analysis with autonomous drones and tractors.
‘Today, I am launching a search for 10 new projects in which to invest £30million’
A farm in Somerset is benefiting from new 5G sensor technology that lets cows determine when to be milked. Meanwhile, in the Pennines tourists can experience augmented reality tours on their mobile phones.
Today, I am launching a search for 10 additional projects in which to invest £30million. We are looking for ideas that will harness 5G to enhance the lives of people living in, working in and visiting rural locations.
While this scheme will be hugely beneficial for connecting rural communities, poor coverage in some areas puts economic growth at risk.
One of the first things that landed on my desk when I took responsibility for telecoms was a proposal from mobile firms to jointly invest in and share a network of infrastructure. This has the potential to close almost all partial not-spots and promises coverage in areas that have no signal at all.
To give such a proposal the best chance of success we also need to make it easier for the industry to build, share and upgrade mobile infrastructure. So today I am also launching proposals to reform planning processes in England to speed up the roll-out of 5G and extend mobile coverage in rural areas.
We want to know whether it would be appropriate to allow mobile network providers, through the planning process, to put more equipment on masts and make it easier to share them.
People in rural towns and villages can rest assured that, as we bring better mobile coverage to their homes and businesses, we are asking the right regulatory questions now to make sure we protect the environment but get the infrastructure we need to flourish in the future.